Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons
license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary
on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the
entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/


              Inside Apple's 3D'Printed Titanium Apple Watch Cases

   Adam Engst

   [1]Apple writes:

     This year, all Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series
     11 cases are 3D-printed with 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade
     titanium powder, an achievement not previously considered possible
     at scale. Every team at Apple rallied behind a shared ambition. The
     polished mirror finish on Series 11 had to be pristine. Ultra 3 had
     to maintain its durability and lightweight form to meet the demands
     of everyday adventurers. They both also had to be better for the
     planet without compromising performance, and use the same or
     better-quality materials.

   Modern-day manufacturing is impressive enough in its own right, but
   Apple's move to 3D printing Apple Watch cases at scale marks a
   significant milestone. Because 3D printing is an additive process that
   uses only the material in the final part, unlike subtractive machining
   of forged parts that results in significant waste, Apple says it uses
   50% less raw material than in previous generations and expects to save
   over 400 metric tons of titanium in 2025. Over 20 hours, six lasers
   fuse more than 900 layers of recycled titanium powder to create a
   single Apple Watch case. Read the article for more over-the-top details
   and example videos.

   [2]Read original article

References

   1. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/11/mapping-the-future-with-3d-printed-titanium-apple-watch-cases/
   2. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/11/mapping-the-future-with-3d-printed-titanium-apple-watch-cases/

.