Enlarge / The 2022 Apple Watch lineup. From left to right: Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE. (credit: Samuel Axon)

CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple's Watch lineup doesn't often see a big shake-up or significant new features, but that wasn't the case at Apple's September product launch event today. In addition to modest updates to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE , the company introduced the Apple Watch Ultra , a rugged, more full-featured step up from the Series 8.

We had an opportunity to hold and photograph all three Watch models briefly at the Steve Jobs Theater. While there wasn't an opportunity to try out the major new features, even an eyes-on experience with the Ultra reveals it's a new kind of Apple Watch.

It's not the first rugged smartwatch on the market, of course, and depending on your needs, it may not even be the best. But it's the first foray into that world from a company that has otherwise dominated the smartwatch market for years.