Ulm analog inkblot Garmin watch face

Ulm is an analog Garmin watch face with symmetrical ink blots on a light dial, inspired by the Rorschach test. The ink sits along the edge, as a wide band across the dial or as a single blot in the center. The weekday and date sit at the top, with three fields for values such as battery, steps or weather.

AI-generated

Device profiles: 39
Display: AMOLED / MicroLED
Free version: Free
Pro one-time: $2.49

How the inkblot dial is built

Garmin epix (Gen 2) with the analog watch face Ulm next to a folded sheet with a fresh ink blot, ink, brush and pencil

Ulm is named after the Ulm School of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm), which ran from 1953 to 1968. The dial is almost white, with fine ticks or numerals marking the hours. On top sits an ink blot, mirrored left and right like the cards of the Rorschach test, where everyone sees something different in the same shapes.

Pro gives you 30 blots of three kinds: blots along the edge, a wide band across the dial, or a single blot in the center with splashes toward the edge. Free includes one of each kind: blots 1, 12 and 23. In Pro you color the ink in one of 13 colors, in greyscale or solid, or switch the pattern off.

What the watch face shows

What you see on the display and what each element shows.

Data fields

In Pro you set three fields: left, right and bottom. Each offers the same 27 values. You can use a value twice or leave a field empty with “None”. “Next sun event” shows the next sunrise or sunset. Which values appear depends on your watch. Free always shows battery on the left, steps on the right and the weather at the bottom.

Left, right and bottom field

Next sun event
Steps
Step goal
Distance
Calories
Floors
Active minutes
Recovery
Heart rate
Resting HR
Body Battery
Stress
Respiration
Pulse Ox
Battery
Battery days
Notifications
Phone
Alarms
Do not disturb
Sunrise
Sunset
Weather
Rain
Wind
Humidity
Altitude
None

Three kinds of blots

The 30 blots come in three kinds. Free includes one of each, Pro all 30. The images show the three Free blots with the default settings.

Blot 1: along the edge
Blot 12: wide band
Blot 23: center blot

Ink blots in 13 colors, greyscale or solid

Four Garmin watches with the Ulm Garmin watch face below their ink blots: epix Pro in black, D2 Mach 2 Pro in red orange, Venu 2S in yellow and MARQ in green

Pro colors the ink in one of 13 colors: soft shading in Greyscale, one strong color in Solid. The hands and the seconds hand each get their own color from the same list. Free keeps the default look with grey ink, blue hands and a black seconds hand. The photo shows an epix Pro, D2 Mach 2 Pro, Venu 2S and MARQ with four setups, five more on other Garmin watches below.

Yellow, solid
Orange, solid, hollow hands
Green, greyscale
Violet, no date or fields
No pattern

Ulm on the wrist

Analog Garmin watch face Ulm with a pink ink blot on a Venu 3S, seen over the shoulder above an exhibition catalogue

Garmin Venu 4 with the Ulm watch face in lime in a screen printing studio, three prints drying on a line

Hands folding a sheet with a fresh ink blot, a fēnix 9 with the Ulm Garmin watch face on the wrist

Garmin Forerunner 965 with the analog watch face Ulm in yellow, a man sitting on a bench in front of a round panel

Woman in a coat wearing a Venu 4 with the Ulm Garmin watch face in violet next to an ink blot panel

Garmin fēnix 9 Pro with the Ulm watch face in orange, holding a coffee cup

These photos show Ulm on six Garmin watches: Venu 3S, Venu 4, fēnix 9, Forerunner 965, fēnix 9 Pro and a second Venu 4, each with a different blot and color.

Always-on: ticks and hands only

Always-on shows only the hour ticks and the hour and minute hands in grey, in your chosen shape and length. The ink, date, fields and seconds hand are hidden, so only a small part of the display lights up.

AI-generated

Set up Ulm on your watch

On the watch face, hold the middle left button (UP/MENU), choose “Watch Face” and then “Customize”. Every change shows up instantly in the preview. On Venu, vívoactive and other two-button watches, hold the lower right button instead.

01
Pattern
Set up the ink. The watch face updates as you scroll.
- Blot
  One of 30 blots. In Free you choose blot 1, 12 or 23.
- Show patternPro
  Turns the ink off for a plain light dial with ticks or numerals.
- Pattern tonePro
  Greyscale with soft shading or Solid in one strong color.
- Pattern colourPro
  One of 13 colors for the ink.
02
HandsPro
Shape, length and color of the hands.
- Hand shapePro
  Lance, pointed and filled, or Hollow, outline only.
- Hand lengthPro
  Fragment shows only the outer part, Full reaches the center.
- Hand colourPro
  One of 13 colors for the hour and minute hands.
- SecondsPro
  Shows or hides the seconds hand, with its own color under “Seconds colour”.
03
DialPro
Hour marks and date.
- Hour marksPro
  Ticks, grey numerals or black numerals.
- DatePro
  Shows or hides the weekday and date at the top.
04
FieldsPro
Set the left, right and bottom field to one of 27 values or hide it with “None”.
05
Save
Applies your changes, “Discard” keeps everything as it was.

What is the difference between Free and Pro?

What is the difference between Free and Pro?
Feature	FreeNo time limit	Pro$2.49 one-time
Design
Blots	3	30
Turn the pattern off	Not included	Included
Choose hand shape and length	Not included	Included
Hour marks as ticks or numerals	Ticks	Included
Hide the date	Not included	Included
Reduced always-on view	Included	Included
Colors
Ink color	Grey	13
Greyscale or solid tone	Greyscale	Included
Hand and seconds colors	Blue, black	13 each
Hide the seconds hand	Not included	Included
Data
Customizable fields	Not included	All 3
Values to choose per field	Not included	27
Hide fields	Not included	Included
Settings
Settings on the watch with live preview	Included	Included
Menu in six languages	Included	Included

Connect IQ StoreFree version Connect IQ StorePro version · $2.49

Does it fit your Garmin?

The watch face runs on these Garmin watches:

fēnix 8 AMOLED 43 mm
fēnix 8 AMOLED 47 mm
fēnix 8 AMOLED 51 mm
fēnix 8 Pro 47 mm
fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm
fēnix 8 Pro MicroLED
fēnix 9 43 mm
fēnix 9 47 mm
fēnix 9 51 mm
fēnix 9 Pro 43 mm
fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm
fēnix 9 Pro 51 mm
fēnix E
epix (Gen 2)
epix Pro (Gen 2) 42 mm
epix Pro (Gen 2) 47 mm
epix Pro (Gen 2) 51 mm
Forerunner 170
Forerunner 170 Music
Forerunner 265
Forerunner 265S
Forerunner 570 42 mm
Forerunner 570 47 mm
Forerunner 965
Forerunner 970
Venu 2
Venu 2 Plus
Venu 2S
Venu 3
Venu 3S
Venu 4 41 mm
Venu 4 45 mm
vívoactive 6
quatix 8 47 mm
quatix 8 51 mm
quatix 8 Pro 47 mm
quatix 8 Pro 51 mm
quatix 7 Sapphire
quatix 7 Pro
tactix 8 47 mm
tactix 8 51 mm
tactix 7 AMOLED Edition
D2 Mach 1 Pro
D2 Air X15
D2 Mach 1
D2 Mach 2
D2 Mach 2 Pro
D2 Air X10 · Free only
MARQ (Gen 2)
MARQ Aviator (Gen 2)
Descent Mk3 43 mm
Descent Mk3i 43 mm
Descent Mk3i 51 mm
Approach S70 42 mm
Approach S70 47 mm

How to get Ulm on your watch

1
Open the app
Open the Connect IQ Store app on your phone. If you don’t have it yet, get it free from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with your Garmin account.
2
Find the watch face
Tap the search bar at the very top and type Ulm. Open “Analog Inkblot - Ulm Free” (free) or “Analog Inkblot - Ulm Pro” ($2.49 one-time).
3
Install
Free: tap the big blue “Install” button. Pro: buy it first and pay with your Garmin account, then tap “Install”. Your watch gets the watch face the next time it syncs with Garmin Connect.
4
Select it on your watch
On your Garmin watch, hold the middle left button (UP/MENU) while the watch face is showing. Select “Watch Face”. Scroll to Ulm: with the left up and down buttons or by swiping the screen. Confirm with the top right button (START) or a tap. On Venu, vívoactive and other two-button watches, hold the lower right button, select “Watch Face”, swipe to Ulm and tap it.

FAQ

Which Garmin watches does this watch face support?

Ulm runs on more than 50 Garmin watches (39 device profiles) with a round AMOLED or MicroLED display, from these series: fēnix, epix, Forerunner, Venu, vívoactive, quatix, tactix, D2, MARQ (Gen 2), Descent and Approach. You will find every model under “Does it fit your Garmin?” above, with a filter by series. On the D2 Air X10 only the Free version is available in the store. Instinct 3 AMOLED, Forerunner 70 and 165, Descent G2, Approach S50 and vívoactive 5 cannot show the soft grey shading of the ink and are not supported, nor are watches with a MIP display.

What is the difference between Free and Pro?

Ulm Free costs nothing and has no time limit. It shows the default look: grey ink, blue lance hands, a black seconds hand, hour ticks, the date and battery, steps and weather in the three fields. You choose the blot: 1, 12 or 23. Pro is a separate watch face for a one-time $2.49 with all 30 blots, greyscale or solid ink in 13 colors, hand shape, length and colors, numerals instead of ticks and three fields with 27 values each.

How do I install the watch face?

Open the Connect IQ Store app on your phone, tap the search bar at the very top and type Ulm. Open “Analog Inkblot - Ulm Free” and tap “Install”; for “Analog Inkblot - Ulm Pro” you buy first, then install. After your watch syncs with Garmin Connect, hold the middle left button (UP/MENU), select “Watch Face” and pick Ulm. The detailed steps are further up this page.

Can I change colors and data fields on the watch?

Yes. On the watch face, hold the middle left button (UP/MENU), select “Watch Face” and then “Customize”. In Free you pick the blot there, in Pro every setting.

What does Ulm have to do with the Rorschach test?

Ulm borrows the form: symmetrical ink blots in which everyone sees something different. Each blot is mirrored left and right. The watch face contains no test and no interpretation.

Is Pro a subscription?

No. “Analog Inkblot - Ulm Pro” is a one-time purchase of $2.49 and installs as a separate watch face. Buying it does not change an existing Free installation.