Samsung brought back the physical rotating bezel with the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, a feature fans had been asking for since it last appeared on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in 2021. What’s interesting is that it doesn’t need to be in direct contact with the screen to work as magnetic sensors pick up the movement even if the bezel is hovering slightly above the watch.
On Reddit, someone has shown that the Watch 6 Classic’s bezel can register movement even when it’s hovering slightly above the screen (via Sammy Fans). This confirms Samsung’s use of magnetic sensing rather than physical contact, allowing the bezel to detect rotation through magnetic field changes, which is a subtle but impressive engineering choice.
See the embedded Reddit post below to see the whole trick.
It might look like some sort of smartwatch sorcery, but the Watch 6 Classic’s bezel trick is actually pretty simple. As one Reddit commenter pointed out, it’s all thanks to a built-in Hall sensor. Magnets hidden in the bezel shift as you rotate it, and the Hall sensor inside picks up those changes in the magnetic field. That’s how the watch knows you’re turning the bezel, with no direct contact required.
Why the bezel feels so good to use
Those satisfying clicks you feel aren’t from gears at all: they come from tiny metal balls tucked under the bezel ring. Because the whole system runs on magnets, it can also cause quirks like accidental scrolling if the watch is sitting on a magnetic charger.
Since Samsung has been using this same magnetic bezel setup for multiple generations, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic should also pull off the same hover-and-spin trick.
The rotating bezel is the Galaxy Watch Classic’s hallmark, offering a sturdy, clicky feel as you scroll through apps. It’s a far more natural way to navigate than swiping on the screen, especially with the larger display. And if you like a timeless style, the Classic comes with watch faces that match its traditional aesthetic.
