Taking the Apple Watch off its charger is as simple and satisfying as unclasping a magnet: There's a slight resistance, then freedom. Slipping it over your wrist and fastening it — in this case, using a Milanese Loop, which, like the Leather Loop, feels almost like a Lulu Lemon waistband for your wrist — is easy. From there, you're just a passcode or strong password away from being good to go.
I've had the opportunity to spend some time with all of Apple's watches, from the light aluminum Sport to the classic stainless steel Watch to the luxurious golden Edition. They all feel not only comfortable to wear, but sleek, too. The stainless steel, which comes with the Milanese, feels substantial but not onerous. It's just a watch.
All in the timing
The time is easy to check: Turn your wrist and it's there. (Of course, you can also choose to have the last app you used show up by default instead.) I don't normally wear a watch, which means I'm not in the habit of casually glancing at the time without moving my wrist; having it available on a turn is more than fine.
After a brief flirtation with Mickey Mouse for fun, I've settled on the Utility face for now; I've added complications to show me the temperature, battery, date, and my next appointment. It's such good information at a glance that I wish my iPhone's lock screen offered them as well.
Alert, alert
Wearing the Apple Watch is a very different experience. It really doesn't buzz the way an iPhone does in your purse or pocket, or the way a Pebble would on your wrist. It can ping — loudly — if you want it to, but if not, it just taps you on the wrist. (By default, it does so subtly; it can also act with a little more gusto if you want it to really get your attention.)
The convenience proves itself almost immediately. Gone is running or reaching for your phone. Just look, and all the notifications you want to see are on your wrist. Of course, if you're at your Mac, or your iPhone is unlocked and you're using it, the notifications go to where you are instead. Otherwise, they just appear on your Watch.
There are three exceptions to that rule, however: sketches, delightfully animated images that you draw; taps, beats that you tap out; and your heartbeat, which you capture with a wide two finger touch. They're only for you and your Watch-wearing friends.
It feels a little bit elitist, at first. Not many people have an Apple Watch yet, which makes sending and receiving these Apple Watch communications exciting and exclusive at first. But there are only so many Batman, Hulk, and dragon heads you can send before you calm down, after all.
Move me
In contrast with notifications, which pepper you as they come in, the Activity tracker just does its business in the background. I stand when I work most of the time, which makes the reminder to stand up less important to me. The ping to move and get my heart rate up, however, is hugely appreciated. The Apple Watch counting calories instead of steps is something I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, though — it's a little like metric conversion when you're used to feet and pounds.
Come in, control
Controlling the Apple Watch is easy — as long as you remember that it's an Apple Watch and not an iPhone. It's not meant for hours or even minutes of prolonged use; it's meant for seconds. It's not meant for you to hunt and peck for functionality; it's meant for you to glimpse, to respond, to speak, to interact briefly, and then go on about your business.
Ignoring someone at the other end of the table or burying your face in a device instead of conversation is harder to do with the Apple Watch: First, it covers less face. Second, it pushes you out as much as an iPhone pulls you in.
Some apps really understand and nail this. The really good ones offer the same level of convenience and speed as stock apps on the Apple Watch itself: They let you act on a message or tweet rather than presenting long lists to browse. They let you see when your car is arriving, or your flight is boarding, rather than giving you a stack of things to do. They let you make a calculation, unlock a door, alter the hue of a light, check on a delivery, and do much, much more — all without having to run back to your iPhone — but without taking too much time from your day-to-day activities.
In that regard, really, it's similar to how we already work on our iPhones without having to use our Macs.
The nitpicks
That's not to say everything is perfect yet. For one, apps requiring communication to and from an iPhone are like apps that rely on an internet connection: great and marvelous until anything disrupts that signal. Likewise, having 12 friends you can sketch and tap and send heartbeats to is fantastic... until your thirteenth friend gets an Apple Watch and you have to start swapping buddies.
Those quibbles are minor, however, and far more minor than I imagined they'd be. Once you get used to the Digital Crown, once you start to feel comfortable with decoupled interface and push interactions, once the haptics start to resonate at a more primal level, once the Apple Watch becomes as much a part of you as the iPhone has — it really feels right.
It's fair to say I knew going in that I was going to like the Apple Watch. I wasn't sure I was going to like it as much as I do and as quickly as I have. I thought I'd be fighting it more, or stumbling over it, but instead, it's been really great. Better than I thought. I'm sure others will have very different reactions — but this one is mine.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...
Yes, it's a first-generation device. But in many ways, it's Apple's most capable first-generation device ever, and taking phone calls on our wrist really is bloody cool.
Taking the Apple Watch off at night and returning it to its charger feels just a little sad. It's like when you lose data on your phone and the connected world you've become accustomed to is suddenly a lot less vibrant.
It's only for the night, though. And given how many features the Apple Watch has, the next day might be very different. The next week and next month, even more so.
Okay, maybe one more Batman head sketch before lights out...
