Still the most coveted smartwatch

We are fast approaching a full decade since Apple dropped a press release to declare the worldwide availability of its first generation smartwatch.

Pictured is not that early model, but a handsome series 10 Hermes. The first gen had a Hermes co-branded version as well. The success of the Watch, IMHO, was due to this early positioning as a premium good—yes, a supremely capable wearable, but also a coveted watch-qua-watch.

A telling early review, purely in terms of its success as a luxury object, is a piece from Benjamin Clymer for Hodinkee:

➔ A Watch Guy's Thoughts On The Apple Watch After Seeing It In The Metal