>Am I really the only one to think that the Apple Watch is just ugly?

If you think it's ugly, it's ugly. I'd prefer a round watch, personally, but to each his own. However, the watch looks really well made and the straps look great. Two downsides for me: iPhone-only (I'm not going leave Android) and (potentially) battery life.

>Most of the guesswork 'prototypes' were far more compelling

Really? Most of them aren't possible with current technology (or ever). I'm also not a big bracelet guy.