I was reminded, as I watched a live stream of Tag Heuer’s shouty boss build hype for his company’s second Android Wear watch, just how difficult it is to make a good smartwatch. As users, we expect all the thinness, lightness, and versatility that we’re used to from smartphones, but married to the always-on time display and two-day battery life of a mechanical watch. And we’re only willing to pay impulse-purchase prices.

It’s a recipe for nightmare compromises, and the more attempts I see at solving the challenge, the more I come to appreciate the original pioneers like Samsung’s flawed but trailblazing Galaxy Gear and Apple’s original Watch. As things stand today, two years after its release, the Apple Watch still presents the best…

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