Why is buying an Apple Watch such a massive fuss?

You can't actually purchase an Apple Watch in an Apple Store, only in a few high-end boutique shops. And the resulting experience is a pretty awkward one

Buying an Apple Watch is a strange experience. At least in the opening few months, it's tricky to even do at all: you can't simply walk into a shop with 300 and walk out with a watch. Instead, at least in Apple Stores, you book an appointment, arrive for a 15-minute "fitting", and, at the end of it all, walk over to an iPad to order one online for delivery.

The rationale seems to be two-fold: avoiding unsightly queues outside the stores, and managing the inevitable supply constraints. Many would-be purchasers might be tempted to skip the palaver and order online from the comfort of their own home, but the fitting is not all PR fluff. The difference between the two watch sizes, and the multitude of straps on offer, is difficult to fully appreciate until the thing actually sits on your wrist. In my case, I went from mulling the purchase of a 42mm watch (clearly intended to be - if not actually advertised as - the "men's" watch) to settling on the smaller 38mm, which, it turns out, is around the same size as my dear Casio F-91. But the faff that surrounds the whole thing rather undermines the usefulness.