The Apple Watch arrives on our wrists under a cloud of intense scrutiny, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the first iPhone. It has to succeed where other smartwatches have failed. It has to satisfy the varied and intense desires of the fashion-conscious.

It's fair to say that critics have been stockpiling ammo: This risky product cannot succeed. It’s one act of hubris too far. No one wears watches anymore, especially not those produced by Apple.

I started this review process as a serious skeptic, but not a denier. I wear a smartwatch (the Pebble Steel) almost every day. When I started testing the Apple Watch almost a week ago, I insisted on wearing the Pebble on my left wrist while wearing the new device on my right to compare. However, a few days in, I realized I was no longer glancing at the Pebble.

I finally left the Pebble behind, and I don’t miss it. That's because the Apple Watch is an excellent, elegant, stylish, smart and fundamentally sound device.