By the time you are reading this, the Apple Watch will be 2923 days old- or 8 years and a day old. I figured I’d take this opportunity to look back at the launch of the Apple Watch and think about what it represented for Apple and the direction the company was moving at the time and think about how its so different today.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend using the Wayback Machine to view the Apple Watch page on April 24, 2015 and watch the below YouTube video of the Apple Watch reveal from September 2014. I’ll insert images and video where possible.

For starters, the September 2014 Apple Watch reveal video.

I love this video for showcasing two great features of the Apple Watch. First, the pure design of the Watch. It came in two sizes, came in multiple finishes, and had an insane attention to detail and design. Everything was carefully considered and the craftsmanship is on full display. So much so, that Apple made it a selling point.

The sizes appealed to different people, the colors and metals appealed to different people and incomes, and the bands did too. And the consideration that went into ensuring the app icons match the shape of the Digital Crown which exposed your apps.

Second is the customizability of the Apple Watch. In many ways, this was- and still is- the most customizable product Apple has ever made. The Watch with its different sizes and colors and metals could be mixed and matched with any band and any face at any time in super simple ways. Early Apple Watch ads captured that feeling perfectly.

The way Apple wanted users to feel when using, or more accurately wearing, the Apple Watch was on full display too. Look at the cover photo Apple used on their website when marketing the Apple Watch.

Something that feels beautiful and non-intrusive. Something that you feel comfortable and confident having on your wrist. Something that empowers you. Something that makes you disconnect from the virtual world and focus on the present. It’s been a while since Apple focused on some of these ideas in general, let along with this kind of consideration and diligence.

The final thing I want to touch on with regards to the Apple Watch launch is the feeling of excitement that in injected into the company. There was a real feeling in Apple and around the tech industry that wearable technology was the next frontier to be conquered. Wearables, maybe even multiple wearables working together, could and would replace your iPhone and Mac and that seamless use of lightweight devices (lightweight in usability not actual weight) would allow you enjoy all the things you do today, but also let you reconnect with the real world at large. This feeling doesn’t exist anymore. It is 8 years later, but starting in 2019 with the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 5, the exciting new hardware and software Apple was able to ship and push into the Watch began to dramatically slow down.

I love the Apple Watch. If I could fully replace my iPhone with an Apple Watch and pair of AirPods, I’d do it in a heartbeat. And for a time, that seemed to be what Apple wanted to do. But as time went on, Apple focused less on design and focused more on affordability. They focused more on features and technology rather than introducing features and technology to help users feel something about their device. That’s the Apple I know and love.