Watch SE (2nd Gen)

honestly the apple watch se (2nd gen) is your best bet for value. it does everything a beginner needs - fitness tracking, notifications, heart rate - for like $250 new or $180 refurbished. series 8 is also great if you want always-on display and temp sensing, but you won't miss those as a first-time

for your use case, the apple watch se 2nd gen is perfect. does notifications and workouts great and costs way less. i've been using one for a year and it still feels fast. if you want the always-on display and blood oxygen sensor, get the series 9 refurbished. don't bother with ultra unless you're d