After it was confirmed last year, there has been much speculation on the nature of Apple’s latest release. Yesterday, on March 9th, Apple held a special press event to announce and detail the launch of the Apple Watch. With a price range of $350-$17,000, Apple is following a recent trend in wearable tech, and hopes to compete with Samsung, Motorola, and LG models, which are priced much lower.

Previously, the wearable tech market which Apple seeks to disrupt has been focused on fitness. Watches like the Nike Fuel Band, the Jawbone tracker, and the FitBit tracker (all significantly less expensive) hold the majority of the market share. Apple’s smartwatch, however, has little in the way of calorie tracking and fitness features other than third party apps. Moreover, rugged sports trackers are weatherproof. Apple made no comment as to whether or not the iWatch will be water and shock resistant.

Apple may also be taking a branding risk with their watch. Smart watches have been around since 2013, and haven’t been that popular since. After all, aside from track runners, have you seen many people wearing them?

Furthermore, the Apple Watch goes against one of Apple’s main selling points–ease of use. Many of the preview users commented on the clunky and confusing layout of small buttons, a departure from the traditional home button of previous iOS devices.

The truth is, with Apple’s upward trend in popularity and cult following, the Apple Watch probably will not fail. Despite this, the sale of a five figure gold watch will cement Apple’s already unpopular reputation with advanced consumers; that  Apple devices are fashion statements first, innovation second.

Every popular tech company has had its failures. Amazon had the Fire Phone, Microsoft had the Zune, and Google had the Glass. Will the Apple Watch be Apple’s first major flop, or will it be the wearable tech that defines the year?