That’s the ultra.

If 36 hours (Ultra 2) isn't enough battery life, then you and your friends aren't the target audience for a smart watch with a display.

I guess we yearn for a world long past where there weren't so many daily charging cycles because things were just either plugged in or not.

Sure, but that's just the price you pay for having fancy portable gadgets. You want longer battery life, there are tradeoffs.

Personally, "it's finally a little thinner" is the thing that has me planning to buy an Apple Watch for the first time.

It's partially the general UX of charging a watch. I find it easy to put my iPhone on a stand next to my bed every night, but for some reason I find it annoying to take off my watch and put it on the same stand. Both devices generally need the same amount of effort to charge but ones more of a burden.

Maybe I just want to do it less because I'm wearing it not carrying it in a pocket or having it sit next to me somewhere.

Since I sleep with it I find it easier to just have a charger on my desk. Generally only needs about an hour a day to fully charge.