Well I like my Apple Watch, they make it less compelling to buy a new one.
Replacing my Series 8 with a new one would be a downgrade in capabilities.
Apple Watch still requires an iPhone to setup. Even the ones with their own cellular capabilities require being setup with an iPhone. Even if you have a Mac or iPad, you can't set up an Apple Watch unless you buy an iPhone. My manager at work just found that out when he got one for his son from T-Mobile and couldn't set it up because he didn't have an iPhone.
Its just dumb by design.