I guess I'm that guy who ignores your stated preference.

Have you considered a Garmin watch? I have been wearing one for well over a year and vastly prefer it to the Apple Watch 7 that I used to wear. Unless the latest AW models and software are drastically difference, I think the Garmin is a better fitness tracker and gives better (and more actionable) health and fitness data. ('Course, it depends which Garmin watch you choose. If you're willing to shell out for any of the Fenix 8 models, you'll get everything they offer along with their best HRM. The Forerunner 955 and 965 give the same capabilities in different packages, and the Fenix 7 models are on-sale and also extremely capable.)