Strong turnout for world's first glimpse at Apple Watch

For women, the various sizes and wrist bands make this smartwatch more pleasing than earlier versions from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and others, said Kantar World Panel market analyst Carolina Milanesi, who has been wearing the watch for a few days.

At the Apple Store in Omotesando, a high-end shopping district in the heart of Tokyo, dozens of shoppers huddled around two glass displays, snapping pictures of the range of options available on the different watch models.

"I actually tried it on briefly, and it's so light it doesn't feel like it's on my wrist," 26-year-old salesman Yosuke Hosoi told Reuters.

Not for everyone

Sales estimates for 2015 vary widely. Piper Jaffray predicts 8 million units and Global Securities Research forecasts 40 million. By comparison, Apple sold nearly 200 million iPhones last year.

"Is it for everybody? No, but I don't think any wearables are yet," Milanesi said.

Apple's watch is widely expected to outsell those by Samsung, Sony Corp and Fitbit, that have attracted modest interest from consumers. It will likely account for 55 percent of global smartwatch shipments this year, according to Societe Generale.

Underscoring its marketing strategy, Apple is selling the watch through a handful of high-end stores including Selfridges in London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Isetan in Tokyo.

Still, experts said Apple's offering was unlikely to displace the market share of luxury-brand watch makers.

"This is just Apple's interpretation of the watch, I don't think watch makers should be worried at all," Stephen Fenech, editor of the Tech Guide website, told Reuters.

"This is just Apple's expression where they've combined what they are good at with the fact that it's a watch with style so I think there's going to be room for everyone."

JMP analyst Alex Gauna said he and others on Wall Street would be at stores this weekend to gauge consumer reaction.

But the typically long queues at its stores on product launch days could be a thing of the past as the company emphasizes online sales, according to a leaked internal memo from retail chief Angela Ahrendts, reported by Business Insider.

"The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers," she wrote.

"This is a significant change in mindset, and we need your help to make it happen. Tell your customers we have more availability online, and show them how easy it is to order."