I went in roughly the opposite direction— after buying the Series 9 in 2024 (because I knew it would be the last stainless steel model to match my Nomad SS band), I upgraded to an Ultra 3 in Natural Titanium this year and couldn’t be happier. Kept the old Series 9 with metal band for those times when I need to class it up a bit but the Ultra 3 with Titanium Milanese Loop is phenomenally comfortable (and IMHO, upscale enough for most settings).
If I’m going to buy a new smartwatch, it might as well be the one with the longest lasting battery and most features.