I don't agree. I mean with Apple they could do anything, but in general I would argue that with wearables, fashion is going to dictate far more what Apple does with the watch than for an iPhone. Not only are they going to update the technology which may dictate design parameters, but they are going to at least try to address fashion trends, and variety of choice for the fashion customer. The Hermes branding is just the tip of the iceberg. And I think it's clear from that, as well as they myriad of case finishes Apple has introduced (with more likely to come), that Apple intends to allow multiple device pairing at some point, allowing customers to have multiple watches. And while they could just rely on customers to buy a gold one this year, and a stainless next year, they would better guarantee additional purchases if they offer something completely different. Maybe thinner, maybe a round option (I don't want to get into a which is better debate so lets just all agree its strictly a fashion choice), maybe chunkier. Just looking at the array of current wrist wear, Apple could go anywhere with it. They could also get into custom case design for specific partnerships -- one of my biggest criticisms of the Hermes co-brand is that they contributed nothing to the case design on which their name is prominently engraved.
The point is, with all of the fashion considerations dictated by customer choice, Apple has never been one to cling onto old designs just to please a customer who has already bought their product! And the fashion world is hardly pragmatic. Some people buy $1,000 dresses they are only going to wear once. Others buy hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of accessories to match whatever color combination is in fashion this season, and then throw it all out and buy it all over again to get matching ensembles for next years seasons. Heck, as Apple releases new watch bands stylings every few months, someone may not even want to wear the band they originally chose with their watch, or any of the bands bought afterwards. There's also wear an tear -- I used to replace my leather bands every year or two anyway because they would get disgusting with sweat. With respect to the former, I don't see Apple being that fickle with their designs, but I don't see them being overly concerned about making sure this year's Watch customer can re-use their bands on next-years model, if they need to make a change.
And there's any reason they may need to, chief among the tech reasons is if they redesign the diagnostic port for use with smart bands. From a purely fashion perspective they may want to slim the appearance of the watch, and the current band thickness where it joins the housing may look too bulky with a slimmer case, perhaps they will taper the ends. I won't be surprised if Apple doesn't change a thing, but I certainly wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on watch bands for this years model expecting them to work with next years. I learned long ago that every Apple purchase should be made strictly for the time it is needed, and not second guess the ability to upgrade when next years model is introduced -- some times it works out, other times not so much. I'm still waiting for someone to create an add-on 30-pin camera for my original iPad, which I logically hoped, and in hindsight foolishly, someone would offer up by gen 2. At least they hold their value for resale. And with respect to the original watch, someone will have not only a watch, but a complete set of bands to enhance the value for a potential buyer, to offset the cost of buying a brand new watch and co-ordinating bands.
