Low-key launch for Apple Watch

The Apple Watch launched globally with a small queue of Japanese tech-addicts lining up in Tokyo for Apple’s first wearable gadget, but there was no sign of the excitement usually attached to the company’s product rollouts.

Buyers can take the smartwatch home from a handful of upscale boutiques and department stores, including The Corner in Berlin, Maxfield in Los Angeles and Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London, which Apple courted to help position the watch as a fashion item.

But the gadget was not being sold at Apple stores yesterday. The company directed people to order online instead, to prevent the long lines of Apple devotees who typically flock to iPhone and iPad launches.