there are very good black friday deals on the series 7 and series 8 versions, which are fine. series 8 and series 9 are very similar. i have the series 7 and it’s fine for me.

i wouldn’t go lower than a series 7, tho, since series 7 is when they started the fast charging feature.

stainless steel is more expensive than the aluminum versions. stainless steel is more durable but aluminum is fine for your first apple watch.

i would get the GPS and cellular model so your watch can work on its own away from your iphone (if you pay for the add-on plan, which shouldn’t be expensive).

If you’re completely new to them I’d agree with others who suggest visiting an Apple Store, try them on and see how they feel/look.

I loved the SE as my first watch, now have an S9 as the Ultra was just too costly for me.