MY conker's a sixer...
I've updated my 4S phone to iOS8 last night (the GM) and I'm much happier with the transition to that than I was to iOS7. Battery life actually seems a bit better.
That's very good news. iOS7 seemed to slow things down just a bit on my iPhone 4s and iPad 2. How's that part working out for you?
If the Apple Watch definitely needs an iPhone and iTunes to even perform the basic functions of timekeeping and dial changes, that is seriously going to erode my enthusiasm.
While I'm sleeping, I have no need to know what time it is. If you ask me what time it is nearly any time of the day, I can almost always guess within 15 minutes. That's close enough for me.