You’ll be glad to hear that the G Watch R isn’t as massive as it looks in pictures, and it doesn’t look out of place on our average-sized wrists. Still, we wouldn’t call it slim or sleek, and dainty-wristed gadgeteers might find it a little on the larger side.

Rather than take the sleek, minimalistic approach of the Moto 360, LG has strolled down the skeuomorphic path for the R, attempting to make it look like a ‘normal’ digital timepiece. So you’ll see permanent hour and minute marks on the fairly chunky bezel which, coupled with the digital clock faces, somehow draws attention to the fact that it’s not a real watch.

The Moto 360, on the other hand, struts around, proud to be futuristic and different.

To be clear, the G Watch R isn’t ugly or offensive, and we have no problem wearing it. It doesn’t scream ‘look at me!’, it sits there, and gets the job done. Which is exactly what a watch should do. But design-wise at least, we still prefer the 360.

In the hands, the G Watch R feels solid and well made, with a strong metal casing that feels as if it can take its fair share of knocks and bumps. Like the 360, it’s got a fake crown on the side, which actually serves as the power/sleep button. A long press also throws up the settings. While it can be twisted like a real watch crown, this offers no extra functionality, unlike the Apple Watch’s alternative, which can act as a zoom controller.

Flip it over, and you’ll find a plain black, rough plastic back. It’s not exciting like the Moto 360’s shiny behind, but then again, it doesn't have to be - you’re never going to see it.

Embedded in the middle is a heart-rate scanner, while a set of charging pins flanks the left hand side.

The watch strap itself is genuine leather, and while it feels nice, it’s very stiff at first. Our Moto 360’s strap felt far nicer after breaking it in for a week or two, and we’re hoping for the same to happen with the G Watch R.

Like its Motorola rival, the G Watch R supports standard-sized straps, so you can swap between regular metal, leather and rubber straps, as and when you fancy.

Its IP67 rating also means that you can chuck it in up to one metre of water for 30 minutes, though we obviously wouldn’t advise testing this out. The occasional splash from downpours and hand washing though? No problem.

READ MORE: What the Moto 360 might've looked like - the prototypes that didn't make it

T

his is where the G Watch R really shines. LG’s plastic OLED (POLED) screen is truly circular, unlike the Moto 360’s display which is cut off at the bottom to allow for the display driver.

While the 360's approach isn't the end of the world, gadgeteers with OCD-esque tendencies (this reviewer, for one) will view its cut-off screen as a permanent stain on an otherwise gorgeous device. LG’s display however, is music to our eyes. Or whatever the equivalent metaphor is.

Yes, it’s a little smaller than the 360’s screen at 1.3 inches, and yes it has a larger bezel to ensure the full circle - but take one look at it in all of its 360 degrees of glory, and you simply won’t care. Really, it's LG's device that should be called the 360.

On specs alone, its 320x320 resolution (245ppi) doesn't sound like much, falling well short of that found on most modern smartphones. But in practice it’s perfectly sharp enough; you can read the time, text, and make out icons without any hassle.

Compared to the 360’s display, the G Watch R’s screen fares better in most areas.

For starters, thanks to its OLED DNA, LG’s timepiece serves up deliciously deep, true blacks, easily besting the grey-like blacks of the 360’s LCD display.

If you’ve got a black watch face on the 360, its bottom cut-off section looks even more prominent, clashing with the greyish black of the watch face. When notifications pop up it is less of an issue, though, and without this slice Motorola couldn’t have achieved that big, modern screen with skinny bezels. 

While icons and text are slightly smaller on the G Watch R’s display, it also means that they’re slightly sharper too, though you’ll only notice this if you lean in close and compare the two screens in detail.

One benefit that the Moto 360 does have over the G Watch R is its automatic brightness mode, powered by an ambient light sensor, which its LG rival lacks. In practice though, we didn’t notice a drastic difference between the G Watch R’s brightness setting of ‘two’, and the 360’s automatic brightness setting.

Both smartwatches share similarly decent readability in outdoor light, although the G Watch R’s ambient light mode (a simplified, less power-hungry watch face that kicks in after a period of inactivity), is slightly brighter than the 360’s.

Overall, the G Watch R’s screen is one of the best smartwatch displays we’ve seen, and it makes up for its slightly smaller size and larger bezels with a sharp, readable, truly circular experience.

READ MORE: Microsoft's smartwatch will be available within weeks

LG has loaded the G Watch R with a selection of watch faces, some of which do their best to look like their traditional real-world counterparts.

There’s one that offers dual time zones for people in suits flittering in and out of business class lounges, while another is tailored to hikers, taking advantage of a built-in barometer and displaying the current altitude.

Another fitness-centric one shows off your steps at a glance, letting you see how close you are to hitting that daily 10,000-step goal.

The minute and hour hands on the outer bezel come in handy for telling the time more accurately with minimalist watch faces too.