There’s really only one way for Apple Watch’s design to change significantly…

And Apple’s not going to do it. (And that’s great.)

There’s been a lot of talk of a new Apple Watch model coming this Fall: the long-rumored “rugged” Apple Watch. I wrote about that model in a recent edition of the newsletter. I remain both personally uninterested by the Apple Watch described in those rumors (I’m perfectly content with a lower-end Apple Watch) and intrigued to hear exactly how Apple plans to position this new model. In a recent column, Mark Gurman briefly described this Fall’s new Apple Watch addition this way: “Get ready for a fresh Apple Watch design with new high-end model.”

However, there’s really only one way that Apple could radically redesign the Apple Watch, and that’s with a circular design. Certainly there are many people who would love to see such an Apple Watch. It is, after all, the standard design of wristwatches and clocks for, well, ever. It’s also the direction most of Apple’s smart-watch competitors have gone. And while it would be interesting to see how Apple would approach a circular user interface, I don’t think they’re ever going to do it, and I don’t think they should either.

For one thing, the “roundrect” is a much better shape for a screen whose purpose is to display varying types of data. A round watch face makes a ton of sense given that the primary indicators are hands that move around a central axis. And there are certainly many round watch faces in watchOS. But most other types of data wouldn’t present as well on a round display. Even though I myself use a round watch face on my Apple Watch, I love that I can augment it with useful bits of data in the corners.

But practicality aside, I think Apple’s just found a really solid, iconic design for its watch that I think will be with us in more or less the same form for years to come. The Rolex Submariner and Omega Speedmaster haven’t fundamentally changed their design in decades. Buy a brand new Speedmaster, and apart from small changes, it’ll look just like the one that Buzz Aldrin wore on the Moon in 1969. Likewise, we’ve seen some relatively subtle changes to the Apple Watch’s look since it was unveiled in 2014, but it’s fundamentally the same design.

The big rumor (no pun intended) is that this year we’ll get an Apple Watch with noticeably larger display. That’s not insignificant, but I’ll bet it still looks immediately recognizable as an Apple Watch. I think the Apple Watch’s signature design is here to stay. And I think that’s a very good thing.