You can disable pretty much all notifications from the watch, separately from your phone. I only use my apple watch for activity tracking, music while cycling without my phone, and things like checking the weather (and time, I guess).

As for them being ugly, at least Apple has a wide selection of bands, and the watch itself is as unoffensive as a rounded rect can be, but I feel you there. It's not a work of art, but at least it's not the house arrest bracelets that fitbit sells.