BERLIN—The Asus ZenWatch 2 features a decidedly Apple Watch-like combination of choices—including two sizes, three case designs, and 18 watch bands—but with a decidedly un-Apple Watch-like price of 149 euros ($180). I got a few minutes with the device here at IFA after Asus's press conference.

The ZenWatch 2's design inspiration clearly comes from the Apple Watch, and could easily be mistaken for one at first glance. It has a rounded square face covered entirely in a bezel-less touch-sensitive LCD, and a metal crown on the right side. Once you pick it up, though, the compromises become apparent.

While the ZenWatch 2 is similar in shape to the Apple Watch, the ZenWatch 2 feels just a millimeter or two thicker. It's not noticeably heavier, but there's a bit more bulk for the weight. The back of the watch has what feels like a plastic cover containing the power connector, a magnetic connection point like the Pebble Time. It lacks any of the biometrics features of the Apple Watch, like heart-rate monitoring, and no sensors can be seen where the watch touches the wrist.

The ZenWatch 2 is an Android Wear device through and through, with Google Now voice-control support and various Google apps like Translate supporting on-watch interaction. The screen looks very nice, and appeared crisp and colorful, if not particularly bright (the demonstration watch faces seemed to have automatic dimming timers, so this might not be an issue for the watch screens themselves). The crown is smaller and less directly integrated into the watch interface than the Apple Watch crown, though it provides a handy jump-back-to-watch-face button.

While Asus didn't show off its custom watch face software at the press conference, it offered looks at a slew of the 50 professionally designed watch faces available for the ZenWatch 2. They ranged from the minimalist, numbers-free watch face to an information-filled chronograph with multiple dials and fitness information display (while the ZenWatch 2 lacks a heart rate sensor, it does have a pedometer). The watch faces looked clean and sharp on the ZenWatch 2 display.

Asus claims support for Android and iOS devices, which really highlights its goal of making the ZenWatch into a true Apple Watch alternative. We'll have to see how this works when we get the ZenWatch 2 into PC Labs for review. Based on my time with it, however, the watch looks very promising. It doesn't seem to have Apple's neurotic devotion to clean, minimalist design, but it might be able to provide a reasonable approximation for half the price. For users who want a smartwatch but don't want to spend as much as a second phone to get it, that might be all it needs.