Watch series 3 8.7.1 update

Hi! I have an Apple Watch Series 3 (on version watchOS 6.3; it says the update is 1.3 GB) and am desperately trying to complete the 8.7.1 update. I reset my watch hoping it would help the update go through and now my watch is completely bricked as the update is required for setup. I have tried everything seen online to try to get this update to go through:

reset the watch, turned my phone on and off, reinstalled the app, tried it on a phone updated to 16.2 and one on 15.7, changed my location and language, and have let it download and redownload for days on end uninterrupted. No matter what, I can’t get the bar on the preparing stage to progress at all. Is there any fix for this or a way to delete the update when I don’t have access to the Apple Watch settings because it is bricked? I don’t care what watchOS my watch uses, I just want to be able to use it (I haven’t even had it for a year at this point). Is it worth driving the hour to the nearest Apple Store? Does anyone know if a fix for this issue will be released by apple in the future? I have been obsessively trying to fix this problem for weeks now and will take any advice because I feel like I am wasting my time at this point.