Q: Squiggly charge cord image

That indicates that your watch battery is very low and needs to be charged. Check that:

• All plastic wrapping has been removed from both ends and both sides of the charging cable (check closely on the head of the charger).
• The back of your Apple Watch and the concave head of the charging cable are each clean and dry (clean them with a lint-free cloth and retry).
• The charging head is directly aligned with the back of the watch and is touching it fully (some stands might hinder this).
• You are using only the genuine Apple Magnetic Charging Cable.
• When plugging into mains power:
  • You are using a genuine Apple USB Power Adapter.
  • Besides the adapter that is supplied with the watch, the cable can also be used with the Apple 5W (iPhone) or 12W (iPad) USB Power Adapter - test with these if you have them.
• When charging via USB, ensure that:
  • You use a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port.
  • The computer remains on and awake.
  • The cable is plugged directly into the computer (not into, for example, an external keyboard).
• If your Apple Watch is out of battery power, you may need to wait for a few minutes before the green lightning bolt appears (confirming that charging has started).

Check your battery and charge your Apple Watch - Apple Support

After charging (allow at least 2.5 hours for a full recharge), your watch may still be in Power Reserve mode. To turn your watch back on: press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo and wait for your watch to restart.

This is not a charging issue but an error. Apple has said before this may mean your watch needs to be repaired. I'm dealing with this now and no amount of charging is fixing this error.

Peloquin1981 wrote:

 

This is not a charging issue but an error ...

It is normal for that symbol to be shown when the battery charge has reached a very low level. It does not necessarily indicate a faulty product, even when charging has already been attempted.

If the watch cannot be charged successfully, it is certainly possible that the cause may be a fault with one or more of the components (USB power adapter, charging cable or watch). However, it could instead just be due to an issue with how the watch is being charged.

More information:

Check your battery and charge your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If your Apple Watch won't charge or it won't turn on - Apple Support

If the issue persists after trying the troubleshooting steps, a user should certainly next contact Apple Support (mail-in service may be available) or make a Genius Bar reservation with a view to having their watch and power accessories checked (under warranty, if eligible) - as you have done:

• Contact - Official Apple Support
• https://twitter.com/applesupport
• http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

To check your warranty status (the serial number is on the back of your watch):

• https://checkcoverage.apple.com/