Apple has long been rumoured to be working on introducing an "iWatch" and Samsung is reportedly looking to steal a march on its arch rival by launching its "Galaxy Gear" smartwatch at the IFA industrial exhibition in Berlin in the first week of September.
Samsung has steadfastly declined to confirm or deny its intentions and has offered no insights on the design or technical specifications of the new digital device.
That has not stopped specialist tech websites filling the vacuum with speculation and informed guesswork based on sources at application development firms who have apparently been sent prototypes.
Initial reports suggested the watch would allow users to make calls, access e-mail and surf the Internet.
The Verge website cited one source who insisted it would not be a self-contained "watchphone" in the sense of a unit with its own SIM card