Photos show prototype Apple Watch from 2013

Photos have emerged of a rare prototype of the Apple Watch from December 2013. This probably makes it the oldest known prototype of the smartwatch. There are several minor changes from the final design.

For example, the digital crown is slightly different than in the final version and protrudes a little further. Furthermore, the charger is not compatible with any Apple Watch that has been released, 9to5Mac writes based on photos and information from collector Guilio Zompetti.

Apple announced the first Watch in September 2014 and released it just eight months later in April 2015. The general design of the prototype is similar, with a button under the digital crown, the stainless steel back with heart rate sensor and a square screen on the frontside. The watch runs SwitchBoard, Apple’s internal operating system for testing hardware functions of devices.