Cupertino has taken the wraps off the much-awaited Apple Watch, the company’s most personal device ever, featuring cutting-edge tech and an innovative user interface. The watch introduces a specially designed and engineered Digital Crown – claimed to be Apple’s most revolutionary navigation tool since the iPod Click Wheel and iPhone Multi-Touch – that provides an innovative way to scroll, zoom and navigate.

The iOS-based user interface is accentuated with a Retina display, Taptic Engine and a built-in speaker that together discreetly enable an entirely new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can both hear and feel. Apple has custom-designed its own S1 SiP (System in Package) to miniaturize an entire computer architecture onto a single chip. The timepiece also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair seamlessly with your iPhone.

Apple Watch comes in three versions – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition — and is available in two different sizes, 38mm and 42mm. The beautifully designed and durable enclosures are crafted from custom alloys of polished or space black stainless steel, space gray or silver anodized aluminum and 18-karat rose or yellow gold.

It comes with 11 watch faces ranging from traditional analog faces to new faces like the dynamic Timelapse face; the Astronomy face with its interactive, real-time 3D model of the earth, sun, moon and planets; and the Solar face, a contemporary sundial. Apple Watch can be personalized in appearance and capability with additional information such as upcoming events, moonphases or your activity level, enabling millions of possible configurations.

Taking advantage of its location on your wrist, Apple Watch provides timely information that can be viewed at a glance. Smart Replies and dictation let you respond quickly to messages, and with Handoff, you can start a message on your Apple Watch and continue where you left off on your iPhone. Swipe up from the watch face for Glances that quickly show you information you care about, such as your current location, stocks or your next meeting. Pressing the side button brings up Friends, a view of your favorite people, so you can contact them quickly and easily. Digital Touch allows you to send a sketch, a gentle tap, an audio message through Walkie Talkie or even your own heartbeat. It lets you interact quickly and conveniently with the world around you, so you can pay for coffee using Apple Pay, board a plane with a Passbook boarding pass, control your Apple TV or get directions.

There is also an all-new Workout app designed to provide the metrics you need during dedicated workout sessions. Apple Watch uses the accelerometer, a built-in heart rate sensor, GPS and Wi-Fi from your iPhone to provide a comprehensive picture of your daily activity. The Activity app measures three separate aspects of movement: calories burned, brisk activity and how often you stand up during the day. The Workout app provides goal-setting and pacing during popular session-based workouts, such as running and cycling. The companion Fitness app on iPhone collects your activity data so you can see your activity history in greater detail. Apple Watch uses this history to suggest personal, realistic goals, reward fitness milestones and keep you motivated.

Available in early 2015, prices will start from USD 349.