Gold Apple Watch Will Include Premium Leather Charging Box

First, Apple stepped out of its comfort zone by announcing that its upcoming Apple watch would be available in more than 100 material and color combinations, which is quite unusual for the habitually streamlined electronics company. Now it looks as if Apple will be packaging the higher-end versions of its new smartwatch in a premium leather box that also acts as a charging station—not a sleek, disposable cardboard container. This will be a whole new retail and usage experience for buyers.

The Apple Watch Edition, the solid 18k gold version of Apple's forthcoming smartwatch, will be delivered in an "aniline-dyed leather" box that is "sort of ultra-suede on the inside," reports the Financial Times. This mimics the types of boxes we're used to seeing contain luxury Swiss watches from such makers as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. But instead of containing a winder to keep that automatic watch ticking, the Apple Watch Edition box houses a magnetic charging pad and can be plugged in via a Lightning connector to charge the watch. These details were also reported in September 2014, just after the watch's initial unveiling, but it wouldn't be surprising if things have changed slightly since.