The first Apple Watch prototype was an iPhone with a Velcro strap ~ lotfi

Apple Watch prototype There are 38 Apple Watch designs to choose from, and thankfully none of them include an iPhone rigged with a Velcro strap.

But that's exactly how the "iWatch" began to crudely take shape when it was first prototyped at Apple's campus in Cupertino in 2013, according to a new expose.

"The goal was to free people from their phones, so it is perhaps ironic that the first working Watch prototype was an iPhone rigged with a Velcro strap," writes Wired.

"In a sense the first true Apple Watch prototype was, like 10,000 Kickstarter projects, just a weird iPhone case with a strange accessory sticking out of it."

Matured components

Apple Watch certainly didn't end up like that. Its high-end components now include options like 18-karat gold cases and 100-piece stainless steel bands that take nine hours to cut.

Wired also touches on the subtle intricacies within the smartwatch, like the Taptic Engine and various gesture controls like Short Look.

Taptic Engine vibrations vary in pace, number and force of vibrations. A phone call, in theory, can feel more urgent vs a text message that feels like a finger tapping on your wrist.

Playing off that, Short Look gestures show text message previews like "Message from Joe" and either stay unread if you put your wrist down or display the message if you keep it up.

Apple Watch seems to have a little more backend complexity and frontend ease of use to it, spicing our Apple Watch vs Android Wear comparison. We'll all know more for our Apple Watch review on April 24.