The Apple Watch is officially going on sale today - but none of its stores will have them in stock . Apple launches its first smartwatch today - but anyone turning up to buy one in the high street will be disappointed . For although the Apple Watch is officially going on sale , none of its stores will have them in stock . Instead , consumers willing to shell out between £299 to £13,500 - for the gold edition - have to pre-order the watches online and wait for their arrival until June . Usually , Apple launches generate long queues outside stores . But City analysts believe the company feared the queues might be embarrassingly small and so opted to launch the watch with more of a whisper than a bang . In fact , despite the high price and some skepticism that consumers are keen to adopt a new generation of wearable technology , pre-orders have far exceeded expectations . As a result , the company 's initial production run is simply not large enough to ensure that watches will be available in stores from today . Analysts believe Apple is sitting on some two million pre-orders and that sales could top 20 million this year . The watch includes a host of personal trackers , including a heart rate monitor , and is being billed as a personal doctor that will help users to lose weight and improve their health . However , Apple also wants it to be seen as style statement and fashion accessory , with customers able to choose from any of 38 variants depending on the case and watch strap . As a result , limited supplies have been given to six designer outlets around the world , which will apparently be sold to a few select customers by appointment today . These include the exclusive Dover Street Market in London 's Mayfair , which is understood to have 570 of the watches , although not the gold edition . The launch of the watch into stores is being handled by Apple retail chief , Angela Ahrendts , who is very familiar with the world of designer labels . She was head of the luxury British fashion label Burberry , where she was one of the UK 's highest paid women executives , before joining the US company last May . Her recruitment was sweetened with a golden hello of shares worth around £40million . She told Apple staff via video message earlier this week that the decision to make the watch only available through online orders is because demand has exceeded supply . In it she said : 'We know that you have been bombarded with questions from customers . 'Luckily , the customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive . We know they are excited about the Watch ... but there are a lot of questions about availability and timing etc . 'Last week we announced that due to the high global interest and the initial supply that we would only be taking orders online right now . 'This was not an easy decision , and I think it 's really important to remind every single customer that this is not just a new product for us , this is an entirely new category . ' The official Apple UK website states anyone ordering the new watch can expect a delivery date in June , however some might get them before . Apple chief executive Tim Cook pictured giving a presentation on the Apple Watch in San Francisco last month . A spokesman said : 'Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received . We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience . ' Stuart Miles , technology expert and founder of website Pocket-lint.com , said : ' I think the watch will follow the same lines of success as the iPad did five years ago . It 's an intriguing device that has enough wow factor to pull people in . ' But he added that the change in buying process this time - and the online backlog that has already begun - could put some people off . 'The biggest problem Apple looks to be facing , is not if people will buy one , it 's whether they are going to be happy to wait until they can get one , ' he said . Will Findlater , editor-in-chief of gadget magazine Stuff , said : 'In many ways the Apple Watch is the ultimate gadget . Beautifully made and finished , hugely desirable and capable of a host of clever things , none of which you need , but many of which are nice to have . 'The functionality that could end up most compelling is messaging - the ability to send scrawled drawings , emoticons and even your heart beat direct to another Apple Watch owner feels personal in a way no other message platform does . ' He added : 'The one-day battery life and price are the two factors that will put many buyers off . £300 or more is a lot to pay for a first-generation device , especially as Apple will learn a lot about making it better once it 's in the market . 'That means the second or third-generation Apple Watch is probably the wiser buy . However , waiting would mean missing out on the fun of living with an entirely new , cutting-edge gadget right now , and for early adopters , that will be too much to bear . ' Industry commentators believe the Apple Watch will follow the same lines of success as the iPad ( pictured ) did five years ago .
Apple launches its first smartwatch today - but its stores will not stock it . Online consumers must shell out £300 and then wait for a June delivery . Analysts believe Apple feared queues may have been embarrassingly small . However , it is believed Apple is sitting on some two million pre-orders .