Apple Watch Stand: another quiet announcement.

When we first heard of the upcoming official Apple Watch stand, we had to head straight to Apple.com for verification. Releasing an accessory, especially one that unique to a flagship wearable in its own right, such as the Apple Watch, typically calls for some kind of official announcement, at the very least, paired with a new product release (iPhone 7?).

A quick visit to the Watch section on Apple’s website, within the Accessories category, reveals a new category simply labeled “Stands”. Delving into the Stands category offers a view of what appears to be a white Sport Edition Apple Watch, sitting sideways, in Night Mode, on a flat circular stand, which is already available at Apple Store locations.

In the wake of Apple’s release of the updated Mac keyboard, Magic Mouse and trackpad for desktop Macs, this is the second time Apple goes for a hushered approach.

According to a number of unboxing videos being released recently, the accessory features a smart design that allows the Apple Watch to charge, over a surface, such as a nightstand.

The existing range of stand accessories for the Apple Watch, has been provided largely by third party manufacturers so far, which includes designs that range from desktop purposes, in which the Watch is positioned to be looked at from above, at an angle.

With that said, only a small selection of stands allow the Watch’s face to be near perpendicular, to take advantage of the Watch’s nightstand mode, and this is exactly the direction Apple has chosen with its new magnetic charging dock.

The new dock, officially available online this weekend, comes with a $79 price tag.

The magnetic charger to which the Watch connects, can be positioned in two ways: either flat, allowing the watch to charge facing up, or with the charging magnet flipped vertically, as the product image suggests, enabling the watch to charge while fastened, with the watch face perpendicular to the dock.