Swiss watchmaker Swatch will reportedly launch its own smartwatch in the next three monthssmack dab in the middle of the Apple Watch (pictured) release.

As reported by Bloomberg, Swatch has already developed long-lasting batteries so thin they're bendable. And its Tissot brand has been making touch-screen watches since 1999; it now offers an altimeter, a compass, and sensors to record a diver's descent.

The nameless smartwatch will operate via near-field communication (NFC) technology, and let users make mobile payments and sync with Android and Windows software.

Perhaps most notable: Swatch's device will not need to be charged, Bloomberg reported, citing CEO Nick Hayek. It remains unclear just how long the battery will last, or how it will remain juiced up for so long. But Hayek tipped a recently awarded patent for batteries based on new materials that can double their performance.

"We'll implement all of those into new products," Hayek told Bloomberg. "Some of them, such as the battery, will take a few years though, and are also destined for other industries, like the automotive industry."

A more immediate feature: mobile payments, about which the company chief remained mum, saying only that Swatch is in talks with retailers. He also declined to specify when the smartwatch will arrive, suggesting "two to three months."

Demand for and production of smartwatches continues to rise, and Hayek is finally feeling the pressure to produce a product he previously dismissed. Concerned about small screens and charging requirements, Hayek once called Swatch's luxury brands smartwatches because "they make you look smart," Bloomberg said.

Swatch did not respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Apple, meanwhile, is set to launch its highly anticipated Apple Watch in April to the tune of $349 or more, depending on which version you pick. For more, see PCMag's Hands On With the Apple Watch and the slideshow above.

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