Apple reportedly can't ship its watch in Switzerland due to a trademark

Here's a textbook case of irony: the Apple Watch may not have a quick launch in Switzerland... you know, the spiritual home of watches. Swiss broadcaster RTS reports that Leonard Timepieces has a trademark in the country that supposedly prevents companies from using the word "apple" in association with watches and other jewelry. The 30-year-old legal filing expires on December 5th, but that's not much consolation to Apple if it hopes to challenge the traditionalists in Geneva this year.

It's hard to say just how much a setback this is, however. We've reached out to Apple for its response, but it's notable that trademark conflicts don't usually daunt the Cupertino crew. Remember how Apple unveiled the iPhone despite the existence of Cisco's similarly named voice-over-internet phones? That dilemma didn't last long -- the two settled their legal dispute within days, and Cisco's gear quickly became a historical footnote. While this isn't the same kind of situation, it won't be surprising if Apple cuts a deal to ship the Watch in Switzerland (if one is needed in the first place) before the winter sets in.