Knockoff Apple Watches Running Android Available At Alibaba Site

Knockoffs of the yet-to-be shipped Apple Watch is now available on China's most popular online shopping site, Alibaba.

The site lists devices branded the AW08 and iWatch, both of them featuring "digital crown" dials on the sides. Straps and user interface graphics are also eerily similar to the Apple Watch.

These watches, according to the listing run Android operating system.

Price of these knockoff watches start at $40, compared to $349 of Apple Watch. The watches, in listing make it particularly clear that they are not Apple watch but are iWatch.

Notably, the battery life of these knockoffs are more than the Apple Watch.

"Alibaba Group is dedicated to the fight against counterfeits," a spokeswoman for the company told the BBC.

"We work closely with our government partners, brands and industry associations to tackle this issue at its source.

"We also utilize technology like data mining and big data to scrub our platforms of counterfeits."

The knockoffs first came to light in January, when Mashable discovered one being displayed at the consumer electronics show.

"Apple products are very popular in China, and it's possible that Chinese consumers will want to be seen to be the first person on their block to wear its Watch," said Matthew Forney, president of the business consultancy Fathom China, in the press release.