Survey shows Apple Watch interests 40 percent adult iPhone users in US

The consumer demand for the high-tech smart watch, which would range in price from 350 dollars to 17,000 dollars for an 18-karat gold model, is being closely watched by competitors and investors. It is Apple's first major new product in five years.

Owners of the iPhone are a particularly important market for Apple as it launches the new watch, which goes on sale on April 24. Because the watch needs an iPhone to work fully, analysts have revealed that the most likely pool of initial buyers would already own an Apple smartphone, News24 reported.

The poll was conducted by Reuters-Ipsos.

Ipsos surveyed 2,469 Americans aged 18 and older online between March 9 and March 17 and found that 24 percent expressed an interest in purchasing the Apple Watch, including 10 percent of those describing themselves as very interested.

Among the iPhone owners, 39 percent were interested in purchasing the Apple Watch, including 17 percent describing themselves as very interested.

Apple is among several large tech companies looking to jumpstart a new market for wearable electronic devices. Samsung Electronics, Sony and LG Electronics have all released their own smart watches, many of them powered by software developed by internet giant Google.

More than half of iPhone users in the Reuters/Ipsos survey believe that a smart watch in the near future would be an essential gadget that's as common as the smartphone, whereas 44 percent a broader poll of US adults felt that way, the report added.