Switzerland-based Swatch will start selling a smartwatch in April, when Apple is also expected to launch the Apple Watch. The device will communicate via the Internet "without having to be charged," Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said in an interview with Bloomberg. The Swatch smartwatch will also let consumers make mobile payments and work with Windows and Android software, he said.

Swatch said its patent applications reached a record in 2014, adding it will be reflected in "numerous innovative project launches in all segments" this year. Such patents include batteries based on new materials that can double their performance, Hayek said.

Apple is also planning to release its smartwatch introduction for April. The Apple Watch will feature health-tracking features and other applications for maps, photos, and messages. The California-based company hasn't given information about the battery life of its smartwatch, which needs to be charged with a magnetic connector. Apple CEO Tim Cook also rolled out a mobile-payment system last year.

Swatch is also in talks with more retailers on its payment system after agreements with Switzerland's two largest retailers, Migros and Coop, Hayek said.