As Apple unveiled its new smart watch to the expectant crowd in California on September 9, the onlookers must wonder how it might sell. Forrester Research expects that the “Apple Watch”, currently priced at US$350, will sell as many as 10 million units in 2015—more than the entire current smart watch market in 2014—which potentially makes Apple the main driver of sales next year.

While it is still unclear if Apple Watch’s sales will indeed reach those lofty goals, it is a good bet that the brand will capture significant market share in the smart watch segment, which in turn bodes well for accessory retailers and manufacturers.

One concern about the Apple Watch was that it would have electronic functionality in the wristband. Apple’s recent patent application related to the Watch has several diagrams that included an NFC sensor within the band. This would have made it far more difficult for third-party manufacturers to enter the market easily—at least not without margin-damaging licensing and approval agreements with Apple itself.

Of course, the connector for any band accessory is proprietary—this is Apple after all—but this is a far lower hurdle for accessory suppliers than electronic functionality would have been. In addition, the Apple Watch requires a somewhat new iPhone in order to function—it must be an iPhone 5 or newer—which may restrict sales. It appears as though Apple has gone for flexibility in style over functionality, and has presented a significant opportunity for many third parties to join in on the Apple Watch bonanza.