NFC Times Exclusive Insight – With the first Apple Watch units set to be delivered this week, NFC payments for wearable devices becomes a budding market, though it remains to be seen whether consumers want to tap their watches or wristbands to pay.

Other major OEMs and traditional watchmakers, not wanting to fall behind Apple, have been making their own announcements of payments wearables. And in some cases, card issuers are getting into the market, such as American Express’ plans to enable its cards this summer on the UP4 fitness wristband made by U.S.-based Jawbone.

The backers of the payments wearables no doubt believe the consumer awareness and interest generated by the launch of Apple Watch could create real demand for wearables as payments devices.