Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a possible future Apple Watch that allows the main body of the watch to detach from the band to be charged while biometric sensors could remain on the band to continue monitoring a user's health.

Wearable electronic devices, including watches, can perform a range of functions that is determined by the components (e.g., sensors, circuitry, and other hardware) included with the wearable device as manufactured. However, space, cost, and other considerations may limit the ability to provide, at every given moment, every component that might provide a desired function.

For example, a user may choose to remove the watch to charge the battery. By further example, the user may remove the watch for certain activities or for certain occasions. However, removing the entire watch from the user for charging or other purposes would prevent the watch from being able to perform its functions with respect to the user, such as tracking biometrics of the user with bio-sensors of the watch.

Given the multiple occasions on which a user may need or desire to remove at least a portion of a watch, it would be beneficial to provide an ability for other portions of the watch to remain with the user. Such an ability would allow the watch to continually monitor the health metrics of the user and/or other conditions even when the user removes other portions of the watch.

Wearable electronic devices, including watches, of the present disclosure facilitate operation in multiple modes to provide the user with the opportunity to remove some components while still receiving the continued benefits of at least some functions.

Systems of the present disclosure can provide a watch with a watch body and a band device that can be used together or independently of one another.

The band device can provide continual operation of its functions even in the absence of the watch body. The assembly of the watch body and the band device can provide secure engagement, communication, and power sharing.

Accordingly, neither the watch body nor the band device need to independently include components that provide every function that will be desired by the user. Instead, functions that are desired on a continual or long-term basis can be provided by the band device, and functions that are desired on an intermittent or short-term basis can be provided by the watch body.