A new Apple Watch patent appears to suggest that a future watch band could change colour on the fly so as to better match the wearer's outfit. The same band could also change colour as a form of alert system.

While Apple already sells a range of colourful Apple Watch bands, this new patent suggests that there could be one band to rule them all in the future.

The new band is described in a newly-granted patent spotted by AppleInsider.

"Users may desire the ability to customize their watch bands to express variety and style," the patent explains. "For example, a user may desire a watch band of a particular color based on the user's selection of clothing, other wearable articles, environment, or another preference."

The patent notes that while some watches, like the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, allow wearers to swap bands out, that's not always ideal. The patent adds that people have to take bands with them to swap them out and that they are then "required to remove and exchange the watch bands whenever a different color or color combination is desired."

To deal with that, the new patent allows for a band that has "electrochromic features" that would allow it to change colour as needed when a specific voltage is applied.

The patent allows for the band to be made to display multiple colours at any given time. It also says that the band could change its colour "to provide a notification to the user."

What's more, the band could even display icons. "The color-adjustable elements of the watch band can be arranged and independently controlled," says the patent, "in a manner that allows the system to display particular icons, shapes, and/or text by illuminating certain elements in a particular way."

At this point, it's vital that we remember that Apple applies for, and is granted, patents for all kinds of things every year. Not all of them result in products or features, and this could well fall into the category of a nice idea but not really suitable for real-life.