According to Strategy Analytics global 2015 Apple Watch shipments are to total 15.4 million units-- leading to Apple topping the smartwatch vendor rankings as it takes over 55% share of the market.

The Watch should also drive the smartwatch market, as the analyst forecasts shipments growing by an impressive 511% from 4.6m in 2014 to 28.1m in 2015. The rise of the Watch comes through a number of factors, namely Apple's famous brand, deep retail presence and extensive app ecosystem.

However the analyst says the Watch is not perfect-- some rivals (such as the Huawei Watch) are arguably more attractive, battery life might not be enough and the pricing might not be ideal for the mass-market. As such, the second generation Apple Watch needs "tangible" upgrades if the iPhone maker wants to retain smartwatch leadership.

Go Apple Watch Smartwatch to Ship 15m Units WW in 2015 (Strategy Analytics)