The Sony Smartwatch 2 finally has an official release date: the gadget will head to UK on September 9, sporting a £100 price tag.

Originally expected on July 15, Sony is now pushing the Smartwatch 2 launch to September, which falls more in line with the company's initial plans for a fall release. Even so, Sony will beat all major manufacturers in bringing a next-generation smartwatch to the market.

"The release date of the Sony Smartwatch 2 has been put back to September and will not be launching week commencing 15^th July as previously stated. The revised arrival date is week commencing 9^th September," reads a statement on Clove UK's website.

"At all times we provide the most accurate information we can based on data we are supplied. It has transpired that the date of the 15^th July given by Sony's distribution arm was incorrect. We are very sorry. It was never our intention to mislead you on the release date. If you have placed an order with us already, your order will be held until launch and dispatched upon launch unless we hear otherwise."

When it announced its Smartwatch 2 (SW2), Sony said the new gadget has been redesigned from the ground up and sports far richer features compared to its predecessor.

The Smartwatch 2 sports a 1.5-inch LCD, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB charging port and NFC connectivity, among others. Using NFC, the smartwatch will be able to pair with other devices through a single simple touch, quickly establishing a connection. It's also worth mentioning that the Sony Smartwatch 2 carries an IP57 certification, which means it is dust- and water-resistant.

The smartwatch industry is shaping up to become a fierce battlefield for heavyweight companies, but Sony seems to beat its rivals to the punch. Samsung's upcoming smartwatch is not expected very soon, while Apple is reportedly facing some engineering challenges that forced it to push back its iWatch launch to late 2014.

Consequently, interested buyers who don't want to wait too long will likely opt for Sony's Smartwatch 2, as "the world's first Android compatible SmartWatch with One-touch NFC" is less than two months away.