Orange has signed up to sell the Dick Tracey-inspired ‘watch phone’ at a staggering £1,000 per device.

The figure has not been announced, but it is known that Orange agreed the price for a cross-Europe exclusive on the device.

The Korean manufacturer unveiled the touch-screen watch phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, with many observers impressed with the device but arguing it was inappropriate in the more austere consumer environment.

The watch phone allows video and voice calling, but requires the user to constantly wear a headset.

The quirky device is likely to only attract a small segment of the market, especially given that it will cost around £500 with an additional minimum line rental of £40 per month.

Prototypes of a watch phone have been shown by several manufacturers in previous years as a concept idea, but were never developed for large scale production.