The much-touted LG smartwatch in collaboration with Audi will reportedly be running WebOS, not custom Android as previously thought.

LG and Audi teased a very intriguing smartwatch at CES 2015, and the device was likely the most appealing wearable at the show. While other smartwatches already out there on the market pair with smartphones to deliver notifications and offer smart functionality, this new gadget teased at CES is designed to pair with a car.

According to Audi, the device is still just a prototype at this point, but it nonetheless offers a glimpse into what wearable gadgets can bring to the table, as well as what LG has in mind for this segment of the market.

This intriguing smartwatch from LG and Audi was initially thought to be running some customized version of Android Wear, but a new report now claims that it will in fact be running an entirely different operating system based on LG's webOS.

"We tracked down the Audi/LG watch - still officially nameless, by the way - in Las Vegas today, and we can exclusively reveal that it's not running Android Wear as originally believed. In fact, it's packing completely different software based on LG's Open webOS," Android Central reported on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

As a reminder, webOS is an operating system developed by what was once known as Palm and introduced with the Pre smartphone back in 2009. One year later, in 2010, HP bought Palm, but quickly changed its mind. WebOS finally become open-sourced in 2012, and LG bought the proprietary parts of it in 2013.

Apparently the Palm legacy still lingers, and just a few days ago Chinese firm TCL announced plans to revive the Palm brand. Also earlier this week, LG told Android Central that it was working on developing wearable devices with webOS on board.

The new LG/Audi smartwatch prototype now offers a first glimpse into the webOS software and how it would look like on a wearable device. As Android Central points out, LG seems interested in implementing more standalone app functionality in its webOS-powered wearables.

The center button, for instance, will display a list of apps when pressed, and the icons appear to be designed after LG's smartphone user interface (UI). The prototype further includes a dialer, a messages app, calendar, music, email, as well as something called "LG Health W."

An Audi app, meanwhile, will allow users to control various parts of a paired car, including the ability to unlock the vehicle over NFC. Other neat applications include Remote Shutter, Voice Memo, Q Voice, and Find My Phone, coming from LG.

The publication further notes that the settings menu includes a "Sounds" section, which indicates that the smartwatch might come with a loudspeaker. The button up top, meanwhile, will bring up a settings wheel that will display the strength of the cellular signal, the battery percentage, and other such details. The settings toggles are on the side.

Engravings on the rear of the device reveal that it's made of stainless steel and sapphire crystal, and it also sports water resistance, which means that it will be quite sturdy and durable.

The prototype device doesn't have a name at this point, and it remains unclear just what this LG/Audi smartwatch will be called when it's ready for its official debut. There's also no word yet as to when a consumer version of this webOS-powered smartwatch will be ready to hit the market, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as more information comes to light.