Apple is reportedly on a hiring spree, "aggressively" hunting for new employees to work on its smartwatch project.

According to a new report, Apple is currently seeking additional expertise, as the staff currently working on the product is facing some difficulties and engineering challenges.

Apple is looking to hire more employees to work out the kinks in the design of the upcoming iWatch, seeking experts who can handle the problems that its existing staff couldn't solve, the Financial Times reports (subscription required). The publication's sources also reportedly indicate that Apple may not launch its highly-anticipated iWatch until late 2014.

"The company has begun hiring 'aggressively' for the project in recent weeks, say people familiar with Apple's plans for the wearable device, a move that shows it has stepped up development but which raises questions over the ability of its own engineers to develop wearable technology," notes the Financial Times.

"As Apple moves from iPods, iPhones and iPads into an entirely new category of product, it is looking beyond its existing staff in Cupertino for the talent required to built it - an indication that the endeavor involves 'hard engineering problems that they've not been able to solve,' according to one source."

The Financial Times further notes that Apple has been considering acquiring smaller firms with expertise to help with its smartwatch project. The company has also reportedly making efforts to retain valuable employees working on the project.

News surfaced recently that Apple has been filing several trademark applications for the "iWatch" name in a number of countries. The company typically files such applications when it's fairly close to launching the product in question. In this case, however, it seems that Apple has plenty of work left to do before it's ready to offer its smartwatch to consumers. If this report proves to be accurate, the iWatch will not hit the market until late next year.

There is a growing market for wearable devices such as smartwatches, and Apple is yet to tap this promising area. Several smartwatches are already available for purchase, but Apple is expected to come up with its own product and innovations, taking the smartwatch to the next level. For consumers eager to get their hands on an Apple iWatch, however, more than one year is a long wait.