Here's exactly what I've been waiting for, ever since I first slipped the Timex Ironman around my wrist. Nike's iPod Sport Kit set the bar high for iPod sports accessories last year--a bar that the Ironman, essentially an overpriced runner's watch with iPod controls attached, failed to hit.

The watch appeared on Nike's site today, with little fanfare given the amount of hoopla that generally surrounds a release like this. Of course, the thing did show up in blurry form on sites like Engadget a few months back. And there's also the fact that it has yet to actually show up on Apple's site--and we all know what happens when you take sides against the family in Cupertino.

I'm not sure what to make of the aesthetics of the thing. Unlike the Ironman, The Amp doesn't really seem likely to be passed off as a regular watch. Of course, it's hard to tell until there's a actually a photo of the thing on a real human wrist. It does tell time, though--always a nice bonus in a wristwatch--via those big LED lights monopolized by the play/pause symbol in the image.

The price point seems pretty sweet at $79.99, especially considering the fact that, unlike the Ironman, this device can monitor your running progress, and interacts with you music, beyond just advancing tracks. The Amp + Sport Remote Control is also water resistant up to 50-meters.

It would appear to be shipping now.