Apple's latest hire offers more hints about what the tech giant has up its sleeve.

According to 9to5Mac, Cupertino has snagged Nike Fuel Band design director Ben Shaffer, who will reunite with former fitness guru and Fuel Band developer Jay Blahnik, who Apple reportedly hired last month.

Nike confirmed Shaffer's departure to the tech blog, but offered no further details; Shaffer's LinkedIn profile still lists Nike as his current employer.

Neither Nike nor Apple immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment.

During his tenure with the athletic gear makers, Shaffer served as Studio Director of the Innovation Kitchen — Nike's research and development lab where devices like the Fuel Band and the Flyknit shoe were born.

Shaffer even carries the honor of helping to lead Nike when it was named the No. 1 most innovative company of 2013 by Fast Company in February.

There is no word on the exact nature of Shaffer's new position in Cupertino, but he will likely be focused on some component of Apple's rumored smartwatch device, expected to come integrated with fitness components similar to the Fuel Band.

Notably, Apple CEO Tim Cook sits on the Nike board of directors, and is a fan of the sporty fitness-tracking bracelet. He even pointed to it during the D11 conference in May, saying that the wearable market "is incredibly interesting," and could be a profound area.

Rumors about the so-called "iWatch" have been making the rounds for months. Earlier this year, Cupertino was awarded a patent for a wearable video device with a flexible touch-screen display and a "slap bracelet" mechanism. The patent details a wearable accessory that connects to a portable device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to display information in real time.

For more, see PCMag's review of the Nike + Fuel Band. Also check out the Apple smartwatch's top competition in the slideshow above.