Switzerland's national rail company accused Apple of stealing the iconic look of its station clocks for the iOS 6 operating system used by iPhone and iPad mobile devices.
Both designs have a round clock face with black indicators except for the second hand, which is red.
A spokesman for the Swiss Federal Railways, or SBB, said the Apple design was "identical" to the one pioneered by the rail company in 1944.
"We are proud that this icon of clock design is being used by a globally successful company," Reto Kormann said, but he noted that Apple hadn't asked for permission before doing so.
"We've approached Apple and told them that the rights for this clock belong to us," he said.
Kormann said SBB would seek an "amicable agreement" with Apple that could see the clock design used in return for a licence fee. Apple's public relations offices didn't respond to requests for comment.
