For some time I wanted to create Augmented Reality for watches on hand testing. The effect should have options to fit on your wrist and user should be able to switch between watch models or watch the colors.

I saw in the past lot of similar applications, but all were app dependent, something I’m not a big fan. Some of them have ML and hand recognition, which is an awesome feature in this case.I try to use hand recognition from the Spark AR Facebook camera, but the result wasn’t as I expected, so instead I decide to go with image tracking.

For this project I downloaded 3D watch model from Sketchfab. Original texture was edited in Photoshop to have three different versions. Also, I create 3 small watch icons in three colors.

In order for the effect to work in Spark AR you have to choose Target Tracker, Which enable users to track existing image and to trigger something inside your filter/effect. We’ll use it as a marker. The marker will be drawn or printed on smaller paper 2 x2 cm.

You can see that I drew a small sign on a piece of paper and that sign was very recognizable with Spark AR, i.e. Instagram and Facebook camera.

You can go a step further and make a small QR code with your or the brand logo inside the QR code. QR code will open an Instagram/Facebook effect and will be an image tracker at the same time needed for this filter. You can print small stickers for your customers so they can take them and share with their friends and other potential customers.

After user opens AR watch filter, marker (tracking image) should be placed on the user’s wrist and then you can scan it to see how will your new watch look. You can either browse colors which chosen model offers or even choose few different models of the same or other brands.

The content depends on the 3D models and texture size. Remember that for Instagram you have 4MB max and for Facebook you have 10MB (but recommended size is 2MB). The snapshot is also limited to 4MB. For Web AR for example, there is no limit, but I wouldn’t recommend that you go above 10MB anyways. It is possible (and required) to optimize 3D models so they become very small in size and of course textures using services like ShortPixel.

If you want to make your AR watch even more effective you can make it work, make the clock hands move or change digits if it is a digital version.

Watches, IoT devices, bracelets or any other wearables could be implemented into this.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you see how much potential there is in this technology regarding e-commerce?

AR watch — try it, before you buy it was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.