Wonder How Wristwatches Look No Longer with AR App from Formex

Thanks to augmented reality, fashion companies can let customers try on cosmetics, clothes, more cosmetics, and sunglasses from the comfort of their homes and through the non-judgmental eyes of their smartphone camera.

Now, watches enter the augmented reality fitting room, courtesy of a new mobile app for iOS and Android from Swiss watchmaker Formex.

The Formex app and marker bracelet let users try on watches and straps.

The app allows users to view the company's three model lines, change out straps, and capture a picture of the results. One drawback is that the augmented reality experience requires a marker worn in the form of a paper bracelet, which users print and assemble from a PDF file provided in the app.

Under newly-appointed CEO Raphael Granito, Formex shifted to an online-only sales model last year. While cutting overhead of physical retail stores enabled Formex to reduce prices and offer extended warranties, the company found that the inability to see how watches look on their wrists remained an impediment to purchasing the timepieces online for many customers.

"Even though every Formex comes with a 30-day free return policy, we found that people are still hesitant to buy watches without having had them on their wrist. That's why we came up with the idea for this app," said Granito in a statement.

If the results from cosmetics AR apps are any indication, Formex may have solved their online selling problem.

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Cover image via Formex