Launched in 2007, Jura Watches has become the No.1 independent retailer for over half of the brands that it represents. Ever since, Jura Watches has become renowned for its pioneering approach to the selling of luxury watches online. Today, Jura Watches unveiled the World’s first Virtual Watch application: a flash based Augmented Reality solution enabling you to try on your watch in the comfort on your computer screen.

Jura Watches’ Augmented Reality (AR) application lets you see a watch on your wrist while sitting in front of your PC at home. This in-house developed, virtual watch technology has been written from the ground up and is designed to seamlessly integrate with Jura’s website. Unlike previous AR applications, visitors to the web site won’t have to download and install a bespoke application. Alastair Laidlaw, Co-Founder of Jura Watches said, “This is a key step forward in offering our customers an even better online experience: They can now choose to view high quality 360 degree photography, zoom in on ultra high resolution 2-D images or see what the watch would look like on their own wrist; all from the comfort of their own home”.

How Does it Work?
The aim of Augmented Reality is to create an experience that closely represents what would be achieved in the real world by combining live video with computer generated images. In this Virtual Watch application, a selection of watches has been modelled in 3-D. To see what these watches would look like on your wrist, simply print out a marker, place it on your wrist and hold it in front of your web camera: Before you know it, you will appear to be wearing the watch.

It is By No Means Perfect
Augmented Reality is still in its infancy and today has significant limitations. Image quality is good but not faultless and it is always going to be difficult to render a 2-D object in to a perfect 3-D representation. A number of factors will also affect the user experience including the processor speed of the computer, the resolution of the web cam and the lighting in the room. Further technical developments expected within 12 months will not only improve image quality and the user experience on PCs but will also see major developments in AR for mobile devices.

Laidlaw continues, “The first time you see it working is a real ‘Star Trek’ moment. I clearly remember the time before broadband became ubiquitous and mobile phones were for the elite. I am certain that augmented reality will soon become an integral part of the way we consume and evaluate information online. I hope that our Virtual Watch Application will bring pleasure to a good number of watch enthusiasts and may help some of our potential clients gain a better understanding of what a range of different watches would look like on the wrist: Potentially helping them make a more informed buying decision.”

Balvinder Singh Powar, Watch Lover and Founder of Spain’s Cronotime remarks, “Thanks to Jura’s fresh approach, innovation and dynamism, they have rapidly established themselves as pioneering leaders in the wristwatch market place. This is largely due to their intense customer service focus and continued championing of cutting edge brands to a wider audience using revolutionary multimedia and web technologies both in store and for those visiting from the comfort of their own homes. From the world’s largest plasma screen to sophisticated online imaging tools, the Jura experience is an unforgettable adventure for the watch lover, wherever you are.”

You can try on one of Jura’s luxury watches now, test the Virtual Watch application for yourself.