DIY creator turns old smartwatch into functional gear knob display for Audi A4
An old smartwatch, a 3D printer, and custom software helped one DIY creator turn his Audi A4 gear knob into a fully functional smart display.
Published By: Shubham Arora | Published: May 23, 2026, 03:16 PM (IST) | Edited: May 23, 2026, 03:17 PM (IST)
With an old smartwatch, a 3D printer, and a little bit of creative thinking, one DIYer figured out how to make something completely unique for his car. Desmontei, a creator, took a Wear OS smartwatch he was no longer using and turned it into an actual gear knob display for his 2001 Audi A4.
His project originally started out as more of a cosmetic mod; however, it ended up being a fully functional piece of equipment that tracks the gears he is in and controls the media presets on his stereo. The DIYer used his old TicWatch Pro 3, which was taken apart and rebuilt into a 3D-printed gear shifter housing.
Smartwatch now works as a gear indicator
The new setup places the smartwatch directly on top of the gearshift. Not only does it have animations on it, but it also shows what position the gear is currently in.
To make this happen, he developed a software program for the Wear OS that uses both the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors on the smartwatch to monitor movement and angle; thus, allowing the device to know which gear is currently selected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTtOgcZnvRA
The system did not work well at first. According to Desmontei (via Tom's Hardware), there was inconsistency while driving uphill or downhill, affecting the calculations. The creator later adjusted the algorithm to improve the accuracy during inclines.
The modified smartwatch also bypasses the wearable battery and connects directly to the car's 12V electrical setup.
It can also control Spotify
The smartwatch can also be used to play and control music from Spotify. When using gestures on the smartwatch display, the user can pause the current track and/or skip to the next track while driving his vehicle.
The creator is planning to put together an updated version of the project, which will allow the user to see live telemetry data (RPM, engine temperature, etc.) on the smartwatch face through a supported OBD2 scanner.
The creator needed to cut the housing of the smartwatch to get the OLED screen and motherboard out. The watch parts were then designed and printed in 3D, and they fit precisely in the gear shift casing.
The prototype was manufactured out of PLA plastic material for easier testing and evaluation process. The future versions of this product will likely be created out of more robust and durable materials such as ABS, PETG, or SLS.
Additionally, the creator indicated that the tolerances of the device had to remain extremely tight, otherwise the display would dislodge or pop out during gear shifting.
DIY projects like this are becoming more common
Earlier, discarded electronics would often find themselves in the garbage, now many individuals are taking advantage of 3D printing technology and using their old electronic devices to enhance their custom builds.
In this example, rather than having an unused smartwatch lying around, it now has a purpose -- it provides live functionality for modding your car.
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