Maxtoid

Q: WARNING: Sapphire Screen Scratches!

Just a warning to those Apple Watch users that have the sapphire display and expect it to be as unscratchable as typical sapphire watch displays: It's not.

 

While showing a friend that the sapphire display doesn't scratch today, I took my pocket knife out of my pocket and used the blunt end of the nub that's used to flip the blade out and scraped it across the screen a little bit. Later in the day, I noticed scratches. I've tried everything to remove them, but they're permanent.

 

This means one of three things are possible:

 

1) There is a coating on the screens that even goo-gone can't remove (I tried, it didn't help. Scratches remain).

2) The knife that I used has a high-enough carbon rating that it ranks on diamond level and was able to actually scratch the screen. Unlikely since doing the same thing to a citizen watch I own with a sapphire display did not scratch it.

3) I received a Stainless Steel watch that accidentally was given a regular ion-x display.

 

Or, 4) These displays, while sapphire, aren't as pure as typical sapphire and scratched from something less hard than diamond?

 

At any rate, I am NOT pleased as you can imagine. Wanted people to know before they tried and scratched their watches too.

 

Here is the knife I used: http://www.crkt.com/M16-14-Titanium-Tanto-AutoLAWKS-Combo-Edge

 

Here is the video of the watch scratched: https://youtu.be/mzmg3rTuM2g

 

Here are some pictures of the scratch:

IMG_5083.JPGIMG_5084.JPG

Apple Watch, Other OS, 42mm Stainless Steel w/ Sport Band

Posted on Apr 30, 2015 11:51 PM

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Q: WARNING: Sapphire Screen Scratches!

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  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 May 1, 2015 12:08 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    May 1, 2015 12:08 AM in response to Maxtoid

    Odd. Various testers, including Consumer Reports have tested the sapphire and found it extremely scratch resistant (equivalent 8 on the Moh scale - diamond is 10)

     

    You might want to contact Apple support or go to a store and see what they have to say.

     

    I have a Sport and, although I haven't tried to test it, I've certainly made no effort to protect it and it shows no scratches from keys, cutlery, coins etc

  • by Maxtoid,

    Maxtoid Maxtoid May 1, 2015 1:01 AM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 1:01 AM in response to nick101

    True. The main idea is that if all the tests weren't able to scratch it, a tiny scrape from the back corner of the housing for my knife shouldn't have phased it, but it did. That's mostly the concern here, is that people such as myself who are proud of a sapphire screen on an apple device would use something like keys or the backs of their knives to demo the sapphire display, but then end up scratching it. Very strange indeed.

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 May 1, 2015 1:57 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    May 1, 2015 1:57 AM in response to Maxtoid

    It might be that you have a defective unit. It does seem slightly odd that someone can attack it with a drill with no issue, but you can't scrape it with a knife

  • by D.Cohen,

    D.Cohen D.Cohen May 1, 2015 2:06 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 6 (8,424 points)
    Desktops
    May 1, 2015 2:06 AM in response to Maxtoid
  • by Matthew Pringle,

    Matthew Pringle Matthew Pringle May 1, 2015 2:59 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 1 (40 points)
    May 1, 2015 2:59 AM in response to Maxtoid

    I have a £5k Tag and I managed to scratch the Sapphire, which itself costs more than a whole Apple watch.

     

    You really shouldn't have taken a knife to it. Maybe Apple will replace if you tell them its defective but they probably won't do anything.

     

    It may be you scratched the anti reflective coating. Some watch manufacturers put it on the inside of the watch, some on the outside. Which yields different results in the clarity of the crystal. The sports watch with its glass screen is said to be a bit more vibrant.

     

    It may be a watch repairer can polish the sapphire, but if the coating is on the outside then that won't help.

     

    Thing is, with watches, no matter the price, they will suffer a lot of damage if you wear then every day. You will bang it into things without even noticing and over time it will start to look weathered. Best bet, if you cant fix it, is just to accept thats the reality. You've made the watch your own now and if its anything like a normal sapphire mark, you won't be able to see it, unless its in direct sunlight.

     

    ( I used Brasso to take off the worst marks, it polished it up, not perfectly, but enough to dull the scratches a bit. )

  • by PingerGuy,

    PingerGuy PingerGuy May 1, 2015 3:55 PM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 1, 2015 3:55 PM in response to Maxtoid

    Take notice that the Sapphire screen is not aligned with the stainless steel casing.  Not an Apple watch.

  • by Maxtoid,

    Maxtoid Maxtoid May 1, 2015 8:26 PM in response to PingerGuy
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 8:26 PM in response to PingerGuy

    Umm, what? - I sure hope this is a real Apple Watch... otherwise there are some REAL good counterfeiters working for Apple...

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 May 2, 2015 2:40 AM in response to PingerGuy
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    May 2, 2015 2:40 AM in response to PingerGuy

    Your so-called non-alignment is a combination of perspective, because the watch is at an angle, and reflections for a light source.

     

    Apart, of course, from the minor detail that the OP knows where he got the thing

     

    Perhaps check facts before posting

  • by szymonrules ,

    szymonrules szymonrules May 2, 2015 6:32 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 1 (11 points)
    May 2, 2015 6:32 AM in response to Maxtoid

    That's odd. I actually have the Stainless Steel 42mm and tried scratching it with a few different knives just to see how the glass would stand up and it's still perfect! I would definitely either Call Apple and see if you can get a replacement or go to the Apple Store. Good luck!

  • by lkrupp,

    lkrupp lkrupp May 2, 2015 7:42 AM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 5 (4,143 points)
    May 2, 2015 7:42 AM in response to Maxtoid

    You do realize, don’t you, that ALL higher end watches, digital or mechanical, have sapphire crystals. Sapphire has been used for watch crystals for many, many years. Because of how hard it is to manufacture those crystals are usually round. Apple’s innovation is that they managed to make it rectangular.

  • by lkrupp,

    lkrupp lkrupp May 2, 2015 7:50 AM in response to szymonrules
    Level 5 (4,143 points)
    May 2, 2015 7:50 AM in response to szymonrules

    szymonrules wrote:

     

    That's odd. I actually have the Stainless Steel 42mm and tried scratching it with a few different knives just to see how the glass would stand up and it's still perfect! I would definitely either Call Apple and see if you can get a replacement or go to the Apple Store. Good luck!

     

    If he’s honest he will tell Apple he intentionally tried to scratch the watch. He does not deserve a free replacement. Intentional or accidental damage is not covered by any warranty. The watch is not advertised as “scratch-proof.” No watch is.

     

    Why would anyone, yourself included, intentionally try to damage an expensive piece of tech just to see if you can? And then expect a free replacement?  It’s insane unless you’re making some YouTube video titled “Will It Blend.”

  • by Maxtoid,

    Maxtoid Maxtoid May 2, 2015 1:27 PM in response to lkrupp
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 2, 2015 1:27 PM in response to lkrupp

    It's not about whether I intentionally scratched it or not, because as we have already established, either:

     

    A) There's a coating that I can remove, and thus the watch isn't actually scratched and doesn't need to be returned to Apple

    Or

    B) I was given an Ion-X Display by accident somehow, and then yes, it would need to be replaced by Apple.

     

    So regardless, it's not about whether I intentionally did it

  • by Maxtoid,Solvedanswer

    Maxtoid Maxtoid May 2, 2015 1:27 PM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 2, 2015 1:27 PM in response to Maxtoid

    That being said,

     

    Good news! Taking the advice of several on MacRumors forums, I covered all the Stainless Steel on the watch, and took a Scotch Brite Heavy Duty pad to the screen. Sure enough, after about 30 minutes of rigorous grinding on the display, I had fully removed the outer AR coating, and the scratches I had are no more!

     

     

    I think it's UTTERLY stupid that Apple put that coating on. It makes your watch look as if it's easily scratched, and doesn't really gain all that much. I don't really notice fingerprints any more without the coating than I did with it, but I sure do notice the lack of scratches.

     

     

    At any rate, glad that the sapphire wasn't scratched!

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair May 2, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Maxtoid
    Level 9 (58,370 points)
    iPhone
    May 2, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Maxtoid

    Maxtoid wrote:

     

     

    I think it's UTTERLY stupid that Apple put that coating on. It makes your watch look as if it's easily scratched, and doesn't really gain all that much. I don't really notice fingerprints any more without the coating than I did with it, but I sure do notice the lack of scratches.

    What I find untterly unbelievable is that anyone would intentionally try to damage something that cost $600 and woud be rather difficult to replace.

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