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Apple watch sapphire crystal display SCRATCH

is this a regular thing in other Apple stainless steel watches?

Big hairline scratch After nearly 3 weeks of regular wear and being pretty careful with the screen and ignoring the case which is a scratch magnet that can be buffed easily!

i Am either touching the screen or wiping it. It was a shock to see such a big scratch come off nowhere. User uploaded file

Posted on Aug 18, 2015 1:40 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 18, 2015 1:52 PM

Please make an appointment at the Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar and take it in for service. If you are not in the USA or cannot set up an appointment this way, then contact your local Apple Store directly. It's still in warranty.

4 replies

Aug 18, 2015 3:53 PM in response to jkp7227

It is possible that you have only scratched through the fingerprint-resistant oil repellent coating. It is normal for this coating to wear away under normal use, but it can also be scratched without damaging the sapphire crystal beneath.


Apple can inspect and clarify the nature of the mark and advise of any service options (eg out-of-warranty repair) that may be available. Cosmetic damage - which includes scratches - is not covered under the One Year Limited Warranty (or AppleCare+).


Apple does not recommend polishing or buffing the watch with abrasives. A good quality screen protector (film-type) may be effective in obscuring or reducing the visibility of the mark, as well as in providing some measure of protection against future damage.

Aug 18, 2015 10:37 PM in response to jkp7227

Thanks for your help guys. Don't reside in the US or UK ( where I purchased the watch from) and not launched in India yet. will get in touch with Apple guys online and will check what can be done bout it. They don't cover cosmetic damage. But apart from mine I haven't seen anyone get hairline scratch on their sapphire display screens. Also what I noticed is That the reflective coating might have been scratched. And the scratch is visible only under direct light and faintly from side angles. its disturbing though as I chose this against the sport to avoid scratches like this which are prone on the sport version.

User uploaded file

SAme watch but I don't think any of us can spot the scratch here as there is no direct light above it ( keep switching between 3rd party bands)

Oct 22, 2015 8:08 AM in response to jkp7227

Dear jkp7227, can you tell me what the reaction of the Apple team was? I have exactly the same problem and am, as you, somehow in shock. I can absolutely not think of any incidence where I could have scratched my watch with an object hard enough to scratch a sapphire glass nor the coating and am very disappointed in the quality. Thank you very much for an update to this post!

Apple watch sapphire crystal display SCRATCH

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