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VirtualRain

macrumors 603
Original poster
Aug 1, 2008
6,304
118
Vancouver, BC
For those that have tried the watch, is there any noticable difference in appearance or feel between the Sapphire crystal on the SS vs the glass used on the Sport?
 
I heard from other posters that you cannot see any difference between the 2....When they are both new at least. Ion glass may scratch over time...Sapphire cannot be scratched with anything other then a diamond.
 
I thought the sapphire was a bit more reflective...almost to the point of annoyance.
 
For those that have tried the watch, is there any noticable difference in appearance or feel between the Sapphire crystal on the SS vs the glass used on the Sport?

I have read articles claiming the Ion-X glass was selected for the Sport watch because it is lighter weight than the sapphire crystal.

I have also read that the sapphire crystal has a Mohs hardness rating of 9.5 (diamond is 10) but have not found any information on the actual hardness of the Ion-X glass.
 
I heard from other posters that you cannot see any difference between the 2....When they are both new at least. Ion glass may scratch over time...Sapphire cannot be scratched with anything other then a diamond.

Does not take a diamond to scratch it. Rub it in a rock and find out.
 
I did not notice much weight trying in the apple watch SS with sapphire glass. Tried both sizes.

I have read articles claiming the Ion-X glass was selected for the Sport watch because it is lighter weight than the sapphire crystal.

I have also read that the sapphire crystal has a Mohs hardness rating of 9.5 (diamond is 10) but have not found any information on the actual hardness of the Ion-X glass.
 
You can rub the sapphire screen over a stucco wall lined with sandpaper & volcanic rock and it still won't scratch.

Some types of sandpaper will scratch it. But you'd have to really be trying to scratch that sapphire to scratch it.
 
I believe it's also the case that while the screen is laminated to the sapphire of the Watch and Edition models, it's not laminated to the glass of the Sports model. It's possible to see an air gap on the Sport as a result.

Taken from http://www.apple.com/watch/technology/

"On most Apple Watch models, the display is laminated to a machined and polished single crystal of sapphire."
 
I believe it's also the case that while the screen is laminated to the sapphire of the Watch and Edition models, it's not laminated to the glass of the Sports model. It's possible to see an air gap on the Sport as a result.

Taken from http://www.apple.com/watch/technology/

"On most Apple Watch models, the display is laminated to a machined and polished single crystal of sapphire."

It's still laminated on the Sport, there is no reason apple would switch up an entire manufacturing process with no benefit to be had. I think the marketing line you're referencing is just their way of saying "2/3rds of the models we offer have a sapphire screen."
 
Some sandpaper has diamond dust embededing. ;)

Exactly. ;)

Another thing people don't realize is that there are substances other than diamond that are harder than sapphire, diamond is just considered the next benchmark on the scale.
 
I read in a MacWorld post and other articles that the Sport is actually stronger than the Edition. The sport is marketed more to sports enthusiast and the Edition is to be more of a special occasion watch. The sapphire is more prone to cracking than the Gorilla Glass.

http://www.macworld.com/article/2605084/faq-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-apple-watch.html
 
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You can rub the sapphire screen over a stucco wall lined with sandpaper & volcanic rock and it still won't scratch.
It WILL scratch, but the scratches will (in most cases) be too fine to be noticeable with the naked eye - unless you really keep at it for a long time, then they'll accumulate and make the display look increasingly hazy. ...But why would any sane person do that?

Everything wears and scratches, they just do it at different rates depending on the material.
 
Think again. A rock will not scratch it. Only diamond or sapphire

Or anything in between those hardness ratings....

Not to say they are common, but I wouldn't wear it at the beach as sand is full of different minerals that you come across.
 
FWIW, I have a watch that has a sapphire crystal face that is ~25 years old and it looks like the day I got it. The first few years I wore this watch everyday, playing sports, working out, working in the yard etc.
 

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During my try on appointment, I thought the screen was more vibrant and/or glossy on the SS Watch (sapphire). And considering I walked in favoring the Sport Watch, I'm fairly certain my experience wasn't the result of bias.*

*After that try on appointment, I went home and ordered the SS Watch.

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FWIW, I have a watch that has a sapphire crystal face that is ~25 years old and it looks like the day I got it. The first few years I wore this watch everyday, playing sports, working out, working in the yard etc.

Wow. That's pretty awesome. Nice watch. I dig Rado.
 
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