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Apple Watch 10, color bubbles up on the bottom

D

DrRadon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 14, 2008
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So today I saw some dots on the bottom of my Apple Watch 10 Black.

On closer inspection in noticed the color is missing. I dont think it's very visible in the image, but there are other places where the color already is raised up like a tiny bubble. Both front and back have no scratches or any other wear and tear that I am aware of.

Got this delivered September 30.

I remember my old Apple Watch 6, aluminum color, having weird little crackle lines on the bottom. Is my sweat just to aggressive for this fitness tracker? But with this black watch how would the swat even get beneath the coating?

It's like I already can smell how apple will deny a warranty claim on this because its not visible and I might have used a hammer on it. xD
I am kinda worried that if enough peels of on the bottom it will naturally get to the edges. Sooner rather than later at this pace of six month.

I even worry that this happened recently as I did yoga more regularly again, increasing the sweaty hours per day. Like, what's supposed to happen if it is 35 celsius in summer?
 

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DrRadon said:
Not yet. No. But it is for swimming so I’d expect it to endure that. Worked with my six.
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In different lighting conditions, can you show more angles of the damage, such as the spots on the backside of your Apple Watch ⌚️?

Have you attempted to remove the damage by vigorously cleaning it with a glasses cloth and a bit of lens or screen cleaner?

Do you replace your Apple Watch bands daily? If so, do you clean them after they become wet or sweaty, like after swimming or exercising?

Has your Apple Watch been dropped in any way since you acquired it?
 
I was at an Apple Store today. They told me this is a warranty case and they will send it in. I took the watch home to finish a fitness challenge I am in right now and will return it in two weeks.

These are holes in the coating. Very haptic. Shrubbing it will not fill holes. There are bubbles raising the coating, they are very hard to see. This has nothing to do with dropping the watch, and no I did not drop it.
 
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DrRadon said:
I was at an Apple Store today. They told me this is a warranty case and they will send it in. I took the watch home to finish a fitness challenge I am in right now and will return it in two weeks.

These are holes in the coating. Very haptic. Shrubbing it will not fill holes. There are bubbles raising the coating, they are very hard to see. This has nothing to do with dropping the watch, and no I did not drop it.
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Oh, that’s a bit of a bummer because the Apple Watch Series 10’s Jet black finish is supposed to last longer than that.

It’s made in the same way as the special edition color was made for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. If you didn’t use a case, the finish will get dingy faster than a stainless steel SBSS, slate, or graphite finish would on an Apple Watch.

Since it’s still under warranty when the Genius checked it out and had a chat with you, they said they’d replace the watch, right? If you saw it in different angles, does it look more obvious and worn out?
 
DrRadon said:
I was at an Apple Store today. They told me this is a warranty case and they will send it in. I took the watch home to finish a fitness challenge I am in right now and will return it in two weeks.

These are holes in the coating. Very haptic. Shrubbing it will not fill holes. There are bubbles raising the coating, they are very hard to see. This has nothing to do with dropping the watch, and no I did not drop it.
Click to expand...

A cup of coffee says somebody on the assembly line sneezed at an inopportune time — though, of course, there’re all sorts of other ways for such a defect to manifest.

Glad to hear that they’re doing right by you. Good luck with the challenge, and do please report back at least when the replacement arrives.

b&
 
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goldmac2006 said:
Since it’s still under warranty when the Genius checked it out and had a chat with you, they said they’d replace the watch, right?
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He told me that they will send it in and that he has no idea what they will do with it. I hardly can imagine that they will do anything else than replace it.

What I am wondering is if it is anything with my sweat since my series six aluminum als showed some Weired crackled lines around the bottom. But I only noticed that years later and technically with the black I am not even touching the Aluminium.
 
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DrRadon said:
He told me that they will send it in and that he has no idea what they will do with it. I hardly can imagine that they will do anything else than replace it.

What I am wondering is if it is anything with my sweat since my series six aluminum als showed some Weired crackled lines around the bottom. But I only noticed that years later and technically with the black I am not even touching the Aluminium.
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Replacement is the option for cases like this.

It is just cosmetic damage as the finish peeled away.

Would you rather get titanium Apple Watches from now on?
 
goldmac2006 said:
Replacement is the option for cases like this.

It is just cosmetic damage as the finish peeled away.

Would you rather get titanium Apple Watches from now on?
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Absolutely not. This is a 450€ product, something like this should never happen and is not a reason to cause me to spend almost double and hope for the best.
 
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DrRadon said:
Absolutely not. This is a 450€ product, something like this should never happen and is not a reason to cause me to spend almost double and hope for the best.
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Alright then proceed with having it sent in at Genius Bar.

How much is it when the Genius said about having it repaired on the spot?
 
DrRadon said:
He told me that they will send it in and that he has no idea what they will do with it. I hardly can imagine that they will do anything else than replace it.

What I am wondering is if it is anything with my sweat since my series six aluminum als showed some Weired crackled lines around the bottom. But I only noticed that years later and technically with the black I am not even touching the Aluminium.
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Unfortunately it isn't up to the Apple store specialist whether the watch is covered or not. The service center will make the determination and either send a replacement or return your watch with an explanation why it wasn't covered. I've been through this before for a different issue and the watch was returned without being replaced. At that point you will have to call customer service and escalate the claim. The store will not be any use to you as they can't override the service centers final decision. Hope you get a positive result with your claim so you don't have to deal with trying to find someone sympathetic to your cause..
 
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BugeyeSTI said:
Unfortunately it isn't up to the Apple store specialist whether the watch is covered or not. The service center will make the determination and either send a replacement or return your watch with an explanation why it wasn't covered. I've been through this before for a different issue and the watch was returned without being replaced. At that point you will have to call customer service and escalate the claim. The store will not be any use to you as they can't override the service centers final decision. Hope you get a positive result with your claim so you don't have to deal with trying to find someone sympathetic to your cause..
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Interesting. Its surprising to me that the Apple Geniuses out right told me its a warranty case. They usually are so non committed when it comes to saying anything that is not 1:1 from the marketing material of what is one the shelfs.
 
DrRadon said:
Interesting. Its surprising to me that the Apple Geniuses out right told me its a warranty case. They usually are so non committed when it comes to saying anything that is not 1:1 from the marketing material of what is one the shelfs.
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My Specialist took pictures and said it should be replaced too but, when it was returned without replacement she admitted it wasn't up to her. I took it up the ladder all the way to Tim Cooks executive relations team, after some back and forth they said there was nothing they could do. My issue was a couple of odd bubbles that were under the display that could only be seen with the screen off and in sunlight. It couldn't be seen with the screen on so I just let it go and the watch has worked fine since. Your watch has a much more noticeable issue so hopefully they'll just send you a replacement and you can move on..
 
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BugeyeSTI said:
My Specialist took pictures and said it should be replaced too but, when it was returned without replacement she admitted it wasn't up to her. I took it up the ladder all the way to Tim Cooks executive relations team, after some back and forth they said there was nothing they could do. My issue was a couple of odd bubbles that were under the display that could only be seen with the screen off and in sunlight. It couldn't be seen with the screen on so I just let it go and the watch has worked fine since. Your watch has a much more noticeable issue so hopefully they'll just send you a replacement and you can move on..
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That’s why the OP’s S10 jet black appears to have its jet black coating chipped off. Hope when  checks it out again and sends it in it will be replaced.
 
I finished my fitness challenge, so tomorrow I'll bring in the watch.

Took some pictures with my macro lens for the Apple Store because it's so hard to see the paint bubbling up from within the undamaged coating and I am kinda afraid who ever looks at the thing for three minutes at the warranty warehouse will just blame me and send it back.
You need to look at it in the right light from the right angle. But in these photos I think you can see the unbroken paint bubbles that will probably lead to more paint chipping of very clearly.

Figuring the people who replied here would also be interested in these better images.

IMG_1693.jpeg
IMG_1692.jpeg
IMG_1696.jpeg
 
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DrRadon said:
I finished my fitness challenge, so tomorrow I'll bring in the watch.

Took some pictures with my macro lens for the Apple Store because it's so hard to see the paint bubbling up from within the undamaged coating and I am kinda afraid who ever looks at the thing for three minutes at the warranty warehouse will just blame me and send it back.
You need to look at it in the right light from the right angle. But in these photos I think you can see the unbroken paint bubbles that will probably lead to more paint chipping of very clearly.

Figuring the people who replied here would also be interested in these better images.

View attachment 2504026View attachment 2504027View attachment 2504028
Click to expand...
Now I can obviously see it.

Even that 16 pro macro lens caught that shot.

Let the genius know that it is obvious that it is a defect and it is possible that the jet black coating was too sensitive to other elements.

Before unpairing it from the iPhone, pause your activity rings for two weeks.

Let me know when they checked it out and how they got it sorted.

✔️

Cheers 👋 mate
 
I shot that with my Sony a7m3 and the zeis batis 40mm. No iPhone pro yet. Maybe later this year. :)

Online repair tracking claims Apple is replacing the watch. Just a matter of if it arrives in the store tomorrow or Monday I suppose.
I hope it’s a brand new one. It send in form said „normal signs of usage“ wich hs my overly worried mind spinning a bit since there was no other scratch on it. 🍀
 
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DrRadon said:
I shot that with my Sony a7m3 and the zeis batis 40mm. No iPhone pro yet. Maybe later this year. :)

Online repair tracking claims Apple is replacing the watch. Just a matter of if it arrives in the store tomorrow or Monday I suppose.
I hope it’s a brand new one. It send in form said „normal signs of usage“ wich hs my overly worried mind spinning a bit since there was no other scratch on it. 🍀
Click to expand...
Signs of hope are here 🔥 hope that new series 10 is flawless
 
DrRadon said:
I shot that with my Sony a7m3 and the zeis batis 40mm. No iPhone pro yet. Maybe later this year. :)

Online repair tracking claims Apple is replacing the watch. Just a matter of if it arrives in the store tomorrow or Monday I suppose.
I hope it’s a brand new one. It send in form said „normal signs of usage“ wich hs my overly worried mind spinning a bit since there was no other scratch on it. 🍀
Click to expand...
They will send you a refurbished watch. It will be "like new" but not brand new..
 
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