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Case Surface wear in the "Digital Crown" area?

Piggie

Piggie

macrumors G3
Original poster
Feb 23, 2010
9,203
4,173
Something has just struck me, after seeing recent 'How you use the watch' Video's that I'd not thought of, and not seen mentioned at all here before.

Most of the watch you won't touch, tap the screen, and that's about it.
However, this dial Apple call the Digital Crown. If you watch how it's used, and, it's going to be used a LOT.....

It means pressing your finger onto the top of this wheel, and rubbing your finger towards and backwards to make the wheel turn, and also at the same time this will mean your finger tip (fingers are surprisingly abrasive, even without having dirty fingers with flecks of abrasive substances in the tiny unevenness of the skin surface.

You are going to be, again and again, every single day running too and fro, too and fro, backwards and forward over the surface of the watch case where the crown wheel is.

It will be interesting, given this one area of the whole watch, will get constantly rubbed, how this single area holds up over time, and if it becomes a well known spot for showing up dirt, and surface wear.
 
A lot of people are projecting a life span of three years, tops, on this watch (before its technology becomes obsolete). I've gotten way more use with little wear and tear than that out of a cheap Casio calculator watch that I was constantly tapping on through the day when I wore it back in the 1980's. Some of my circa 1980-1990 metallic watches of questionable composition and cheap plating do have wear and tear on the finish from simple friction and abrasion such as you are discussing, but that occurred over a period of at least 3 years and those were not name brand watches.

So, I'm not too worried, but only time will tell. :p
 
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What is there to "hold up"? It's not plated. Or are you referring to the aluminum? I can see the stainless and gold getting a light brushed look. The anodized aluminum should hold up to all but the dirtiest of people. For them, I'd worry more about the abrasives working into the stem. I think these people will also get upset about the bands getting nasty.
 
The thing about smart watches is that you interact with it on a regular basis so it's gonna get used more. Unlike regular watches that acts like a dummy cuz u can't do nothing to it but just tells time.
 
I was just imagining, you have this square of polished or anodized? metal, and it's just sitting there.

This one single area on the front left-hand side of the watch is going to have your finger pressing down, with some slight pressure, and rubbing your finger backwards and forwards as you use the device.

The scroll wheel / digital crown is as we know not high enough to keep your finger off the case surface in this spot.

I know many will scream at this..... But you could stick just a narrow piece of something clear on the case, next to the digital crown wheel to stop this abrasion taking place over the year.

Just keep your fingers clean :)
 
Maybe someone will come up with a watch glove. Glove used to protect your watch from those abrasives on your fingers. You would only need one so you would have that Michael Jackson look!:eek:
 
I'm coating all parts with mil spec titanium and only operating the Watch with welding gloves. :p
 
I highly doubt it - not even the plastic faces or buttons around and on the click wheel on the iPod have ever shown much wear with over a decade of use, and I feel as though that overlap motion far outweighs any potential problem that could occur here.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
I was responding to Piggie. He doesn't even have an iPhone!
Click to expand...

I don't have a Space Rocket either but I am interested in what NASA are doing :p

Are you now not allowed to have interests or views on things unless you physically own them?
 
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