Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Dang The SS Scuffs Way To Easy

If you want to keep the SS fresh, you really have to take the watch off before you put on long sleeves. The buttons at the cuffs will scratch up the watch. Even tight clothing that isn't absolutely soft may scratch it up.
 
phpmaven said:
Eh... No. The SS is harder than the aluminum. It's just with that super high gloss finish, it's going to show every little thing.
Click to expand...
According to 9to5Mac, the aluminium is harder:

9to5Mac said:
Is it disappointing that the Apple Watch is scratchable, given the grade of materials and manufacturing process Apple used? Sure. But Science: stainless steel is not a super-hard material. The 316L grade used in Apple Watch is actually softer than the 7000 series aluminum used in Apple Watch Sport. If you’re curious as to where 316L is positioned within grades of stainless steel, check out this helpful chart. Apple could have chosen to go with more durable 904L stainless steel, but it’s much more expensive to manufacture and would raise Apple Watch’s price. With a polished finish, even 904L can still be scratched fairly easily. You won’t run into this issue with brushed stainless steel watches because that texture hides any accidental scuffs within the texture/finish.
Click to expand...
 
Just learn to appreciate it, and polish it before special occasions.

Tentatively, my plan is to wear it for a year, polish it, and buy a sport model of next years watch and leave my SS for special occasions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seannyb and C7 POWER
I've been thinking about switching to a stainless model ever since I marred the glass on my 38mm Sport. It's right in the middle and a decent length (banged it on my son's baseball team's aluminum bench when trying to block a ball from hitting a kid in the head - I didn't get there in time, but he's ok).

I'd rather have scuffs on the case than the screen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rok73, C7 POWER and rowdt1
Brett1203 said:
So I went from the Sport which I had for a month and never had a scuff/scratch on it to my new SS that I have had for 2 weeks now and already have 2 scuffs on the Stainless Steel Case (The side that aims towards me. I am just as careful with this one as I was my Sport but this morning I noticed another 2nd scuff. Ugh!! I do not know if I like having something that will mark up this bad so quick. I have been so cautious with this watch and I cant even figure out where the marks are coming from 🙁

I love my watch dont get me wrong, just never realized how easy this would scuff up.
Click to expand...
That's what Tim meant when he called it "the most personal device we've ever created" 😉. It can't quite get any more personal than super scratched.
 
  • Like
Reactions: C7 POWER
I have actually been pleased by how much it hasn't scuffed in a month (and I am a KLUTZ). But, I'm not too fussed about it when it does. I expect it on a watch. No one but me is going to notice the sides anyway.
 
I've been debating the switch from sport to SS for awhile now, and actually just reserved the SS model I want this morning (they finally have one in)!

It's really weird how strangely useful I'm at least finding the watch.

I really hope the SS dulls over time, as it kind of looks a little too much like jewelry, in my opinion. Being able to feel like I can use the watch without a screen protector will be great.
 
cambookpro said:
According to 9to5Mac, the aluminium is harder:
Click to expand...
We've had this discussion a number of times. The hardness numbers they are quoting are from un-heat treated SS. Once the heat treating takes place, then the SS is far harder. I was a machinest for many years, so I do know what I'm talking about.
 
phpmaven said:
We've had this discussion a number of times. The hardness numbers they are quoting are from un-heat treated SS. Once the heat treating takes place, then the SS is far harder. I was a machinest for many years, so I do know what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...
OK, my bad. Haven't seen any discussions about it.
 
Seems I'm in the minority but I feel the SS hides scratches better by being so shiny. I have had the Silver and SG Alum casing and any damage IMO would be much more noticeable on the matte finish. I also love knowing I can polish out any minor wear with a Cape Cod polishing cloth on the SS. That knowledge helps me be much less OCD about any microscratches, etc, so I can just relax and enjoy it 🙂
 
Mojopin said:
Seems I'm in the minority but I feel the SS hides scratches better by being so shiny. I have had the Silver and SG Alum casing and any damage IMO would be much more noticeable on the matte finish. I also love knowing I can polish out any minor wear with a Cape Cod polishing cloth on the SS. That knowledge helps me be much less OCD about any microscratches, etc, so I can just relax and enjoy it 🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah I am the only one who can see it, due to the high polish no one else can see it but I see it, and of course its on the side that faces me!! haha. I wear it every day all day (Except for when mowing the yard or washing the car) but other from that I am just accepting after reading everyones comments that its just part of like with the watch 🙂
 
Brett1203 said:
Yeah I am the only one who can see it, due to the high polish no one else can see it but I see it, and of course its on the side that faces me!! haha. I wear it every day all day (Except for when mowing the yard or washing the car) but other from that I am just accepting after reading everyones comments that its just part of like with the watch 🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was really bummed. I have a nice L-Shaped gash at the top right of the steel case. But I'm just living with it 🙂
 
I have not tried it yet, I do have the Polish Wipes that I ordered last week so I will try it this weekend, At first when I made the post it was killing me to see it but now I realize I just need to learn it will happen but I am going to try and polish it out this weekend.
 
Welcome to how watches work. Stainless steel bands on watches scratch. That's how it goes. I have numerous small scratches on my mechanical watch band. Gives it character and shows you actually use the thing and aren't a prude.
 
latndude said:
Yes it does, extremely easy , I just did not anticipate the little scratches and marks that keep appearing on the once beautiful finish . I had the watch since the beginning of May and I ended up putting a small plastic case from Spiegel that I bought on Amazon. The looks of the watch are gone. The case looks stupid and cheap . But I had no alternative . Im a bit disappointed about this. Especially since it is not cheap. I know it can be buffered and polished , but I might wait for that when the times comes to re sell it on eBay once a newer version comes up , hopefully not as fragile .
Click to expand...

This seems so strange to me. You said yourself that the case makes the watch look stupid and cheap... Why wouldn't you just let there be a ding or two that you can only see at close inspection and retain the beauty of the watch as a whole? Instead, you cover the whole thing and just hate how it looks? If you can just accept that it will get some marks on it and try to be careful, you would enjoy it much more.
 
know that in 12 months time when apple watch 2 comes out youre not going to care nearly as much about cosmetic damage on the watch.
learn to enjoy it for its function.
 
  • Like
Reactions: C7 POWER
teknikal90 said:
know that in 12 months time when apple watch 2 comes out youre not going to care nearly as much about cosmetic damage on the watch.
learn to enjoy it for its function.
Click to expand...

So much this. I remember being so bummed when I dropped my iPhone 5. Here we are two years later and I'm with a new phone. I don't even remember where the damage was and now I just feel a it silly for being worked up over something so impermanent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: C7 POWER
It's called "patina" let it evolve... it adds character.

8 years ago my wife and I bought a beautiful, pristine, stainless steel kitchen island. For the first few days we were careful with it, but it still developed some small scratches. After a week we said "screw it!" we just need to use it, scratches be damned. It is currently completely covered in crisscrossing scratches and looks awesome. All of those scratches tell our tale for the last few years.

We recently moved from a large house to a studio apartment (moved back to the city). The ONLY piece of furniture we kept is that table, it's now our island / dining room / living room / whole house table 🙂. And it still looks awesome.

I fully plan on doing the same with my SS watch. This is going to go one of two ways:

1. I get a new watch next year... so any issues with the finish don't matter.

2. I keep this one for several years and the SS character grows over time reflecting my life 🙂
 
  • Like
Reactions: C7 POWER and Shadowbech
mcdj said:
Yes, cases are great! If you put a case on a watch, you will remain scuff free, oh and sleek free! All those pesky minimalist lines of thoughtful design become hardly noticeable!
Click to expand...
There are reports on this forum of dust and grit getting trapped between the case and the watch scratching the SS. Unless the case is air tight, foreign objects will get inside the case
 
I'll take a slight scratch on the SS over a scratched screen any day. You can buff out the SS but not the screen.
 
Brett1203 said:
So I went from the Sport which I had for a month and never had a scuff/scratch on it to my new SS that I have had for 2 weeks now and already have 2 scuffs on the Stainless Steel Case (The side that aims towards me. I am just as careful with this one as I was my Sport but this morning I noticed another 2nd scuff. Ugh!! I do not know if I like having something that will mark up this bad so quick. I have been so cautious with this watch and I cant even figure out where the marks are coming from 🙁

I love my watch dont get me wrong, just never realized how easy this would scuff up.
Click to expand...

I had a Sport from launch and it was as new.
After 24hours with the SS I got two scratches.

The same thing happens with my father in law his SS.

So it seems they are like softer or not protected when they come from the factory.


I bought the "Mothers SS Polish" like the dude from the 9to5Mac and polished both watches back to new again. We are three weeks after polishing now and it's still perfect, no scratches.

The packaging from "Mothers" says. "Repairs and protect". And protecting it does.

So try it and you will be amazed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: C7 POWER
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back