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

Do all Apple Watch Series 7 models come w/ Sapphire/Crystal?

techno-Zen said:
Crystal is glass now, lesson learned. GOT IT
Click to expand...
Google search reveals the following: suggest you follow the link and read for yourself

What is a watch crystal?

A watch crystal is a transparent cover that protects the watch face. Note that, coincidently, the word “crystal” is also used to denote the tiny piece of quartz that serves as an oscillator in a quartz watch. These two types of crystals have nothing to do with each other. The latter is usually called a “quartz crystal” to prevent confusion.

www.europastar.com

Watch crystals

What is a watch crystal? Clear up your questions about crystals with this brief primer.
www.europastar.com www.europastar.com
 
We finally got our answer. See leaked internal Apple Watch spec sheet below from 9to5 Mac.

The Apple Watch Series 7 has two different glass/crystal displays depending on the model.

Aluminum Models get the new ION-X Crystal display that Apple marketed during the keynote.

The Stainless Steel and Titanium Models(I believe) will have the Sapphire Display.

For a watch, I feel like a Sapphire Display is a necessity. Sapphire is near impossible to scratch and that is my main worry. I have had an Apple Watch since launch that always had a Sapphire display and never has it scratched or cracked and it has hit into metal door knobs, countertops etc. I am very nervous about the sctatch-ability of the ION-X.Which is about a scratch resistant as an iPhone display.

Screen-Shot-2021-09-15-at-1.13.41-PM.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: lordofthereef, haruhiko and jz0309
FrankySavvy said:
We finally got our answer. See leaked internal Apple Watch spec sheet below from 9to5 Mac.

The Apple Watch Series 7 has two different glass/crystal displays depending on the model.

Aluminum Models get the new ION-X Crystal display that Apple marketed during the keynote.

The Stainless Steel and Titanium Models(I believe) will have the Sapphire Display.

For a watch, I feel like a Sapphire Display is a necessity. Sapphire is near impossible to scratch and that is my main worry. I have had an Apple Watch since launch that always had a Sapphire display and never has it scratched or cracked and it has hit into metal door knobs, countertops etc. I am very nervous about the sctatch-ability of the ION-X.Which is about a scratch resistant as an iPhone display.

View attachment 1832279
Click to expand...
Humbug
 
FrankySavvy said:
We finally got our answer. See leaked internal Apple Watch spec sheet below from 9to5 Mac.

The Apple Watch Series 7 has two different glass/crystal displays depending on the model.

Aluminum Models get the new ION-X Crystal display that Apple marketed during the keynote.

The Stainless Steel and Titanium Models(I believe) will have the Sapphire Display.

For a watch, I feel like a Sapphire Display is a necessity. Sapphire is near impossible to scratch and that is my main worry. I have had an Apple Watch since launch that always had a Sapphire display and never has it scratched or cracked and it has hit into metal door knobs, countertops etc. I am very nervous about the sctatch-ability of the ION-X.Which is about a scratch resistant as an iPhone display.

View attachment 1832279
Click to expand...
I somehow managed to tarnish the sapphire on my S6 SBTi. All I did was rub/sideswipe it along the handle on my SS oven as I was walking by. I was shocked it caused any damage but it’s weird. I can’t fingernail it (it’s smooth) and it looks like a 1/8” long metallic like squiggly line that can only be seen in certain lighting and seems to have faded over time. It’s in the top bezel portion of the display.

That said, this would’ve absolutely destroyed the ION-X I had on my S4 lol. That material is garbage. I swear it got micro scratches from putting on and removing a TPU watch case.
 
Itinj24 said:
I somehow managed to tarnish the sapphire on my S6 SBTi. All I did was rub/sideswipe it along the handle on my SS oven as I was walking by. I was shocked it caused any damage but it’s weird. I can’t fingernail it (it’s smooth) and it looks like a 1/8” long metallic like squiggly line that can only be seen in certain lighting and seems to have faded over time. It’s in the top bezel portion of the display.

That said, this would’ve absolutely destroyed the ION-X I had on my S4 lol. That material is garbage. I swear it got micro scratches from putting on and removing a TPU watch case.
Click to expand...

Use a green scrub pad from your kitchen and lightly go over the display. It will come out
 
  • Like
Reactions: Itinj24
Itinj24 said:
I somehow managed to tarnish the sapphire on my S6 SBTi. All I did was rub/sideswipe it along the handle on my SS oven as I was walking by. I was shocked it caused any damage but it’s weird. I can’t fingernail it (it’s smooth) and it looks like a 1/8” long metallic like squiggly line that can only be seen in certain lighting and seems to have faded over time. It’s in the top bezel portion of the display.

That said, this would’ve absolutely destroyed the ION-X I had on my S4 lol. That material is garbage. I swear it got micro scratches from putting on and removing a TPU watch case.
Click to expand...
if you cannot fingernail it, it might be the oleophobic coating ... I did have some real (minor) scratches on my SBSS S4 and I could feel it with my fingernails ... post a photo here
 
jz0309 said:
if you cannot fingernail it, it might be the oleophobic coating ... I did have some real (minor) scratches on my SBSS S4 and I could feel it with my fingernails ... post a photo here
Click to expand...
It was very difficult to capture on camera. The lighting has to be perfect but I was able to get a good shot of it after twisting my wrist around like a pretzel lol. It doesn’t bother me much but I’m more shocked that it even happened from the way it happened. It kind of sparkles in the light as I twist my wrist.

1632355748633.png
 
Itinj24 said:
It was very difficult to capture on camera. The lighting has to be perfect but I was able to get a good shot of it after twisting my wrist around like a pretzel lol. It doesn’t bother me much but I’m more shocked that it even happened from the way it happened. It kind of sparkles in the light as I twist my wrist.

View attachment 1840858
Click to expand...
take a look at this, that was the scratch on my SBSS S4, and there definetly was none of the oleophobic coating left at the time, and I could feel the scratch, I do not recall though how it happened #1
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Itinj24
Itinj24 said:
I somehow managed to tarnish the sapphire on my S6 SBTi. All I did was rub/sideswipe it along the handle on my SS oven as I was walking by. I was shocked it caused any damage but it’s weird. I can’t fingernail it (it’s smooth) and it looks like a 1/8” long metallic like squiggly line that can only be seen in certain lighting and seems to have faded over time. It’s in the top bezel portion of the display.

That said, this would’ve absolutely destroyed the ION-X I had on my S4 lol. That material is garbage. I swear it got micro scratches from putting on and removing a TPU watch case.
Click to expand...

The problem with natural crystal is that it was a grain, and is not durable to damage along that grain. If the assault is in the right spot, at the right angle, right pressure, you can chip it. I had a Heuer watch fall less than 3 feet onto a tile floor, and shatter the 'very durable natural crystal face'. It was about a month old. I tried to get them to warranty it, but no go. It was 'abuse', and the watch now sits in a box in a file cabinet. I learned a lot, and paid a lot for that. Sad...
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: perezr10 and Itinj24
jz0309 said:
take a look at this, that was the scratch on my SBSS S4, and there definetly was none of the oleophobic coating left at the time, and I could feel the scratch, I do not recall though how it happened #1
Click to expand...
It looks very similar to the one beside it to left. Even with sapphire, I still try to be careful but it’s a watch and it’s out in the open on a body part that gets used very often throughout the day. Oh, well, gotta roll with the punches.

I try to see it like this… It’s an Apple Watch. There are many like it but this one is mine. The only thing that makes it unique is the wear and tear I/YOU added to it. That mentality helps with my sanity.
 
PinkyMacGodess said:
The problem with natural crystal is that it was a grain, and is not durable to damage along that grain. If the assault is in the right spot, at the right angle, right pressure, you can chip it. I had a Heuer watch fall less than 3 feet onto a tile floor, and shatter the 'very durable natural crystal face'. It was about a month old. I tried to get them to warranty it, but no go. It was 'abuse', and the watch now sits in a box in a file cabinet. I learned a lot, and paid a lot for that. Sad...
Click to expand...
Sad indeed. Sorry to hear that 😞
 
  • Sad
Reactions: PinkyMacGodess
Itinj24 said:
It looks very similar to the one beside it to left. Even with sapphire, I still try to be careful but it’s a watch and it’s out in the open on a body part that gets used very often throughout the day. Oh, well, gotta roll with the punches.

I try to see it like this… It’s an Apple Watch. There are many like it but this one is mine. The only thing that makes it unique is the wear and tear I/YOU added to it. That mentality helps with my sanity.
Click to expand...
Yea, and I do not treat the watch in any way “special”, meaning it gets banged a lot.
In my case, i got a refurb thru AC+ 3 or 4 months ago as the speaker wasn’t working anymore, new case, new glass, new battery. I’m glad Apple extended AC+ to go month by month after 2 years, I’m happily still paying for it, cause I keep banging it 😎
 
  • Like
Reactions: Itinj24
Itinj24 said:
Sad indeed. Sorry to hear that 😞
Click to expand...

Someone finally told me, at Heuer, what happened. The crystal would likely have survived the fall, if it hadn't hit at the 'sweet spot', so to speak, and the 'vibrations' of the fall caused the crystal to fracture. If it hadn't shattered, it would have been likely that they would have replaced it, but to have it shatter is definitely not covered at all.

I had grown up respecting the 'durability of natural crystals' in watches, and after that incident, and paying a pretty sizable charge for the new crystal, had a Citizen Eco-Drive watch get dinged while I was working on something, and I literally fractured an eight-inch sliver of the crystal, down into the area just above the face. It just popped out like a puzzle piece. So odd, but not unexpected, I guess. I'm rough on my toys...
 
PinkyMacGodess said:
Someone finally told me, at Heuer, what happened. The crystal would likely have survived the fall, if it hadn't hit at the 'sweet spot', so to speak, and the 'vibrations' of the fall caused the crystal to fracture. If it hadn't shattered, it would have been likely that they would have replaced it, but to have it shatter is definitely not covered at all.

I had grown up respecting the 'durability of natural crystals' in watches, and after that incident, and paying a pretty sizable charge for the new crystal, had a Citizen Eco-Drive watch get dinged while I was working on something, and I literally fractured an eight-inch sliver of the crystal, down into the area just above the face. It just popped out like a puzzle piece. So odd, but not unexpected, I guess. I'm rough on my toys...
Click to expand...
How has your Apple Watch(es) held up?
 
I am planning to upgrade my Series 4 to a stainless steel graphite 7 so very excited to see what the stainless models are like
 
PinkyMacGodess said:
Very well. (Knock on wood) I did have a small scratch in the 3 I traded in for the 4 I have. So far, the 4 is flawless, surprisingly. The 3 actually had some dents in the stainless. One looked big enough to crack the crystal, if it had hit it.
Click to expand...
You dented the SS, in more than one spot??? I don’t imagine it’s easy to dent SS on a small surface area such as a watch lol.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: PinkyMacGodess
I have had my series 3 stainless since launch and wear it almost every day. It gets worn running, biking, at work, cooking BBQ (which I do a lot), working in the garden, lawn mowing, and there's not a scratch on the screen (plenty on the casing but I don\'t care about this).

The watch works fine, though it is starting to show its age. I considered getting a green one and passing this s3 on to my son, but I really can't justify the price of stainless, when the only reason I want stainless is the sapphire. To be clear, it's the only reason I bought the stainless in the first place, but AW took a pretty large price hike starting with the series 4. I am certain this is a marketing choice, and one that works well for Apple, but I guess this will mean another year around the sun with a series 3 for me. Perhaps a used series 6 finds its way to my wrist.
 
Last edited:
PinkyMacGodess said:
I know! I figured I was running out of luck with that one, and traded it in. Yikes...
Click to expand...

I had a dent just below the line where the crystal and case met (Actually very very very close to that transition). I was kind of freaked out by that one, keeping in mind all of the people that were having their crystals popping off/out. The deep dent was on the other side to the band interface. When I traded it in, I was horrified at the number of dents and scratches int he metal, and the one very thin, almost invisible scratch in the crystal. The Apple sales droid laughed when I pointed out the dents, saying she'd seen worse, MUCH worse. Well, yeah, but it's not a contest, is it? I just had the images of popped off crystals/screens in my mind with that model. Not that it changed my wearing of it. I bought it to wear, not to only wear in certain circumstances. And, again, I'm rough on my toys... (I somehow dented the engine case of a CRF250F. It was hard to change the oil filter!:oops:)

My current Black 4 is somehow ding dent and scratch free. Don't know how I have pulled that off.
 
FrankySavvy said:
We finally got our answer. See leaked internal Apple Watch spec sheet below from 9to5 Mac.

The Apple Watch Series 7 has two different glass/crystal displays depending on the model.

Aluminum Models get the new ION-X Crystal display that Apple marketed during the keynote.

The Stainless Steel and Titanium Models(I believe) will have the Sapphire Display.

For a watch, I feel like a Sapphire Display is a necessity. Sapphire is near impossible to scratch and that is my main worry. I have had an Apple Watch since launch that always had a Sapphire display and never has it scratched or cracked and it has hit into metal door knobs, countertops etc. I am very nervous about the sctatch-ability of the ION-X.Which is about a scratch resistant as an iPhone display.

View attachment 1832279
Click to expand...


I've had a series 4 since launch in aluminum, and there are definitely micro scratches on it when it is viewed at an angle but for a device this old it has done extremely well.
Also I should add that I build transmissions for a living and it gets banged up quite a bit.
 
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