Exactly how durable is the Silver SS S8 Apple Watch?

[ADGrant]

Thank you for your constructive advice.

Very much appreciated.

You don't need a screen protector with the Stainless Steel watch.

 

[Gsxr750]

Best thing for you is to develop a couple scratches.

Seriously.

I’m not diagnosed with ocd, but I’m sure I would be, if I went. The symptoms are there. I have the same feelings as you, not as bad to the point to where I wash my hands all the time like that. But once you get used to the device being there and it develops a couple scratches, same as your 12pm. You’ll be like damn it this sucks. Notice it every time for a week or 2, then move on. Also will make new scratches less noticeable, and you won’t obsess over them as much.

 

[cmontyburns]

wrong. My SB S4 did have some scratches on the sapphire, and yes, they were scratches as I could feel them with my fingernails. There are also multiple posts her where folks report that their “high-end traditional watches get scratches on the glass.

Third-hardest mineral does not mean impervious. It just means very very hard to scratch. Given the OP's stated nature, dealing in caveats is not helpful. In general everyday use the sapphire will not scratch, and certainly not from fingers or fingernails as they were worried about.

 

[Luna Murasaki]

“Ur doin it rong.”

If it’s perfect, it’s not yours. It’s anybody’s and everybody’s. There’s no way to distinguish it from anybody else’s.

It’s the imperfections that make things unique — and it’s the uniqueness that gives them meaning. That which is perfect is meaningless.

And the imperfections are also what tell the story.

Even the gods and heroes of religions and myths, even the ones claimed to be perfect. The stories we tell of them are full of imperfection, and the lessons to be learned from them come entirely from the imperfections.

So: what story to you want your watch to tell?

Do you want it to tell of a life of fear, of isolation, of sterility?

Or do you want it to tell of a life full of interesting things, with plenty of adventures along the way?

When your watch gets a scratch, the reaction shouldn’t be, “Oh, no! It’s ruined! It’s imperfect!"

Instead, it should be, “See this scratch here? That’s from this really cool hiking trail with a narrow canyon that I almost couldn’t squeeze through — but I made it, and you wouldn’t believe how gorgeous the valley was on the other side! This other scratch was from doing my first-ever oil change … and this one was just plain stupidity, when I banged it on a doorknob with an armful of groceries … and I really have no clue how I got this one … and this other one was from … ”

You don’t need to be intentionally destructive, of course. Just let life happen, and welcome all the imperfections to your collection as they come.

b&

I suffer from a lot of mental health issues myself - probably not as serious as OP but I have the thing about scratches on my stuff too and my life is very much dominated by the fear of it. This post literally brought me to tears. I love how it is an earnest attempt to empathize with OP and try and help them get into a better mindset rather than just telling them not to have a mental illness. What a shame I can only give it a second like. It deserves a lot more. In general I find this thread very uplifting and it is not at all how I assumed people would react to discovering someone is different.

Maybe MacRumors isn't quite the cesspit of seething hatred and petty personal attacks my depressed and sociophobic brain naturally perceives it to be. Maybe the world in general isn't really that way either.

Thank you for writing that. Thank you to everyone here for not being cruel about stuff like this.

 

[mavis]

So my OCD has got me, already.

Only had my watch since Friday, and I’m already obsessing about keeping it perfect, so I’ve dried my hands right out by over washing them.

To the point where my hands have started to split and bleed.

It’s contamination fear. Not of germs, but my mind is telling me that I only have to get a minute particle of whatever on my finger/s, which will lead to scratching of the screen or case when I interact with the watch.

Can anyone please offer advice, with regards to my concern? Just telling me not to worry really wouldn’t help.

Could I possibly scratch my screen or case in normal use, with regards to dragging my finger over the watch?

This may well seem like a ridiculous post/question to you, but believe me, OCD is ruthless when it gets ahold of you.

I’ve returned numerous Apple Watches before, largely because of this issue, and I really do not want to have to return this one.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

PS: I wouldn’t use any kind of case on the watch, as it would look ridiculous to me and would only further convince my mind that I have something to worry about.

Ok, so the good news is that you picked the BEST Apple Watch for someone with severe OCD. The silver SS Apple Watch casing can be polished to a literally perfect finish, in a matter of minutes. And that sapphire crystal isn't going to scratch, certainly not from any minute particles of dust on your fingers. So relax.

If you scratch the watch casing, simply buff it out with a Cape Cod polishing cloth. For deeper scratches (like, really severe scratches or even gouges) you'll need a pocket Dremel, some q-tips, and Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish. I've posted about it before (you can find more detailed instructions here) but back in 2015 I whacked my brand new Apple Watch S0 against a tempered glass desktop, and gouged the metal pretty badly. I was able to completely remove the gouge using a Dremel and that Mother's polish. 👍🏻 I know you've seen that post because you're one of the people that 'liked' it, but maybe you just forgot.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

I’m really hard on my SSSB5 but I don’t baby it because I have AppleCare +, I have smashed a sapphire screen before but it was bad luck, just avoid taking it off over a hard floor in case you drop it.

 

[Violet_Antelope]

You might think this is worse than the danger of scratching but I use something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37246584...mh0cFP7YqUaSi4hxPha712TDZk|tkp:Bk9SR8aLkf2AYQ

They work well for me - cheap so easy to replace when they yellow, and protect both screen and watch frame

 

[Al Rukh]

The SS case will be scratched up easily. The sapphire crystal however, holds up pretty good I would say. It can be frustrating to see new marks or scratches on that pristine case but as a fellow watch enthusiast, these scratches on the case give the watch character.

Try to see the watch as a tool, rather than an accessory. Let it be a part of you. Wear it ALWAYS apart from when you’re taking a shower. Bond with it, let it work for you and sooner than later all these imperfections you see might make you love it even more because there’s not a watch out there that looks like the one that you have. Cheers.

 

[Itinj24]

FWIW, I was digging a trench while wearing my SBTi S6. Had to pull out a rock about 50 lbs from said tench and ran the Watch nicely along another rock. The Ti case was scratched to crap but stopped at the screen. The sapphire screen gave a big middle finger to that rock.

Bottom line, unless your finger tips are made of diamond, don’t worry at all. The little bits of cheeto dust on your fingers won’t do a thing to that screen but greaze it up.

And remember, the case and screen are mainly there to protect the more important stuff running inside it. In other words, better to scratch the case than the chip. It’s doing its job.

Final note, Apple would be out of the Watch business with all the returns if they damaged that easy.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

FWIW, I was digging a trench while wearing my SBTi S6. Had to pull out a rock about 50 lbs from said tench and ran the Watch nicely along another rock. The Ti case was scratched to crap but stopped at the screen. The sapphire screen gave a big middle finger to that rock.

Bottom line, unless your finger tips are made of diamond, don’t worry at all. The little bits of cheeto dust on your fingers won’t do a thing to that screen but greaze it up.

And remember, the case and screen are mainly there to protect the more important stuff running inside it. In other words, better to scratch the case than the chip. It’s doing its job.

Final note, Apple would be out of the Watch business with all the returns if they damaged that easy.

Thank you for sharing.

I have some special hand wash coming which will re-moisturise my hands.

OCD is often counterproductive, in that me washing my hands to prevent damage to my watch could actually cause scratches, as my hands become dryer, thus rougher.

Your post was very helpful, thank you.

 

[Itinj24]

Thank you for sharing.

I have some special hand wash coming which will re-moisturise my hands.

OCD is often counterproductive, in that me washing my hands to prevent damage to my watch could actually cause scratches, as my hands become dryer, thus rougher.

Your post was very helpful, thank you.

Dried up dead skin on your fingers won’t do it either but I get what you’re saying.

Keep fighting the good fight. I can relate somewhat. I have what I would describe as a mild OCD. The first scratch always irks the crap out of me but I tend to forget about it a few days later and any there after I just shrug off.

Doing renovations in my house right now and I started nitpicking every little thing the GC’s are doing below my standards. Then I realize, life isn’t perfect and neither is nature. Therefore, I can’t expect perfection for every little thing in my life. That isn’t fair. I’m no therapist but think to yourself, you’re stronger than that little meaningless scratch on your watch. Don’t let it get the better of you.

 

[RPhoto]

I didn’t read all the replies, so it will have been covered already no doubt. But the screen won’t scratch from you interacting with it.

And silver stainless can be polished back to looking like new. So in some ways the stainless watch might be a great tool to aid with your OCD. Because you can polish it up if you get a scratch, see how easy it is and that it will look new again, and that might help you let go of the need to keep it pristine, over time. Because you’ll worry less and you’ll know it’s fixable. Then you might let it get a couple more marks each time before you polish it. Before you know it, six months will have passed and you’ll be putting it off because there aren’t enough scratches to warrant a polish 😁

The mind is a funny thing and breaking cycles and patterns isn’t always easy. This for sure could be something that helps though.

 

[Itinj24]

I didn’t read all the replies, so it will have been covered already no doubt. But the screen won’t scratch from you interacting with it.

And silver stainless can be polished back to looking like new. So in some ways the stainless watch might be a great tool to aid with your OCD. Because you can polish it up if you get a scratch, see how easy it is and that it will look new again, and that might help you let go of the need to keep it pristine, over time. Because you’ll worry less and you’ll know it’s fixable. Then you might let it get a couple more marks each time before you polish it. Before you know it, six months will have passed and you’ll be putting it off because there aren’t enough scratches to warrant a polish 😁

The mind is a funny thing and breaking cycles and patterns isn’t always easy. This for sure could be something that helps though.

Awesome idea, seriously! I do tend to put things off if I know that they can be repaired to like new. After a little while, I completely forget about it and don’t even bother.

Laziness > OCD

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Dried up dead skin on your fingers won’t do it either but I get what you’re saying.

Keep fighting the good fight. I can relate somewhat. I have what I would describe as a mild OCD. The first scratch always irks the crap out of me but I tend to forget about it a few days later and any there after I just shrug off.

Doing renovations in my house right now and I started nitpicking every little thing the GC’s are doing below my standards. Then I realize, life isn’t perfect and neither is nature. Therefore, I can’t expect perfection for every little thing in my life. That isn’t fair. I’m no therapist but think to yourself, you’re stronger than that little meaningless scratch on your watch. Don’t let it get the better of you.

Really appreciate your words of encouragement, thank you.

I’m just the same with cars, and recently sold a beautiful convertible at a ridiculously low price, because the anxiety over it being dinged or damaged was too great to handle.

As per usual, I regretted selling it, and I know I’d regret it if I returned the watch, also.

I would describe OCD in two very powerful ways:

OCD is the pursuit of perfection.

OCD is the disease of doubt.

So bloody true!

I tend to go without many things, because I just can’t accept it when things aren’t “perfect.” It’s not nice.

Thank you again for your very true words, and good luck with your renovations.

Wishing you well 👍.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I didn’t read all the replies, so it will have been covered already no doubt. But the screen won’t scratch from you interacting with it.

And silver stainless can be polished back to looking like new. So in some ways the stainless watch might be a great tool to aid with your OCD. Because you can polish it up if you get a scratch, see how easy it is and that it will look new again, and that might help you let go of the need to keep it pristine, over time. Because you’ll worry less and you’ll know it’s fixable. Then you might let it get a couple more marks each time before you polish it. Before you know it, six months will have passed and you’ll be putting it off because there aren’t enough scratches to warrant a polish 😁

The mind is a funny thing and breaking cycles and patterns isn’t always easy. This for sure could be something that helps though.

Fantastic advice, thank you.

Hopefully this will help others with OCD, too.

Wishing you well.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

 

[BenGoren]

Thank you for sharing.

I have some special hand wash coming which will re-moisturise my hands.

OCD is often counterproductive, in that me washing my hands to prevent damage to my watch could actually cause scratches, as my hands become dryer, thus rougher.

Your post was very helpful, thank you.

“There you go again.”

First, as others have noted, even the toughest hands are so, so, so much softer than steel that there isn’t even any hypothetical theoretically-imaginable scenario in which that could happen.

But suppose so!

Now you can point to the scratches on your watch and say, “See these? I made those scratches. With my bare hands.” And how effin’ baddonkey would that be!?

Now suppose you come to my watch store wanting to buy a watch. But my inventory is very low. I give you a choice of two watches, both Rolexes, the exact same model, exact same price. One is new in the box, never opened, perfect condition. The other not only lacks a box, it’s “well worn,” to the point of looking a bit shabby. But it’s the very watch that Chuck Yeager had on his wrist when he broke the sound barrier. Which watch do you want?

b&

 

[BenGoren]

So, on another thread, you asked about if and how Apple Watches have changed people’s lives.

Here’s something for you to consider how this S8 could change yours.

You own the watch, yes, but it’s not yours.

Not yet.

Make the watch yours, and it will change your life. Not radically; just a little, but perhaps in a meaningful way.

How to make it yours?

First, accept that this is your watch and, for better or worse, you’re stuck with it for the next few years — say, until the lucky S13 is released — unless, of course, it actually breaks to the point of not working.

Cosmetic damage, no matter how dramatic, does not constitute breakage. Giant scratch you can feel with your finger all the way across the face? But it still works fine? Don’t care. It’s your watch, so why would you think less of it when it bears the same scars as you do yourself?

Then, wear it always. Only take it off to charge it, to shower, to change the bands, that sort of thing; otherwise, it’s glued to your wrist.

With no screen protector, no case, no nothing but the watch.

And don’t you dare use the watch as an excuse to avoid doing something that might scratch it! If you have a choice between fixing a leaky sink with the watch but risking damage, fixing it without the watch, or not fixing it, you fix the sink while you’re wearing the watch. If it picks up a scratch in the process? The scratch is proof that you at least tried to fix the sink, whether or not you actually managed to stop the leak.

Also: no cosmetic fixes, no polishing, no after-the-fact case to cover up the scratches.

This is your watch. Not something to hide, not something to be ashamed of.

Of course, this in and of itself won’t do all that much to change your life — as I wrote up top. But you’ll have the watch with you all the time, right? So, when your obsession turns to something else, your watch, complete with all its scars, can be on-your-wrist proof that you have at least some small measure of control over how you focus your mental energies. So, maybe, the next time you feel like getting rid of that nice car, you’ll look at your watch and instead drive to the other side of town just to buy a dozen eggs.

Which you’ll pay for with Apple Pay on your gloriously scarred, beat-to-hell, actually indestructible come to think of it, very own silver stainless S8.

b&

 

[GSWForever8]

It’s durable, don’t worry! There’s always apple care for a reason.

 

[WorstHostesss]

How does he posting here flexing helps in in any way too?

If he has mental health issues (which are no joke, mind me), he should seek the proper help.

Why do you need to know, can’t you just add to the thread if you have knowledge relating to the question? I assume he asked the question after not finding an answer he felt satisfied his curiosity after a web search. 🤷‍♀️ Your reply has bully-ish under/overtone to me.