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

Gen 1 alum owners, how's your screen

greeley

greeley

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 21, 2015
220
16
I remember hearing they scratch easily. And now that people have own them for a year I'm wondering how they held up since I'm trying to device if i need to pay up for a SS series 2.


I'm rather clumsy, but I would think a screen protector would interfere with the clarity
 
My wife's has a good amount of micro scratches. Nothing that is immediately apparent when looking at it, but they show in bright sunlight.

The glass screen protectors work great. She had one on there, cracked it, and just never replaced it. If you don't mind them not having full coverage (some do but they are essentially just an aluminum border) they look fine IMO. Feel like glass (because they are glass) and they are perfectly clear.

The way I look at this, and not everyone will agree, is that this evice isn;t something I am likely to keep beyond 2-3 years. I have no real interest in limiting scratches so that the next guy who gives me pennies on the dollar gets a flawless screen.

Apple finally gave me the things I felt I needed to make a purchase worth it, but there is a lot of room for advancement here. Maybe years down the road, if I am still interested in this tech, I will drop some more money. Right now this is a completely disposable product in my eyes.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
lots of micro scratches and just a week ago I got a really bad scratch when i barely grazed the rounded part of our granite counters. I went with the SS this time with the sapphire being one of the reasons.
 
I have had my Sport for a little over a year. When I got it I thought that I would be hitting it everywhere and at everything and that after a year it would be scratched to hell and back again.

Today the screen has one small scratch that I can spot. Not in anyway distracting or so. The watch has fallen twice. The second time it hit a concrete floor and the case received couple marks to one of the corners that can be seen easily (but nothing overly bad) and the screen received couple tiny marks around that same spot that can hardly be seen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrodieApple
There aren't any real detectable scratches on mine, but I swapped to a steel model as the aluminum got dented while I was at work moving boxes.
 
cambookpro said:
Launch day Sport here, screen is still flawless. Now I've said that I'll probably scrape it against a brick wall tomorrow morning...
Click to expand...


Haha hopefully not


To be honest if they had a gold stainless steel model i would instantly go with that because not sure I trust myself to keep it scratch less while with the SS u can buff off the steel and screen is pretty much scratch proof.

But since it's only in aluminum I have to pick. I think Apples Return policy is 14 days, so I think I'll test out the aluminum model and if I don't like it return it.

I checked out the Amazon link and most of the screen protectors have mixed reviews :\ maybe if Apple sells any ill buy it from them since they can give me a better warranty
 
greeley said:
I remember hearing they scratch easily. And now that people have own them for a year I'm wondering how they held up since I'm trying to device if i need to pay up for a SS series 2.


I'm rather clumsy, but I would think a screen protector would interfere with the clarity
Click to expand...

I have an AW sport. My screen is pristine. I've had it over a year, I've worn it every day, I have an 'active' lifestyle, and I've not been at all careful.
 
greeley said:
But since it's only in aluminum I have to pick. I think Apples Return policy is 14 days, so I think I'll test out the aluminum model and if I don't like it return it.
Click to expand...
I would compare them side by side and get the one I like most. You'll be looking at the watch quite a lot. I would think that couple scratches here or there aren't as bad as wearing a watch which looks you don't like.

My reasoning with buying the Sport was that it was first gen product which often tend to be bad in one or the other way. So I just didn't want to waste too much money expecting I would either stop wearing it after a while or replacing as soon as the gen 2 hits the market. Also the Sport and SS have identical features so paying 400€ vs 1000€+ was a big deciding factor. Although the Sport's screen is better in sunlight than SS's screen which is also a nice thing.
 
teidon said:
My reasoning with buying the Sport was that it was first gen product which often tend to be bad in one or the other way. So I just didn't want to waste too much money expecting I would either stop wearing it after a while or replacing as soon as the gen 2 hits the market. Also the Sport and SS have identical features so paying 400€ vs 1000€+ was a big deciding factor.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I chose the sport, and if I were to upgrade, I'd get a sport again. I just don't think the SS is worth it.
 
greeley said:
Haha hopefully not


To be honest if they had a gold stainless steel model i would instantly go with that because not sure I trust myself to keep it scratch less while with the SS u can buff off the steel and screen is pretty much scratch proof.

But since it's only in aluminum I have to pick. I think Apples Return policy is 14 days, so I think I'll test out the aluminum model and if I don't like it return it.

I checked out the Amazon link and most of the screen protectors have mixed reviews :\ maybe if Apple sells any ill buy it from them since they can give me a better warranty
Click to expand...
If you suck at putting a protector on you're likely to leave a terrible review. Absolutely not trying to sell you on anything, but if you take your time they look fine. I just ordered one and will probably post a pic here. Amazon also allows returns in anything up to 90 days I believe. I just returned a use BBQ gasket because it was already peeling after three weeks. Refunded as soon as I scanned the tracking number in. No questions.

To each their own though. If scratches terrify you and you know you can't live with a screen protector I'd go with sapphire.
 
Holding up surprisingly well especially considering how many times I've caught it on something while working on my car and expected to see the thing seriously damaged. A few very small scratches I can't find unless I clean the screen looking for them.
 
Ordered mine release day and have worn it daily. I don't do any heavy construction or anything but I did wear it while rebuilding/refinishing my redwood deck as well as other projects around the house. I didn't baby it, I just wore it like I would a regular everyday watch. Not even a screen protector. Nary a scratch.

I'm glad I went with the Al watch...lighter in weight, lighter in cost and no wear that I can detect.
 
I have one very obvious scratch just over 1mm long that happened a few weeks after I got it but I have no idea how. I've had it since launch, wear it every day all day and don't go out of my way to be careful with it like I was when I first got it which is ironic that I got the scratch in "careful mode". You get so used to wearing it, you forget it's there. I maybe have a few tiny micro-scratches but very hard to see.
I was very close to getting the aluminum again since this screen held up so well but really wanted the black that only comes with steel/sapphire so ended up with that.
 
Mine has certainly seen better days. It was a day one preorder that I got in June of last year and have worn it every day since minus July and August of this year when I was rocking my HTC 10 and Moto 360, but I'm back.

It's got a lot of scratches on the glass, only a few on the casing though. And one tiny chip missing from the glass on the top. Bumped into some concrete I think.

8dUElCD.jpg
 
Ouch! I have a couple of tiny scratches on the case too. I'm graciously gifting mine to my sister and doesn't care in the least.
 
Yep! I work in IT so you'd think it wouldn't be subject to much damage but all to often I'll go to mount a TV/Monitor on the wall or something and bump it against a brick, or hit it on something in the catwalk above the stage, get dirt and rocks blasted on it power washing the truck after an adventure, etc. That being said, it has held up pretty well for what it's been though. My Pebble went though the same and it eventually died via water damage somehow, despite being water proof. I swam with it quite often but obviously I can't do that with the AW.

E2ARAddl.png


I'm doing my best to not be temped by the series 2 and whatever else after that because this thing isn't worth nearly what I paid for it now so it's in my best interest to keep it till it dies or becomes unsupported.

My main problem is that I forget to take it off when I probably should. I'm getting better about it though. If I know I'll be in a tight spot against a brick wall or using a power washer I'm getting around to remembering to remove it.
 
The one exception is I take it off when wrenching on the motorcycle. Not only does that add risk to the case/glass but can get the band really dirty and it impedes hand ingress into tight spots. I take off my wedding ring for this as well for many of the same reasons. Once you get your finger stuck somewhere in the bike because of the ring, you learn quickly to leave it off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrettApple
My Sport has been on my wrist roughly 18 hours a day for one year and two months. So far no scratches that I can see on the display (knock on wood). I have a very thin (like thinner than my arm hair) scratch on the side button. That's it. I do work a desk job, so I'm probably not subjecting it to the kind of abuse some people do. I don't baby it though. I wear it bicycling, hiking, cooking, etc. I usually take it off if I'm going to be doing yard work or something else where I know I will be up to my elbows in dirt and rocks.

Sean
 
I have a 42 mm Gold aluminum since October of last year. My screen looks the same as the day I purchased it. I have a small scratch on the aluminum casing but that’s it.
 
My screen has a few light scratches you can only see in certain light. I put the first scratch on in the first 24 hrs!

Space grey case is almost mint except for a tiny ding near one of the connectors
 
Sounds like the majority are fine lol. Probably just a case of the people who did scratch bad being more vocal than those of you who haven't.

Def leaning towards the aluminum then
 
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