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[POLL] Space Black Stainless Steel Owners: Is your Watch or Link Bracelet scratching?

Has your Space Black Stainless Steel Watch / Link Bracelet developed scratches?

  • Total voters
    116
Menopause

Menopause

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 26, 2011
663
1,807
I read on multiple threads that some of us are experiencing scratches on the Space Black SS Watch and/or the Link Bracelet due to no severe carelessness.

I remember Jony Ive stating in a video that the 'DLC coating on the Watch makes it is especially resistant to knicks and scratches'.

Here's the thing about Diamond Like Carbon: Its molecular structure being similar to that of diamond, the hardness of DLC can be compared on the same pedestal as diamond itself. In other words, it's extremely hard, harder than most common objects that causes scratches, such as keys, wall edges etc. So if you took a household kitchen knife and scratched the DLC surface, you will actually find residues of the knife coming off, since DLC is harder than the knife. It shouldn't be the other way around.

Please vote if your Watch or Link Bracelet has exhibited any sort of dent or scratch, where you can see the silver colored stainless steel metal exposed due to the scratches. Please also comment if you are aware of how they were produced, or if you have no idea where they came from.

Many thanks for participating!

image-jpg.557513


Picture above from @dannyyankou
 
The watch itself has two very small scratches from bangs, but the link band on the pinky side has a lot of the DLC wearing off around the edges.
 
My original SB 42mm went back for a faulty battery. The replacement went back because the "DLC" on the edges of the band was increasingly wearing off. It may be a sharp watch, but it does not live up to the marketing and hype.
 
I've had mine for about 3weeks now and no scratches or wear. Screen or watch. I really wear the link band everywhere too except if I excercise where I use the sport band. The finish has been great for me and I've definitely dinged it on things.
 
jardinager said:
My original SB 42mm went back for a faulty battery. The replacement went back because the "DLC" on the edges of the band was increasingly wearing off. It may be a sharp watch, but it does not live up to the marketing and hype.
Click to expand...

Do you have a third replacement already? How is it holding up? Also, how fast did your second replacement arrive? Do you have AppleCare? Thanks.
 
I was very tempted by the SB SS. I then opted for the regular SS as I knew that when I had a scratch I could buff it out. I personally think the space black is a bad idea. Once there is damage on the body or the link, game over.
I can buff out damage on my watch or link anytime I please.
 
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IllusionEntity said:
I was very tempted by the SB SS. I then opted for the regular SS as I knew that when I had a scratch I could buff it out. I personally think the space black is a bad idea. Once there is damage on the body or the link, game over.
I can buff out damage on my watch or link anytime I please.
Click to expand...

That's precisely why I initially got the normal stainless steel too, along with this:

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Funny, I actually bought this before my Watch even arrived.

Now I was playing with my Watch with Leather Loop, not even wearing it, within 24 hours there were small ghost scratches on the left side already! :eek: I had no goddam clue how, why, where they came from! It was absolutely appalling.

So without even opening my SS Polish, I sent back my Watch and shelled out an extra €500 and 3 weeks of my time to get the DLC covered version. I'm a Mechanical Engineer, I have studied Material Science for a year. That part of me is convinced that it is almost impossible to get either the sapphire or the DLC scratched without explicitly trying. Which is why I'm scared now from these random cases of 'wear' that I'm reading about.

I'm discounting a probability that the DLC coating process was flawed, even if for a relatively small batch of Watches, due to which the coating is coming off from the edges of the bracelet.
 
Menopause said:
Do you have a third replacement already? How is it holding up? Also, how fast did your second replacement arrive? Do you have AppleCare? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I had AppleCare+ but gave up after the second faulty SB. I'm wearing my SS 42mm BSB/BlueLL constantly. I may try the space black option with version 2, but as I now I don't trust the qc on this 1st generation.
 
As most of you probably know, I have had some issues with the coating on my watch, got a replacement and my coating is totally fine (for now).

Anyways, about scratching, I have yet to have a scratch on my watch.
 
mr.anthonyramos said:
As most of you probably know, I have had some issues with the coating on my watch, got a replacement and my coating is totally fine (for now).

Anyways, about scratching, I have yet to have a scratch on my watch.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear. Also a little relieved that a majority of the poll suggests that their Watches are doing well too.
 
nicked it on a concrete bench and it got a hairline scratch on the band.
 

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Been wearing mine daily for two months now and not a single mark on either the watch itself or the bracelet. It's been to Disney World, a bachelor party in Savannah, GA, I wear it while working around the house, shopping, everywhere. Couldn't be happier.
 
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Menopause said:
I remember Jony Ive stating in a video that the 'DLC coating on the Watch makes it is especially resistant to knicks and scratches'.
Click to expand...

Scratch resistant does not mean scratch proof. Just like water resistant does not mean waterproof. If you expose it to something harder than the coating then it will scratch.
 
I'm happy to say that about 3 weeks on, my Space Black SS watch has been holding up remarkably well with a couple of accidental nicks. No discoloration at the edges or similar. Been wearing it 12 - 14 hours a day with 2 hours of exercise on a daily basis. Very happy!
 
Have had my space black 42 since launch. I've hit it a few times here and there but it has held up great no sign of wear on either the watch or band. I try to use the link band as my daily but work requires the sport band along with a case and screen protector, it's annoying sure but I unveil greatness everyday.
 
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I noticed that my Space Black Stainless Steel band was wearing along the edges around January and stopped wearing it. I have at last count 5 other bands so I can't say it has had heavy wear. I actually got to the Apple Store today to see what they would do about it.

I'm sad to say the answer is nothing!!

They say that wear on a watch should be expected. I am somewhat surprised!! This watch was priced at ~ £1100 including Applecare... I've not used the band in three months, I got the watch in the middle on June 15 so it has had about 7 months wear but during that time I used other bands too. I'd don't think I've used it more than 4 months of actual use.

My previous Tissot watch cost £300 and I handed it down to my son. After 15+ years, it looked worn in not worn out!

I can't see how this watch is fit for purpose!? It is an expensive version of the watch sold as a fashion statement - eg. it's purpose is too look good. I am embarrassed to wear it the silver shining through makes the watch look cheap.

By the way I'm not a manual worker, I work on a computer all day at a desk and my mouse in the other hand.

I know my watch was one of the first to come out maybe later ones don't suffer from this?

I would not recommend this band to anyone currently.

Anyone had their watch replaced due to wear?

Anthony
 
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anthonylambert said:
By the way I'm not a manual worker, I work on a computer all day at a desk and my mouse in the other hand.
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However, many people have a bad habit of resting their palms on the area below the keyboard when typing (proper typing technique requires you to keep the wrists straight in line with the hands and hence it nor the AW would touch any surface). That's the primary culprit of scratching and is an user-inflicted damage.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
However, many people have a bad habit of resting their palms on the area below the keyboard when typing (proper typing technique requires you to keep the wrists straight in line with the hands and hence it nor the AW would touch any surface). That's the primary culprit of scratching and is an user-inflicted damage.
Click to expand...

Well... I wore my previous watch for 15+ years and it showed no such bad wear. Are you saying only buy this band if you type using the proper techique? Typing damages this watch band?
 
anthonylambert said:
Well... I wore my previous watch for 15+ years and it showed no such bad wear. Are you saying only buy this band if you type using the proper techique? Typing damages this watch band?
Click to expand...

Improper typing technique such not keeping your wrists straight when typing would scratch ANY link bracelet watch band.

Your previous watch was a link bracelet? The wear on your AW link bracelet seems to be within a very specific area and doesn't look like the manufacturing defects (such as a defective DLC coating rubbing off prematurely) that we've seen on some of the Space Black link bracelets posted here.
 
Jay you've jumped the gun here in your hurry to professionally fob this off. Firstly checking my typing technique my keyboard is too near edge of my desk to have the band rubbing due to that. I may rest my hand on the desk sometimes. Either way I think a watch should withstand this everyday usage. I am going to get my 15 year old watch back from my son and post the pictures here for comparison. I don't know how you and Apple can defend this.

If I said to a potential customer that if you were to buy the SS Space Black watch and type incorrectly for a few months or rest your hand on your desk. The watch could wear the black coating off the band and it wasn't covered by warranty who would buy that?

You say it doesn't look like premature wearing... surely that is exactly what it is. Can you point me at the pictures? All the other scratch pictures in this thread are impacts of some kind.
 
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anthonylambert said:
Jay you've jumped the gun here in your hurry to professionally fob this off. Firstly checking my typing technique my keyboard is too near edge of my desk to have the band rubbing due to that. I may rest my hand on the desk sometimes. Either way I think a watch should withstand this everyday usage. I am going to get my 15 year old watch back from my son and post the pictures here for comparison. I don't know how you and Apple can defend this.
Click to expand...

My Tissot is about 2 years old now and the band is pretty worn. Most likely from the way I type. Being that you're a watch owner, I'm not sure why you're surprised. It's a watch. It will get dings and scratches and wear.

I will say that I don't own an Apple watch. Mainly due to the fact that I really like my current watch and I don't feel the need to replace it.

If I said to a potential customer that if you were to buy the SS Space Black watch and type incorrectly for a few months or rest your hand on your desk. The watch could wear the black coating off the band and it wasn't covered by warranty who would buy that?
Click to expand...

I hate using cars as a comparison, but black cars are more difficult to keep looking new, but people still buy them.
 
My watch band was replaced in the store about 3 months ago due to the DLC wearing off the edges and scratches all over the clasp (I was there for something else and just mentioned it/showed them and they pulled a new band off the shelf and gave it to me). I have an appointment tomorrow because the touch function has stopped working. Thankfully, Apple confirmed my "purchase date" as May 29 which is the day it shipped, and not April 10, the day I ordered it. I have managed to scratch the band, the case and the sapphire crystal, and I don't come into ANY contact with diamonds. Still happy with my Watch though and LOVE it!
 
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T5BRICK said:
My Tissot is about 2 years old now and the band is pretty worn. Most likely from the way I type. Being that you're a watch owner, I'm not sure why you're surprised. It's a watch. It will get dings and scratches and wear.

I will say that I don't own an Apple watch. Mainly due to the fact that I really like my current watch and I don't feel the need to replace it.

I hate using cars as a comparison, but black cars are more difficult to keep looking new, but people still buy them.
Click to expand...
+1000. Especially on both of the points I marked in bold. (I own a black car and got tired of washing and waxing it monthly :p )

Complaints like these are why I posted a poll asking how many AW owners are also regular wristwatch wearers. Last I checked, around a third of the respondents are not.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-many-apple-watch-owners-already-wear-watches.1945688/

Coatings are just a thin layer, after all. I've not yet seen a coating which was totally wear-proof. If someone wants a watch case and bracelet which doesn't show scratches, the best bets right now are hardened tool steel, tungsten, and ceramic, along with a few other specially-treated metals. But coated stainless steel? DLC or PVD or whatever, you can bet it'll wear off somehow.

Now, whether you like the "patina" or not is up to you.
 
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