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S4 Black SS scratched (photo)

B

bangak

macrumors member
Original poster
May 14, 2010
55
41
Alaska
One week in the DLC coating is scratched. Just a word of warning that while it’s tough and doesn’t seem as prone to the microscatching like my s0 bare SS was, it’s definitely not impervious to scratches.

This happened while doing some yard work. I’m probably going to see if I can pay the apple care fee and return it to get the bare SS. At least with the bare stainless steel the watch takes on a brushed metal look after a while which hides the bigger scratches. I have a feeling this will end up looking more “damaged” rather than lived in like the bare steel did.

For those wondering, this is indeed a scratch and not paint or something else on the surface.

1lxYZIV.jpg
 
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Wow must have been some pretty rough yard work.

I had the SS SB S0 the first year before swapping to clear SS for S2 - it looked absolutely stunning after a full year almost on my wrist 24/7 - the black coating was tough on that thing
 
xDKP said:
Wow must have been some pretty rough yard work.

I had the SS SB S0 the first year before swapping to clear SS for S2 - it looked absolutely stunning after a full year almost on my wrist 24/7 - the black coating was tough on that thing
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Nothing that crazy. Just a little bit of digging with a shovel to fill in a hole. Must have grazed some dirt is my only guess. Maybe it was filled with diamonds? Anyway, if it can’t handle a light brush against some dirt this thing is going to be a scratched, chipped and gouged mess in a few months.
 
I bought mine 2 days ago, didn't do anything particular with it. Didn't hit anything. Today, I see this hairline scratch in the middle of the screen. What should I do?
 

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wayne-2824 said:
I bought mine 2 days ago, didn't do anything particular with it. Didn't hit anything. Today, I see this hairline scratch in the middle of the screen. What should I do?
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Is that the sapphire display? If so, that’s crazy. I beat the hell out of my s0 sapphire display and it was flawless.
[doublepost=1538343915][/doublepost]Also, the scratches don’t seem to have penetrated beyond the DLC coating which was one of my main questions I had with this finish. My main concern is the contrast this will develop once the DLC inevitably wears away revealing the bright steel underneath. I’m half-inclined to keep it just to see how that pans out as I’ve yet to see photos of one with that level of wear. Could look kind of interesting I suppose. So long as it’s not just isolated to a few spots it could look pretty nice in a dystopian sort of aesthetic.
 
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bangak said:
Is that the sapphire display? If so, that’s crazy. I beat the hell out of my s0 sapphire display and it was flawless.
[doublepost=1538343915][/doublepost]Also, the scratches don’t seem to have penetrated beyond the DLC coating which was one of my main questions I had with this finish. My main concern is the contrast this will develop once the DLC inevitably wears away revealing the bright steel underneath. I’m half-inclined to keep it just to see how that pans out as I’ve yet to see photos of one with that level of wear. Could look kind of interesting I suppose. So long as it’s not just isolated to a few spots it could look pretty nice in a dystopian sort of aesthetic.
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I think it's ion-X glass for the aluminum model
 
I never wear my watch for yard work....to many things can happen. surprised though that it scratched.
 
bangak said:
Nothing that crazy. Just a little bit of digging with a shovel to fill in a hole. Must have grazed some dirt is my only guess. Maybe it was filled with diamonds? Anyway, if it can’t handle a light brush against some dirt this thing is going to be a scratched, chipped and gouged mess in a few months.
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You must have been digging with your hands.
 
That’s some serious work to have damaged the SBSS. The pic makes it look like debris I assume you’ve tried cleaning it off?
 
Nope, hah. Not digging with my hands...but I definitely did plenty of that with my s0.

I’m not complaining, just passing on my experience as I expected from the reviews the DLC received over the years that it was much tougher.
[doublepost=1538350257][/doublepost]
ProphetX said:
What did you think was gonna happen?
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That it wouldn’t scratch from a bit of dirt. Most people seem to say the only thing that scratches it are diamonds and DLC bands.
[doublepost=1538350335][/doublepost]
ProphetX said:
He didn’t clean it off before the photo. Look at the band.
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Yep. My only guess is that I brushed it against the ground as I was picking up the shovel. Didn’t clean it off prior to snapping the photo.
 
bangak said:
Nope, hah. Not digging with my hands...but I definitely did plenty of that with my s0.

I’m not complaining, just passing on my experience as I expected from the reviews the DLC received over the years that it was much tougher.
[doublepost=1538350257][/doublepost]
That it wouldn’t scratch from a bit of dirt. Most people seem to say the only thing that scratches it are diamonds and DLC bands.
[doublepost=1538350335][/doublepost]
Yep. My only guess is that I brushed it against the ground as I was picking up the shovel. Didn’t clean it off prior to snapping the photo.
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Don’t you think its kind of misleading when you do that? Its almost as if you’re trying to push some sort of narrative. Like, seriously. How the heck are you going to create a post crying about scratches, before you’ve even cleaned the dirt off the watch to confirm said scratches?

The only thing your pic proves is that dirtis more noticeable on this particular color. To which i say, duh.
 
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ProphetX said:
Don’t you think its kind of misleading when you do that? Its almost as if you’re trying to push some sort of narrative. Like, seriously. How the heck are you going to create a post crying about scratches, before you’ve even cleaned the dirt off the watch to confirm said scratches?
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Not trying to push any narrative. Just wanted to share my experience. Many people seem to claim/experience that the DLC is scratch proof.
[doublepost=1538352216][/doublepost]
ProphetX said:
Don’t you think its kind of misleading when you do that? Its almost as if you’re trying to push some sort of narrative. Like, seriously. How the heck are you going to create a post crying about scratches, before you’ve even cleaned the dirt off the watch to confirm said scratches?

The only thing your pic proves is that dirtis more noticeable on this particular color. To which i say, duh.
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Ok. I see what you’re saying. The watch had some dust on it after I came in, and per my usual process I blew it off. Scratches didn’t come off so I felt them. No dirt was attached to the watch at this point nor did anything fall off or scratch it further. The scratches can be felt. That help clarify things?
 
bangak said:
Not trying to push any narrative. Just wanted to share my experience. Many people seem to claim/experience that the DLC is scratch proof.
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Its *not* scratch proof, it has a very high scratch resistance. Obviously something very abrasive came into contact with the watch casing to cause the scratch the DLC. Regardless, we will know more Over the course of time if other members come forward if their Apple Watch space Black Series 4 models scratch as well.
 
It’s funny because everyone thinks the SS is the least durable watch, but it’s truly the most durable.

It does get some micro scratches (which never hurt anyone and give character). Also, with a $5 polish they can be 100% buffed out. And if you are careless with your watch you can even sand it down, polish it and it’s back to normal.
 
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bangak said:
Not trying to push any narrative. Just wanted to share my experience. Many people seem to claim/experience that the DLC is scratch proof.
[doublepost=1538352216][/doublepost]

Ok. I see what you’re saying. The watch had some dust on it after I came in, and per my usual process I blew it off. Scratches didn’t come off so I felt them. No dirt was attached to the watch at this point nor did anything fall off or scratch it further. The scratches can be felt. That help clarify things?
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So let me get this straight. After digging holes and such with your new apple watch on. You have now decided that the watch is too precious to wipe clean and can only be blown clean?

Also, whats the logic in thinking that you can completely blow off any caked on dirt? There obviously would be some sort of residue if this dirt you were digging had any type of moisture to it.

Just clean your watch properly and stop wasting everyones time. If you’re afraid of wiping scratches on to your watch, i suggest not digging holes with it on. But if you do, you can simply run some warm water over the watch to dislodge any debris. Then wipe with microfiber cloth. Also, some iso goes a long way.
 
bangak said:
One week in the DLC coating is scratched. Just a word of warning that while it’s tough and doesn’t seem as prone to the microscatching like my s0 bare SS was, it’s definitely not impervious to scratches.

This happened while doing some yard work. I’m probably going to see if I can pay the apple care fee and return it to get the bare SS. At least with the bare stainless steel the watch takes on a brushed metal look after a while which hides the bigger scratches. I have a feeling this will end up looking more “damaged” rather than lived in like the bare steel did.

For those wondering, this is indeed a scratch and not paint or something else on the surface.

1lxYZIV.jpg
Click to expand...
That’s strange. I tried scratching my new SB SS watch 4 tru banging on my granite countertop,bumping it to my stainless steel faucet,scissor,knife and still no scratches on the case and screen.
 
ProphetX said:
So let me get this straight. After digging holes and such with your new apple watch on. You have now decided that the watch is too precious to wipe clean and can only be blown clean?

Also, whats the logic in thinking that you can completely blow off any caked on dirt? There obviously would be some sort of residue if this dirt you were digging had any type of moisture to it.

Just clean your watch properly and stop wasting everyones time. If you’re afraid of wiping scratches on to your watch, i suggest not digging holes with it on. But if you do, you can simply run some warm water over the watch to dislodge any debris. Then wipe with microfiber cloth. Also, some iso goes a long way.
Click to expand...

I'm so sorry I didn't see you over there this morning taking soil-moisture readings (the ground seemed dusty and dry, but I'm dumb so it was probably actually mud), observing what I was doing (better than I ever could hope to!) and taking detailed notes on how exactly I looked at the time, blew the dust off my watch, and proceeded to touch the scratches to confirm they were indeed scratches (again, I'm dumb so I'll defer to you on what exactly I was touching when I felt scratches in a smooth surface) so you could clear up all this confusion when I posted to a forum where people specifically go to not waste time.

The Apple Watch forum on MacRumors is serious business. I know we all come here with the intention of doing productive, worthwhile things and I'm really sorry to everyone for breaking that cardinal rule and wasting the precious time of everyone who was here trying to get some serious work done.

This forum, above all else, is not a place to waste time, and I'm filled with shame and regret for doing just that. It's unspeakable that I should post such a silly, disgustingly personal observation that I naively felt was relevant and may help someone else in their buying decisions. How dare I be so callous? Thankfully, you were here to help set the record straight.

Sorry everyone. It will never happen again.
 
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As we all should know cosmetic damage is not covered under warranty. Accidental damage is not covered either and being a cosmetic issue it would be considered as general wear and tear. Cosmetic damage does not affect the hardware of the device and it will continue to work as expected. I know it is very disheartening when you damage a new product, i know that pain all too well. But you should be more careful with your devices. Yes you could argue the quality/ durability of the device, however you still accidentally damaged your device. Same circumstances of other products such as another branded watch, if you scuffed it during yard work it will still be classified as cosmetic damage and would not be eligible for an in-warranty repair. Of course if the device was advertised as "non-scratchable" you'll have a valid claim. Your device would be eligible for an in-warranty service/ replacement if you can prove that the device had a cosmetic defect upon opening or if the cosmetic issue was caused without impact or damage such as the coating peeling away etc.
 
Funsize93 said:
As we all should know cosmetic damage is not covered under warranty. Accidental damage is not covered either and being a cosmetic issue it would be considered as general wear and tear. Cosmetic damage does not affect the hardware of the device and it will continue to work as expected. I know it is very disheartening when you damage a new product, i know that pain all too well. But you should be more careful with your devices. Yes you could argue the quality/ durability of the device, however you still accidentally damaged your device. Same circumstances of other products such as another branded watch, if you scuffed it during yard work it will still be classified as cosmetic damage and would not be eligible for an in-warranty repair. Of course if the device was advertised as "non-scratchable" you'll have a valid claim. Your device would be eligible for an in-warranty service/ replacement if you can prove that the device had a cosmetic defect upon opening or if the cosmetic issue was caused without impact or damage such as the coating peeling away etc.
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100% agree. I’m going to walk in, point out the scratch and ask what my options are. If they’re willing to let me pay my apple care fee and get the SS I’ll be happy, if not, that’s fine too. All my watches end up beat up. Check my post history if you want to see a seriously scratched s0.

I just figured this one would take a bit more than light yard work to show noticeable damage.
 
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