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Um...is the black one at least not showing those micro scratches like the standard Stainless? The standard stainless, basically just your skin can put those tiny scratches that are visible under perfect angles of light.

If the black one at least avoids that issue, I think that would be a plus.

Mine shipped for Monday arrival.
 
DLC is great if the substrate is very hard, as in knife blades or pistol slides. I know the watch won't hold up well with the black finish, so I got the plain stainless, which is easy enough to repair with a bit of Flitz should I get scratches (inevitably).
 
All indications are that the finish is very resilient and resistant to scratches. As Shinigami301 stated, the "rub" is that, while the DLC coating is very tough, the 316L stainless isn't the hardest substance in the world. So, if you gouge the stainless, the DLC may be gouged out with the underlying material.

I've been trying to come up with a good analogy - the closest I've come is a hard boiled egg. The DLC is like the shell, the egg the stainless steel (obviously, not a great analogy as 316L SS is still quite strong). Also, the DLC is very much bonded to the metal, not hanging loose like an egg shell.

With the exception of the peeling issue reported by a couple of people as well as the one potential gouging reported here, everyone's reported that the watches are very durable and keeping their like new appearance.

So, no, it's not prone to the micro-scratches the regular SS watches are, but it can still be damaged.
 
FYI for anyone with SS, I buffed out light scratches completely with 12,000 grit micromesh cloth. Looks brand new.
 
The only cover I like is the spigen crystal one, it's clear and fits tight on the watch . I put mine on when I go to the gym. I don't have any scratches yet. They'll come in time I'm sure.

http://www.spigen.com/collections/apple-watch-42mm/products/apple-watch-case-liquid-crystal-42mm

applewatch_LA_black_dbb38496-7848-456b-a977-67f885ab1264_1024x1024.jpg
 
Yep. The light scratches I had on the watch came from a spigen cover (ie, dirt got trapped between the spigen case and the watch surface). I threw it away.
 
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I had the SS first. It did show small scratches with daily use. Not hitting anything hard (that I can recall). Just like stainless steel watches do. They scratch.

My wife has the SS and I now have the Space Black. Love it. No scratches yet! And I have bumped it a couple of times. It takes some getting used to being careful what is on your wrist. I was used to wearing Swatch watches for so long. And, the Apple Watch sits up a little higher.

Love the Balck with White SB!
 
Had mine for less than 12 hours. Ok maybe 12 exactly. reached behind a concrete bench and clipped the corner of the band on the edge. One small hairline nick. Anyone know what the best policy for this is? Sharpie?
 
The DLC will avoid "hairline" scratching common to polished stainless, but with the substrate softer than the coating, you always are at the mercy of gouges. DLC performs great on really hard substrates such as nitrocarburized steel or tool steel knife blades. Not so much on softer items.
 
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