SS 42mm Watch, Oleophobic Coating Issue?

[OverClokx]

Hey All,

Just figured I'd share my findings on a particular issue I noticed with my watch, the current status of the situation, and what Apple's doing about it.

I noticed a very odd anomaly on my watch screen, which I figured was a possible scratch. Being that I have a 42mm SS Apple Watch with a Sapphire Screen, I tried to think back to what I might've banged it on that would've caused it, but couldn't think of a single instance that would've caused any damage to my watch. I decided it'd be best to go to an Apple Store for verification that I wasn't crazy.

I went to the Apple Store in Los Gatos, CA, and had a Genius look at it. They noticed something I didn't: The anomaly/scratch only appears when oils and fingerprints are applied to the display face, but the anomaly isn't viewable at all once the display has been cleaned with a microfiber cloth. This includes looking at the display from a variety of light sources, which eased my immediate concern. The Genius then said that he'd probably replace such a thing since Apple's teams want examples of 'defective or bad devices', but they didn't have any additional replacement devices on hand in the Apple Store (I was expecting this). They suggested that I reach out to support via their webpage for assistance. Please note that this was NOT a scheduled appointment, and while they didn't record their findings, their guidance and help in zeroing in on the issue was pretty quick.

Pictures of the issue are below. (apologies if it's hard to show properly, but this does help indicate the issue a bit) Note that this doesn't show up except in (in)direct light, so I had to use my lamp to show the issue a bit more clearly. Please note that in 2 of the images, I swiped up and down with my finger (and you can see the fingerprint/oil patterns as a result of that. In the third image, I swiped left and right to show that the issue remains. Once again, with the display cleaned with a microfiber cloth, the display looks 100% fine with no blemishes or any 'scratches' or 'anomalies'.

After speaking to a person on chat and sending them the attached pictures of the issue, they're scheduling a callback tomorrow morning at 10-10:15am PST to discuss the issue further to collect additional information.

I'll update my post with more information depending once they reach out tomorrow and provide me their plan of action.

PS: Before any flame wars or toxic people join into this thread, I understand this is a very minor cosmetic issue, and I am in no way demanding a replacement from Apple immediately. I have told both their chat support folks, and even the people in the Stores that I am in no rush to replace my device, and I just want to make sure that my feedback and issues are reported to the right people so others devices don't suffer the same fate as mine.

 

[Teejus]

Hmm...thats super interesting to see. I have a 42mm SS as well. Ill make sure I keep an eye out. If something like this does happen ill be sure to let you know. Thanks

 

[KPOM]

Good to know. I have not noticed the issue on my 38mm Stainless Steel, but then again I haven't gone looking for it. I may take a closer look tonight. Keep us posted on how Apple addresses this.

 

[OverClokx]

Just got off the phone with support.

They inquired a bit more about the issue, and how I came to noticing it/etc.

They also asked if I noticed this since I received it, and I told them that I wasn't aware of the issue on Day 1 (I received my watch at ~3pm PST on Thursday, April 30th) but that I might've not seen it until I started to use my watch more frequently.

I also explained how it only seems to show when there's oil/fingerprints on the display, and how it's hard to explain but the pictures do indicate the issue. I also explained that I managed to duplicate the issue in the Apple Store, and was referred to Support via the Genius at said store.

They also did ask for the Watch OS version and my iPhone 6+ version as well (which I assume is standard on their troubleshooting trees), both which are on standard release builds (iOS 8.3 and WatchOS 1.0).

They said they're going to send this information to a female engineer who's working on my case, and they expect a resolution between 48-72 hours, but likely on Thursday. No promise of a replacement or anything, which is to be expected.

I'll update this thread as soon as I hear back from Apple.

Additional Note: I checked my girlfriend's 38mm SS Watch, and she does *not* have this same issue. I think this is an isolated incident at best, but hey, it doesn't hurt to communicate if needed.

 

[H3rman]

This is one of the reasons I've just bought some Armorsuit Screen Protectors for my SS watch. They are the only ones that go edge to edge and cover the entire display, not just the flat part as well as being nearly invisible once fitted.

While the display is sapphire and won't mark, the coating is another matter. So a small protector should prevent these kinds of issues.

 

[BrianNH]

My wife's as has this exact problem. The mark only appears when I wipe it with my finger, especially when moist. It goes away with a cloth. The screen is definitely not scratched but there is a difference in the coating.

What ended up happening to the OP? I recall seeing a link to remove the coating but can't find it. Any pointers?

 

[DiddlyDo]

Mine is much worse

My coating appears to have serious problems. Like the OP, it's only noticeable when the screen is smudged. Still, given the extent and shape of the imperfections, I don't see how I could have caused this. FYI - in the photo below, I smeared the entire screen as evenly as I could, but there are noticeable imperfections in the center of the screen and along the right side.

Edit: After looking at this again, I wonder if the areas where the smudges are less noticeable (center and right side) are actually the only portions of the screen with the oleophobic coating.

 

[DiddlyDo]

I thought it might be worth posting a pic of the watch with the screen cleaned to provide a comparison. Like the OP - the screen looks completely normal until it is smudged, and then the inconsistencies in the coating become very obvious.

 

[doppelganger]

This exact issue happened to me with my iPhone 6. I took it to one Apple Store and they claimed they couldn't see the defect. They just told me to return it since I was in the 14 day return period. However, it was when the iPhone 6 launched and there were long wait times, just like with the watch. I fortunately live in an area where there are many Apple Stores nearby and took it to a different store where a genius replaced the screen free of charge as a defect. If you live in an area where you can get to another store, try and get the screen replaced. For me, genius appointments are hit or miss. It's an obvious defect and Apple needs to do the right thing for you. Good luck!

 

[wanderfowl]

...

They said they're going to send this information to a female engineer who's working on my case

...

So, I've gotta ask, why did you specify that it's a "female engineer"? As a linguist, I'm just having trouble parsing that choice.

 

[zea mays]

So, I've gotta ask, why did you specify that it's a "female engineer"? As a linguist, I'm just having trouble parsing that choice.

It's just like when people say "male nurse" as though the word nurse automatically has a feminine gender.

 

[wanderfowl]

It's just like when people say "male nurse" as though the word nurse automatically has a feminine gender.

Sure, but the gender of the engineer can't possibly matter here (as we're not going to meet this person, or interact with her, or otherwise, and it's not specifying one engineer vs the other). Just struck me as odd that OP mentioned the gender at all.

 

[DiddlyDo]

This exact issue happened to me with my iPhone 6. I took it to one Apple Store and they claimed they couldn't see the defect. They just told me to return it since I was in the 14 day return period. However, it was when the iPhone 6 launched and there were long wait times, just like with the watch. I fortunately live in an area where there are many Apple Stores nearby and took it to a different store where a genius replaced the screen free of charge as a defect. If you live in an area where you can get to another store, try and get the screen replaced. For me, genius appointments are hit or miss. It's an obvious defect and Apple needs to do the right thing for you. Good luck!

Thanks for the info, but it's pretty much a moot point because earlier today the first watch I ordered - 42MM SS Space Black - was charged and is now preparing for shipment. When I received a "June" shipping window at about 5 minutes after preorders opened, I went ahead and ordered the SS link band in the pics above, which I received on May 19th. I initially thought I liked the plain SS more than the Space Black, but now I'm leaning more toward the Space Black. Long story short - I am going to return the watch in the pics this weekend. I should have the Space Black by Monday.

 

[tonoboon]

Hi ,I just found that my Apple Watch has oleophobic coating issue , what is the final decision from apple to OP ?

 

[warburg]

It's just like when people say "male nurse" as though the word nurse automatically has a feminine gender.

Well, it's only recently that it hasn't automatically have a male gender. I'm in my 80s. The first time I saw a female cop, what ran through my mind was "What is this girl doing dressed in a cop's uniform"? The same thing would be true of the word "soldier" or "pilot," or "dentist," and a host of others.