Ultra Screen Durability

[Andy_2341]

I currently have a Series 10 Aluminum 42mm. The devices works great, but I worry about display scratches.I've been using a case, but I feel it ruins the benefits of the 10's design and it often gets moisture under the display, rendering the watch useless.

I am considering upgrading to an Ultra 3 once they come out, and wanted to see if any ultra owners could weigh in on the durability of the sapphire display under the following conditions:
Weedeating/lawn mowing/yardwork in general
Working on machinery
Playing contact sports like basketball
General bumps and bangs against things, sometimes at speed (I'm a bit clumsy, especially when I'm in a rush)

Thank you in advance!

 

[dblissmn]

My original ultra has held up pretty well. I much prefer the solid bezel and flat glass on the ultra from this standpoint; much less vulnerable to knocks than the standard watch. Aging definitely seems slower than with any plain old watch I've had.

 

[jz0309]

I currently have a Series 10 Aluminum 42mm. The devices works great, but I worry about display scratches.I've been using a case, but I feel it ruins the benefits of the 10's design and it often gets moisture under the display, rendering the watch useless.

I am considering upgrading to an Ultra 3 once they come out, and wanted to see if any ultra owners could weigh in on the durability of the sapphire display under the following conditions:
Weedeating/lawn mowing/yardwork in general
Working on machinery
Playing contact sports like basketball
General bumps and bangs against things, sometimes at speed (I'm a bit clumsy, especially when I'm in a rush)

Thank you in advance!

sapphire screens in general are more scratch-resistant than ionx glass, but they are also more brittle ...
I've had S4/7/U1/U2 all with sapphire and no issues.

Is an Ultra more "rugged" than an aluminum? absolutely. When the Ultra first came out there were quite a few "influencers" tryin to break/destroy it with no success that I recall (i9ncl driving cars over it). Search YouTube.

Is it possible to break/scratch the Ultra screen and case? absolutely. accidents happen. if that is a concern, get AC+ that I believe covers accidental damage.

Since you have a 42, the Ultra will be quite bigger than that, your other option would be to get a Ti 42 w/sapphire, those will also be more "durable" compared to aluminum/ionx

 

[Andy_2341]

sapphire screens in general are more scratch-resistant than ionx glass, but they are also more brittle ...

By brittle you mean easier to crack?

Since you have a 42, the Ultra will be quite bigger than that, your other option would be to get a Ti 42 w/sapphire, those will also be more "durable" compared to aluminum/ionx

I could do that, but at the price difference and with my fairly large wrists, the Ultra brings some nice extra features with that extra space. I'm certainly going to try it on first though if I go that route.

 

[jz0309]

By brittle you mean easier to crack?

I could do that, but at the price difference and with my fairly large wrists, the Ultra brings some nice extra features with that extra space. I'm certainly going to try it on first though if I go that route.

should have used the term "shatter"
See this thread

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-did-my-ultra-screen-crack.2395164/?post=32301006#post-32301006

 

[Andy_2341]

I see what you mean.
I don't figure I do anything that would cause hard impacts, it's more glancing.
Definitely factors into my decision though. Thank you.

 

[azhava]

My Ultra 2 Black has stood up to rough daily wear very well. I've bumped it against all kind of things, from door jambs to granite countertops to metal objects, etc., and it doesn't have a single scratch on it anywhere. There have been a pretty good number of those impacts where I thought for sure by the feel that I was going to end up looking at a scratched or shattered watch face, but nothing so far.

 

[Andy_2341]

My Ultra 2 Black has stood up to rough daily wear very well. I've bumped it against all kind of things, from door jambs to granite countertops to metal objects, etc., and it doesn't have a single scratch on it anywhere. There have been a pretty good number of those impacts where I thought for sure by the feel that I was going to end up looking at a scratched or shattered watch face, but nothing so far.

That's awesome. I'm looking for that kind of durability because my wrist definitely takes a beating. Thank you for sharing your experience!