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You guys are worried about nothing, enjoy the watch quit worrying about scratches and hitting it on walls etc....
 
You guys are worried about nothing, enjoy the watch quit worrying about scratches and hitting it on walls etc....

This thread isn't about the screen scratching, it's about the coating on the screen scratching. We know the sapphire will not scratch.
 
the watch eventually will have small scratches on the screen There's no way to avoid it unless you put a mini screen protector on.
In any case be sure to get the insurance. It will definitely prove useful over time Remember Apple is the only one that can repair this watch at this point in time. It's money well spent
 
This thread isn't about the screen scratching, it's about the coating on the screen scratching. We know the sapphire will not scratch.
I know what this threads about I don't need you are anybody else to tell me what I can post. I read the thread stated my opinion nuff said.
 
Why have a sapphire screen if the coating gets scratched?

I know what this threads about I don't need you are anybody else to tell me what I can post. I read the thread stated my opinion nuff said.


When did I tell you what to post? Quote me please. Because from my perspective I simply stated my opinion too.
 
When did I tell you what to post? Quote me please. Because from my perspective I simply stated my opinion too.
You gave your little 2 cent about what the thread was about and I told you I can read. You have your perspective and I responded to your perspective.
 
This is the most troll post I've ever seen. No pics, ******** claims of a sapphire screen scratching when MULTIPLE videos have been done showing the screen under extreme testing and no scratches unless beaten up by some super heavy duty sandpaper. Give me a break with this... Pics or it didn't happen.

Read the thread, n00b. It is about the coating that scratched.
You call an old time member a troll when you joined the Forums yesterday and have one, single post in that style?
 
Something just doesn't add up here. How is it that Consumer Reports who is known for being very discriminating when it comes to Apple products was unable to scratch the sapphire screen and sang it's praises, yet we're already seeing several people claiming they have scratches?

It's because the screen is not coated. Apple's specs do not state that it is coated, and no reliable publication has stated that it is coated. There is only rumor and supposition that there must be a coating because some screens have allegedly been scratched.
 
Why have a sapphire screen if the coating gets scratched?

It's because the screen is not coated. Apple's specs do not state that it is coated, and no reliable publication has stated that it is coated. There is only rumor and supposition that there must be a coating because some screens have allegedly been scratched.


from the watch manual:

"The front of Apple Watch is made of Ion-X glass (strengthened glass) or sapphire crystal, each with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic (oil repellent) coating. This coating wears over time with normal usage. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will further diminish the coating, and may scratch the glass or the sapphire crystal."
 
You can try and reapply the oleophobic coating using products like Rain-X or Fusso..
 
I find this rather hard to believe and that this thread is bogus. To scratch the coating you'd need to be rather aggressive to the watch face. People have drilled, sandpapered, and tortured in other ways and came out scratch-less. I have personally rammed my watch face into a door frame without problems. Please note that I am not accusing the OP of being full of bogus or a being a troll, just giving my opinion on the merit of this thread.
 
Why have a sapphire screen if the coating gets scratched?

if it is the coating wearing off, it may looks like scratches in the right angle of light. but can you really see it like a scratch? i mean the coating is thin, not a sheet on the glass. but i can imagine "bulging" corners loosing the coating fast.
 
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Scratched My Apple Watch :(

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I was skateboarding and using the Workout app to track calories. After a nice run I got off my board and placed it in the back of my trunk. As I was setting it down the nose of the board hit the top right corner of my watch. I knew it did some damage right away because bits of the display were ground into powdery white dust. It also of course scratched the the stainless steel on the top which was previously flawless.

At first I was in shock that the sapphire screen seemed to scratch so easily. After a bit of research on google I found out that the grip tape on my board has diamond particles in it.

Luckily I bought AppleCare+ so I will be making an appointment at my local Apple Store and I will fess up to my accident and eat the service fee. Going forward I will be much more careful when handling my board and my :apple:Watch.

If you are using your Watch around sandpaper or grip tape with diamond particles be extra careful because any contact with your screen will mark the coating. Also regular diamond rings can easily scratch the sapphire. Other than that not much else is going to make a mark there is definitely nothing wrong with the sapphire display.
 
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You can try and reapply the oleophobic coating using products like Rain-X or Fusso..
Well that's kinda the problem. People are making statements like "the coating can be scratched" and really have no idea of just what this coating is. Nor do I. Apple isn't saying, although you can find patents that talk about applying oleophobic coatings to sapphire. Which is not as settled a process as it is for applying such coatings to glass.
If the coating is as you describe, it won't scratch. Just like wax will not scratch on a cars finish. The wax (and RainX and such) isn't a rigid solid and is very very thin. However, the car's clear coat will scratch. Until we know more, everyone is just talking out of their collective posteriors. There have been numerous, well credentialed examples of trying to scratch the sapphire and it, or whatever coating is there, is not scratching with tools of known hardness being applied in a direct manner. Go figure.
Now, back to those patents above, perhaps the mars that we are seeing aren't scratches. Perhaps trying to shear the surface causes a different reaction than a scratch does, and the results of that is what we are seeing. That is, a point-down scratch test will not abrade the surface, but a shearing action will smudge the coating to a point of creating a noticeable mar to the surface.
Anyway, nothing in these threads convinces me that the coating or sapphire surface is being scratched. Something else is happening maybe. A smudge of the coating perhaps that can be buffed out with solvents and a cloth. But not a permanent scratch to the crystal surface. IMO, at least.
 
As I was setting it down the nose of the board hit the top right corner of my watch. I knew it did some damage right away because bits of the display were ground into powdery white dust. It also of course scratched the the stainless steel on the top which was previously flawless.
I don't know what you have on your hands there, but people need to get a handle on this whole scratching thing. Here's an example, diamond is hard right? Diamond scratches steel, right? OK, get your wife's or mother's diamond ring and smash it with a steel hammer. Heck, make it a plastic mallet. What do you have left after this little experiment? (And for your own sake, I hope you didn't actually do that :eek: ). A scratch test is one material being dragged past another and kinda of assumes equal point pressure along the way so you can differentiate the relative strength of atomic bonds in crystal latices. You can put quartz on the end of a stick, or bond it to paper that is taped to the front of a skate board and force it into your watch face and get a scratch. Not because the quartz is harder, but because you put enough force at that tip that it chips the surface, even at a very small scale. And once you have a chip, you can propagate a scratch by putting pressures into that uneven surface and create a noticeable abrasion. FWIW, this is how cable tool drilling rigs, percussive hammers, jack hammers, and the like bust up harder substances. The metal is softer (and tips wear down), but the percussive impact does the damage on substances that are harder. Same mechanism, different scale.
 
This. I replaced it and then when I found out that the issue goes away on its own I felt bad about the fact I had it replaced. I then find out that the new watches that are being shipped have inferior screens and feel less robust because of the new suppliers - see forum post below this at time of posting. So now I have just requested a refund, I was stupid for getting one at launch.

Where can I find the thread about the inferior new screen supplier?
 
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Where can I find the thread about the inferior new screen supplier?


I wish I could find it for you, though I don't remember what the thread was called. It was a guy who ordered another Apple watch and compared it with his older Apple watch, and the quality was inferior as was the display. The crown felt looser as did the button, and he returned it.
 
My plan

My watch. sadly, still says June by I changed my order. By the time it arrives it will be less than a year to play with it. If the SS or sapphire scratch I'll polish it up, sell it to gazelle and apply the money to next years new improved version. Problem solved. Also I ordered Apple care which I don't bother with on my iPad, MacBook or iPhones. Have never had any issues with Apple products. Don't know what apple care covers only bc I haven't read it yet. Too busy reading the forums in my spare time. All the folks that didn't buy one this year will be wanting our used ones next year. I canceled my order for 38 and reordered 42 after trying in store. I have smaller wrists but I just think this will have a lot of potential and I want to take advantage of the bigger screen. Also think the 42 will be better for resale if I decide I like the next one better. It's all good.
 
Just curious then. Do other watches that have sapphire screens have this coating?

It's very common for higher end watches to have anti reflective coatings both internally and externally. Sinn watches for example have coatings internally and externally, using sapphire crystals.

I had a Sinn where I purposefully removed the coating on the external. Pretty easy to do when you have sapphire as the base material.
 
It's very common for higher end watches to have anti reflective coatings both internally and externally. Sinn watches for example have coatings internally and externally, using sapphire crystals.



I had a Sinn where I purposefully removed the coating on the external. Pretty easy to do when you have sapphire as the base material.


Is it recommend though and doesn't it void warranty?
 
Is it recommend though and doesn't it void warranty?

It's certainly not recommended, but I sent my Sinn watch back for repair for a different reason, under warranty, and it wasn't an issue. Of course different manufacturers may look at it differently. I don't see Apple voiding a warranty if the coating has been removed if you say take it in to the apple Store with a faulty battery. They would be hard-pressed to notice for a start.

You have to think why the coating is there. In Apple's case it's to minimise finger prints. It really doesn't work well with my Apple Watch. If mine gets scratched up I will just sand the coating off and be done with it.

It's funny that people are complaining that Apple has put a coating on sapphire. But in the 'real' watch world this is done all the time. I can only think that people who are upset by it aren't true watch people.
 
Why have a sapphire screen if the coating gets scratched?

It's certainly not recommended, but I sent my Sinn watch back for repair for a different reason, under warranty, and it wasn't an issue. Of course different manufacturers may look at it differently. I don't see Apple voiding a warranty if the coating has been removed if you say take it in to the apple Store with a faulty battery. They would be hard-pressed to notice for a start.



You have to think why the coating is there. In Apple's case it's to minimise finger prints. It really doesn't work well with my Apple Watch. If mine gets scratched up I will just sand the coating off and be done with it.



It's funny that people are complaining that Apple has put a coating on sapphire. But in the 'real' watch world this is done all the time. I can only think that people who are upset by it aren't true watch people.


I think it's the fact that people are seeing scratches and are concerned if it was the coating or the screen itself. I think if it scratches easily, it probably isn't a good idea. Finger prints can be wiped off in a second, scratches can't. But that's just my view on it.
 
i find all of these reports of scratched sapphire screens amazing.
i wear watches with sapphire crystals day in and day out, and they never scratch.
are people purposely banging their AW into things, or has the public just lost the ability to wear a watch?

This x Infinity. I take mine to the gym, on runs, on the golf course with mud flying everywhere and I have no scratches on the screen, nor do I have scratches on the SS case.

I really want to know what people are doing with their watches.
 
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