I am thinking of picking up an Apple Watch and initially disregarded the Space Black SS because I feel like it will look too similar to the Space Gray Sport in most lighting. But then I read how the Silver SS picks up micro scratches fairly easily. What surprised me the most was how nearly every post referenced the SBSS as being essentially bomb proof. Is it really that indestructible? I find that to be pretty amazing considering I thought that model would be the easiest to mark up (I used to own the Black & Slate iPhone 5 and those chamfered edges were really easy to ding up).
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Wow, the Space Black Stainless Steal is...bomb proof?
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No, it's not indestructible. I hit a door knob in my house, and have a nick and it's driving me nuts. Albeit, you can't notice it unless you are looking for it, but it still bothers me.
I don’t worry much about scratches, I’m more interested in function rather than aesthetic appearance. What I worry about is the glass, glass is unpredictable. Scratch resistance and impact resistance are two different things, in my opinion. A diamond is supposed to resist scratches, but it’s quite easy to smash a diamond to peices with little effort using a hammer.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
As someone who has owned two space gray sports (S2 & S3) and two SBSS (S4 & S5), I'll say this:
#1 - Space gray sport and space black stainless don't look at all alike other than in a dark room with all the lights off.
#2 - both of my aluminums would get dings and scuffs from normal daily wear; door frames and so forth. I'm not the most graceful person. Bothered the heck out of me to see the dings every time I looked at my watch so I decided to go with stainless with the S4. With no change in habits, my SBSS S4 was pristine after a year's usage. Is it "bomb proof"? Of course not. The DLC coating however is pretty tough, and the sapphire display is more resilient than the ion glass. Net result is while you *can* still damage an SBSS watch, it's just not nearly so easy to do so.
As someone who has owned two space gray sports (S2 & S3) and two SBSS (S4 & S5), I'll say this:
#1 - Space gray sport and space black stainless don't look at all alike other than in a dark room with all the lights off.
#2 - both of my aluminums would get dings and scuffs from normal daily wear; door frames and so forth. I'm not the most graceful person. Bothered the heck out of me to see the dings every time I looked at my watch so I decided to go with stainless with the S4. With no change in habits, my SBSS S4 was pristine after a year's usage. Is it "bomb proof"? Of course not. The DLC coating however is pretty tough, and the sapphire display is more resilient than the ion glass. Net result is while you *can* still damage an SBSS watch, it's just not nearly so easy to do so.
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Ceramic would be the most "bomb proof" material. Although SBSS is very sturdy and scratch resistant you can still get it damaged if you're too careless.
...but it is the DLC (Diamond-like carbon) which makes it black in the first place...so your statement is, with respect, unusually odd, coming from you. All true DLC coatings are some variant of black.
That’s interesting. Because I actually have a firearm that has a DLC coated slide, but it’s a regular colored stainless steel. So I’m not sure if there’s different applications specifically for watches versus firearms, but your last sentence I don’t think is applicable to everything DLC coated. Perhaps it depends on the treatment-curing process.
I dropped my SS Space Black on the sidewalk and it had a mark. I was the same as you, but one thing that’s important to acknowledge is that it’s an Apple product, but watches are meant to be worn.
l’ve been sourcing DLC processes for my clients since 1994. I have been doing sporting goods product development for nearly 30 years with nearly two dozen patents. Respectfully, I am quite familiar with this subject matter. You might have a silver PVD coated slide, as do I on various firearms, but DLC is carbon based and is always a shade of black. DLC can be thought of as a subset of Physical Vapor Deposition, using carbon rather than various metals.
All good info and you clearly are the subject matter expert here with respect to DLC.
Please do understand that we who lack such familiarity to DLC processes may incorrectly presume that because diamonds (made of carbon) are often not a shade of black, so too DLC coatings might not always be black.
Thanks for providing clarity in this. (rimshot)
Thanks for the insight, and I respect your background, and I realize this is now branching off topic, but the slide on my firearm is undoubtedly/in fact _DLC_ Coated with a stainless steel slide (It’s a Kimber 1911 Bi-Tone satin silver). I’m aware of PVD applications, and this isn’t it. I would happy post product source material/engage in a private convo proving this, so the thread stays relevant to the topic from derailing.
Yes. Bomb proof. I tested mine. With a bomb.
Seriously though, takes a lot to create a mark. My S4 SBSS got sold a year later in pristine condition--under magnification. Can't tell you how many door knobs, granite counter tops, bathroom faucet handles, motorcycle gloves it came into contact with. I now have a S5 SBSS (in addition to my S4 SS, which I kept, and which DOES have many marks on case only--lots of character until I polish).
Seriously though, takes a lot to create a mark. My S4 SBSS got sold a year later in pristine condition--under magnification. Can't tell you how many door knobs, granite counter tops, bathroom faucet handles, motorcycle gloves it came into contact with. I now have a S5 SBSS (in addition to my S4 SS, which I kept, and which DOES have many marks on case only--lots of character until I polish).
I own several really precious watches (and an Apple watch)
Believe me, real connoisseurs I know do not mind scratches on their watches. They live with them and have their signs of being used. It is part of the life of a watch. There are also no plastic covers for Rolex and other expensive watches, because it looks ....... not so good.
A watch is exposed to daily dangers and it reflects them. It does not mean, you have to bang them around, but they sometimes encounter sturdier objects.
Believe me, real connoisseurs I know do not mind scratches on their watches. They live with them and have their signs of being used. It is part of the life of a watch. There are also no plastic covers for Rolex and other expensive watches, because it looks ....... not so good.
A watch is exposed to daily dangers and it reflects them. It does not mean, you have to bang them around, but they sometimes encounter sturdier objects.
Been wearing a SBSS series 3 and honestly it hits everything, hose dragging over hit, metal equipment, etc. (Fire fighting) and every once and a while I use polish to clean it up, and it's still good in my book!
It really is sturdy. I banged it around for a year and it remained flawless... until it came into contact with a newly purchased SBSS/DLC coated band haha. Definitely tiny scratches on the case and screen from that.
Otherwise, insanely solid.
Otherwise, insanely solid.
I have a S4 SBSS and a S5 Nike. The SBSS looks brand new after a year of semi-regular use.
I bought the S5 Nike for the additional watch faces but the overall feel of the SBSS is significantly better. I've come to prefer the additional weight, and the durability of the screen makes it one less thing to worry about.
I bought the S5 Nike for the additional watch faces but the overall feel of the SBSS is significantly better. I've come to prefer the additional weight, and the durability of the screen makes it one less thing to worry about.
That's incorrect. Nothing in carbon mandates that it be black. Look at a diamond. Look at dry ice. It has to
do with the electron configuration of the carbon atom in the structure.
Diamond has carbon in an sp3 electron bond configuration, which places the bandgap in the UV, which is why it appears clear. Graphite has carbon in sp2, with a very low bandgap, underneath that of the IR. That's why it is absorptive and looks black.
DLC films contain carbon in a mix between sp3 and sp2 states, hence the name diamond-like. Therefore, the bandgap of the film, and thus the wavelength where it stops being transparent can be varied by controlling the ratio between these two states.
Further, DLC films are not necessarily PVD, but can be deposited via CVD from organic precursors. This is the preferred method for higher quality.
I think your experience in DLC is within bulk metalworking, where you want it thick and cheap. This is totally different from the work done on DLC in optics and solid-state devices where thin films are deposited in a tightly controlled process.
Diamond-like carbon for data and beer storage
Carbon is a very versatile element that can crystallize in the forms of diamond or graphite. There are many noncrystalline carbons, known as amorphous…
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