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Crystal types: sapphire, mineral and acrylic trade-offs for daily wear · RWI-21684

Thread starter ReferenceLog 03310
Start date 22/01/24
Replies 2

ReferenceLog 03310

Member

Thread starter

22/01/24

Spec sheets list sapphire, mineral or acrylic crystals, and opinions in threads are very strong. For a daily-wear watch, what are the real trade-offs, and is an anti-reflective coating worth paying for?

Record format: question; proposed response; source or method; limitation. Use a dated correction only if the underlying wording or evidence changes. Record RWI-21684.

BenchNotes 03311

Member

22/01/24

The core trade-off is scratch resistance versus shatter resistance. Sapphire is very hard to scratch but can chip or crack from a sharp impact on an edge. Acrylic scratches easily but flexes, rarely shatters, and light scratches can be polished out at home. Mineral glass sits in between and is often the cheapest to replace.

CaliberReader 03312

Member

22/01/24

Clarifying question: what does daily wear mean for you? Desk work, manual labour or sports change the answer. For desk use, sapphire's scratch resistance is the main benefit. For work with frequent knocks, a slightly domed acrylic that you can polish may last longer in practice, despite the scratches.

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