Each material has its own pros and cons, so choose wisely. The process takes ultra pure (99.9995% and above) aloxite and bombards it with oxygen and hydrogen, then heats the aloxite to 3630 degrees Fahrenheit to liquefy it into droplets. The sapphire crystal is mostly noticeable due to the bluish hue brought by the sun, which is actually the effect of the Sapphire Crystal’s anti-reflective (AR) coating. Acrylic, on the other hand, is a sort of plastic first create in 1843. Acrylic is less shiny and lends a cool retro vibe to the watch. stompbox. Let’s explore these two materials a little bit and discover their history, and why one or the other might be better in certain situations. Acrylic scratches very easily, however, all but the deepest scratches polish out with relative ease. Leave a Comment Cancel reply. Name Email Website. That’s why it’s used in dive watches. The modern style is towards use of sapphire crystals, and there's a lot of hype about them being unscratchable and so on, most of which is true, but Hesalite, or acrylic, is still a very suitable material for watch crystals. by Aleta Saeger February 06, 2016 One of the best looking new watches with sapphire crystal glass is the Citizen CC3005-85E F50 Satellite wave watch which is a great looking new watch that is already proving to be the most popular … Ikuo Tokunaga has made some comments regarding Seiko's use of sapphire vs hardlex that are illuminating. Well, it turns out it’s not. Sapphire crystal glass vs Mineral glass. Generally, there are three types of crystals used in watchmaking: sapphire crystals; mineral crystals; Plexiglas (often called plastic) or hesalite (acrylic) crystals. The Rolex Perpetual was the last watch to possess a sapphire crystal which was not until 1991. It is a … Well, as I said above, sapphire is one of the hardest minerals known to man. Is a sapphire crystal worth the extra cost? Acrylic, on the other hand, is lighter that sapphire, and doesn’t promote glare nearly as much (sapphire is often coated with anti-reflective coating to reduce glare). As discussed in this watch glass guide, there are three different types of watch glass – sapphire crystal, acrylic, and mineral crystal. First off, many vintage Rolex watch collectors simply like the look of acrylic over sapphire. It’s a laminated mineral/sapphire crystal glass that had mineral crystal … Mineral glass, which is usually a common watch glass is scratched more easily, but it can take hits better. Yes, rubies and sapphires are the same mineral, just with different impurities). Mineral crystal is a kind of glass, which is more scratch resistant than acrylic, but not as as good as sapphire. Acrylic is the best choice for casual wear as it is the one that can sustain the most damage, while mineral crystal is the most cost-efficient pick. Rolex’s first sapphire crystal appeared on the OysterQuartz in 1970 and the Submariner in 1981. And you probably know that once upon a time, they did not. Copyright © 1998–2020 BeckerTime, LLC. If your Rolex sapphire crystal does shatter, the first thing to do (aside from crying or swearing, or both) is to pull out the crown and stop the movement. ed rader. 2,201. stompbox. Mineral crystals are actually a common glass crystal that has been treated with heat or chemicals to prevent scratches. Acrylic Crystal / Acrylic Glass. So when you need tough beyond tough, no breakage under any circumstances, choose acrylic. 3. See More. A scratch to an acrylic crystal was easy to polish out and the smooth edges give it a warm feeling. The Hesalite crystal used in the Omega Speedmaster Professional moon watch is an advanced form of acrylic. Yet, having a crystal that was as clear as glass provided clear viewing, but was easily broken as the watch face is vulnerable to bangs, door jams, and day-to-day knocks that wrists survive but not necessarily watch crystals. Acrylic vs Mineral vs Sapphire Crystal: What's the Difference & … Plus, it’s structurally stronger than acrylic for a given thickness. The (NASA qualified for all extra-vehicular activities) Omega Speedmaster Professional has an acrylic crystal for the simple reason that breakage would be intolerable in space. Up until the late 20th Century, most watch crystals were in fact acrylic with the exceptions being mineral glass or expensive sapphire only seen on higher end watches. Although it is not as resistant to scratches as sapphire, it is much better than plastic. Applying one or more layers of AR (anti-reflective) coating will limit this reflection to a very low level. It is commonly referred to by several names, including Plexiglass, Hesalite, and Acrylic. In my opinion, the mineral crystal seems to be a poor compromise between … The Rolex Perpetual was the last watch to possess a sapphire crystal which was not until 1991. Case in point: our Krysterna crystal, created using the centuries-old Verneuil Process that successfully produces gemstone-grade synthetic sapphires, including the rare blue sapphire. Watch crystals are one of the most visible yet most fragile aspects of a wristwatch. Much more tolerable in the weightlessness of space. The drawback with synthetic sapphire is that its hardness makes it prone to shattering leaving splinters inside the watch. Mineral. Known to chemist types as polymethyl methacrylate, it’s known by several trade names, Lucite, Acrylite, Plexiglas, Perspex, and Optix among them. — Featured Photo Credit: BeckerTime’s Archive. We do not ship or accept payment from Africa (except South Africa), China, Mexico, France, Vietnam, Indonesia and Russia. Acrylic crystal is an inexpensive plastic that allows shallow scratches to be buffed out. Pros – harder resistance to scratches than acrylic, can be coated in AR, looks better than acrylic. You can buy stock 007 crystal and bezel, or aftermarket crystal (sapphire) and bezel, these are easy to find. Beckertime makes their preowned timepieces available for International markets including United, Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UAE, Kuwait, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Chile and most others. When an acrylic crystal broke, it did not shatter into pieces and the watch could still keep running, although it lost its water tight capability. An acrylic crystal was easy to polish and keep “crystal” clear, but doing so required some maintenance and access to car wax. It can withstand a much heavier blow than sapphire without breaking, although it will scratch. And the same blow is only going to put a small ding in an acrylic crystal. A synthetic sapphire crystal is resistant to scratches, easy to read, and requires little maintenance. Beckertime sells pre-owned Rolex watches and warranties its watches directly through Beckertime. And I personally do much prefer the Hesalite as well. Like mineral crystal, every scratch on it, is a permanent one. Acrylic crystals are significantly less scratch resistant than their later-era, sapphire counterparts, and will inevitably develop small marks and scratches on their surfaces, even if they do not receive any rough treatment. Imagine those floating around in a space vehicle. Both top end Seiko watches and Citizen watches have sapphire crystal glass, including the flagship model Seiko SMY161P1 and the new Citizen AT4008-51e watch which are featured below…. Yes, sapphire watch crystals are synthetic sapphire, grown in a lab for the express purpose of making said watch crystals (this laboratory process first came on the scene in 1902). Aftermarket additions void the warranty of new and used Rolex watches sold by Rolex S.A. or at, The Comparison Series: The Rolex Datejust Vs. 2. The different crystals will dictate the price of the watch, meaning a Sapphire crystal will be more expensive than a Plexiglas cover. Sapphire crystal is very difficult to scratch accidentaly but once it is scratched you're pretty much stuck with it. HOLIDAY SALE: Free Everest Microfiber Watch Pouch with every order over $100. 2 min read 0 Comments, by Aleta Saeger December 26, 2020 Being a man-made substance, acrylic can be created in numerous configurations and easily worked into such shapes as are needed. It ranks 5 out of 10 on the official MOHS Scale Of Hardness. There are 3 main types of watch crystal: Plastic / Acrylic: These used to be the norm. Mineral crystal is more difficult to scratch but very hard to polish, I'm told that it is possible but I've never tried. Twitter; Facebook; Pinterest; Recent Posts. The Rohje Sapphire crystal is 8-9 on the Mohs scale, being nearly unscratchable. Rolex slowly introduced synthetic sapphire with no clear indication when the entire line would be either sapphire crystals or acrylic. Omega offers the classic Speedmaster Professional MoonWatch in two configurations: one with Hesalite crystal and another with a Sapphire crystal. As such, it’s very hard to scratch or break. Rolex’s use of acrylic vs. sapphire is a good example of this. It can withstand a greater depth, and can take significant abuse in a situation where acrylic would warp and permit flooding of the watch. Unlike acrylic, scratches in mineral glass are more difficult to buff out; and unlike sapphire, mineral glass will scratch. Sapphire crystal is more reflective than mineral crystal due to its higher index of refraction. All watches, likeness, and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. by Aleta Saeger December 28, 2020 the tudur has a thick acrylic crystal that is easily buffed and the citizen is sapphire. reynaert. Rolex is under no obligation to warranty-service watches sold by Beckertime through its service locations. Mineral glass is around 5-6 and acrylic around 3. And do you wonder if sapphire as used for watch crystals is related at all? Pros of Plexiglass Crystals: Easy to manufacture and manipulate to whatever shape desired Inexpensive to produce; cheap to replace Simple to re-polish It won't shatter … Sapphire is best known to the general public as the blue gem; and the sapphire used for watch crystals is a variant of the same mineral that forms the gem. Tim Mosso and Fed talk about Hesalite, Acrylic, or Plexiglas Crystals vs. Sapphire Crystals on Luxury Watches. The crystal of a watch — the clear cover that goes over the dial and protects it – can be made of a variety of materials. Rolex Day Date President, Presidential, Super President, Submariner, Cosmograph Daytona, Datejust, Explorer, Sea Dweller, Air King, GMT Master, Yacht Master, YachtMaster, Milgauss, Prince, PearlMaster, and MasterPiece are all registered trademarks of the Rolex Corporation (Rolex USA, Rolex S.A.) All brands including Carier, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Ulysse Nardin, Breitling and Omega are trademarks of their respective holders. Comment. Sapphire- Ranking 9 out of 10 on the same MOHS Scale Of Hardness sapphire watch crystals are as close to indestructible as you can find. Just like the name … The mineral name is corundum – second hardest mineral substance on the planet, next to diamond. So there should be no or minimum difference. So why might you want one – either sapphire or acrylic – at the expense of the other? Sure, there are some advantages to an acrylic crystal instead of a sapphire crystal, but clearly, Rolex has weighed pros and cons and come to a conclusion. They still had stragglers though: their most toolish models, the no-date Submariner and the Rolex Explorer, had acrylic crystals until 1989. 2 min read 0 Comments, by Li Wang December 27, 2020 Acrylic, mineral, and sapphire are the three types of crystals commonly used in watches. Depending … Quite right. When you need scratch resistance and structural integrity, choose sapphire. The crystal cover on a watch usually depends on the price of the watch or whether it has been designed to withstand rugged conditions. You can get a similar effect from some domed sapphires, but they just lack the warmth and character of acrylic; sapphire is just sort of cold and emotionless. Hardlex is Seiko's version of mineral crystal. Which is the right crystal for my watch? For years, most of the Rolex sports line possessed acrylic crystals because of these properties. This is the top of the scale when it comes to watch glass, if you are looking at a watch and it has sapphire crystal glass then you have the highest quality glass that you can get right now. From this boule, the crystal makers cut slices and then grind and polish them using advanced lens-making techniques to produce the finished product, ready to install in a watch case. Interestingly, I have recently purchased a lovely Grand Seiko with a compound curved Saphire crystal that has AR on the inside, which looks just like an old school Acrylic crystal. Each have slightly different properties, making them suited for particular situations and functions. Mineral crystals are also somewhat better at shatter resistance compared with sapphire. Without a crystal that is clear, reading the watch would be impossible. When those droplets harden, … Also, many … Sign up to receive emails from BeckerTime and get. Sapphire crystal can sustain scratches very well and it can only be scratched with materials, basically diamonds and especially hard rock types. (Interesting side note – pure corundum would be clear, but impurities make the natural mineral blue – or red, or nearly any other color. For years, most of the Rolex sports line possessed acrylic crystals because of these properties. Plexiglas is referred to as plastic and Hesalite is an acrylic crystal. Omega’s SpeedMaster that went to the moon was selected for the Apollo missions partially because of the Hesalite (acrylic) crystal such that if it shattered in space, there would not be crystal splinters floating around the Apollo cabin. All Rights Reserved. Mineral glass is more pure, structurally harder and more difficult to scratch than acrylic. The consequence of a thousand tiny shards of very sharp sapphire floating in zero gravity drove the decision to stick with the tried and tested Hesalite. The post Crystals: Sapphire vs. Acrylic appeared first on Bezel & Barrel written by Ed Estlow. In many cases, if you're shopping for a vintage watch, an older model with an acrylic crystal will be much cheaper than a slightly newer one with a sapphire crystal. You do not want crystal pieces to scratch the watch face, or cause more damage inside the movement. And you probably know that once upon a time, they did not. properties: Hardened mineral glass: Sapphire crystal: Mineral crystal with sapphire coating: Scratch resistance: 4/10: 10/10: 5/10: Break resistance (tensile force) 3/10: 6/10: 4/10: Manufacturing price: 8/10: 7/10: 6/10 : Refraction of light (non-reflective) 8/10: … Post Nov 02, 2003 #4 2003-11-02T18:58. But where the heck do you find all those huge, clear (read, not blue) sapphires from which to make watch crystals!? Synthetic sapphire crystals are extremely hard, with diamond only being harder on the moths scale, and incredibly clear. Now, when you hear the word, do you think of the blue gem? Sapphire vs. If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware that most upscale watches feature sapphire crystals. Related. If there's … Nasty…. Sapphire? Very often, lines and marks on the top surface of a sapphire crystal are mistaken for scratches but are actually the scratched AR coating, or just AR coating wearing off after … (1,8 compared to 1,47). Beckertime is an independent preowned Rolex watch and fine timepiece retailer and is not affiliated with Rolex, S.A. or Rolex USA. The last watch crystal type in the market today is the sapphire made crystal. However, it is far from scratch-resistant. Mineral Crystal - Clearer view than acrylic crystal, less scratch marks, product a high-pitch sound (sounds like tapping on glass), blue color, water will be divergent when drop on mineral glass Sapphire Crystal - exceptional clarity, scratch free even against the likes of metal objects, easy to chip & shatter, water drop will flock together on sapphire crystal, pink/white color 3 min read. Categories Watch Facts. Sapphire is the most expensive and durable crystal, approximately three times harder … Plexiglass Crystals The least expensive type of watch crystal is a form of plastic, made of the softest material of all three crystals. A diamond and perhaps some choice industrial power tools are the only things that can nick your premium sapphire … Aftermarket additions void the warranty of new and used Rolex watches sold by Rolex S.A. or at www.rolex.com. The resulting boule, as it’s called, is a vulgar (some would say obscene) object about six to eight inches long and maybe two inches in diameter. The plastic material is relatively soft, so as you would expect, is the least … The Vacheron Constantin FiftySix. The same way acrylic glass, meaning a “glass” made of plastic, can take hits because of its flexibility, but is scratched very easily. As the window to your timepiece, the watch crystal (or “glass”) takes some of the hardest hits and is the brunt of everyday wear and tear. We see that being able to … Comparison table sapphire crystal vs mineral crystal vs mineral crystal with sapphire coating . Once formed, the boule is then sliced and the pieces are then cut and polished to the desired shape. Sapphire Crystal Glass. Everest Horology and its products are NOT affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Rolex Watch USA Inc., Officine Panarai, or Tudor. The benefits of acrylic are that it is very durable, and resists most bangs and hits. It turns out that acrylic crystals predate sapphire by quite a bit. Let’s begin with sapphire. Appearance - I love the distortion effect that a domed acrylic crystal gives to the dial of a watch at different angles. This usually presents a dilemma, especially for first-time Speedy owners. 15 Panda Dial Watches – Our Top Picks From Budget To Luxury; … Well, you make ‘em. "The company found … 2,201. Rolex requires a complete watch service during a crystal replacement because of the high probability of crystal shrapnel landing inside the movement. Sapphire crystals, on the other hand, is a must-have for avid watch collectors as it adds a sophisticated and highly-functional feature to your beater timepiece.
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