Smart buyers test the details of a product before spending money on it, and the glass covering a wristwatch is one such aspect.
If you pick a watch without knowing what kind of glass is there to protect its dial and hands, you might be at a loss.
Imagine buying an expensive watch only to discover that the manufacturer used low-quality glass. This would make your watch look cheap and not stand the test of time.
In this guide, we’ll compare the top three kinds of watch glass; acrylic, mineral, and sapphire. We’ll see how their manufacturing is different and the change their quality makes on a watch’s appeal.
While watches with some kind of crystal covering their dials and hands are rampant today, it wasn’t always the case.
The earliest recorded watches were without a face protector, which made them prone to damage and impact. But after the trend of waistcoats with pockets took over, the watchmakers were met with a need to produce wristwatches with crystal.
That’s how the dials and hands of a watch were encased to make ‘pocket watches’. Today, pocket watches have changed to wristwatches, but the style remains the same.
The three main types of watch glasses are sapphire, mineral, and acrylic.
Watchmakers choose from these types depending on the product they are creating.
For instance, sapphire glass is a high-end synthetic material prized for its hardness and scratch resistance.
Conversely, mineral glass is tempered glass that strikes a good balance between durability and affordability.
On the less expensive side of watches, we have acrylic glass, a flexible plastic material admired for its sturdiness.
Now that you have a gist of the three types of watch glass, let’s proceed with the detailed comparison and see how they stand apart.
Read our article to know everything about watch glasses.
Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of watches made with acrylic, mineral, and sapphire to help you decide which one to buy.
Acrylic watch top, famously referred to as Plexiglass, is a specialized form of plastic used in watchmaking. The manufacturing process of acrylic glass includes shaping and treating plastic to achieve the desired form.
The glass is flexible, which allows watchmakers to create a domed appearance that can give the watch face a distinctive look. Such a domed design can create visual distortion when viewed from different angles, which adds to the timepiece’s vintage charm.
One notable benefit of acrylic glass is its resistance to fingerprints. Such a feature makes it easier to keep the watch’s face clean and clear, even with regular handling.
Acrylic is lightweight, so the watches made with it are comfortable to wear without adding much weight to the wrist. The material is impact-resistant, so it is less likely to shatter than other glass types like sapphire or mineral.
Be noted that despite being more prone to scratches than sapphire or mineral glass, acrylic has a redeeming feature: you can polish it to remove scratches.
The freedom to buff makes it a practical choice for those willing to perform occasional maintenance to keep their watches looking new. Some watch lovers appreciate this aspect as it allows them to maintain the aesthetic appeal of their watches without replacing the glass.
However, acrylic glass can appear cloudy in direct sunlight, which may affect the visibility of the watch face under bright conditions.
Pros
Cons
Ideal For: Budget watches, children’s watches, and vintage-style timepieces.
Mineral crystal is a popular choice among fashion watch brands owing to its balance of cost and durability.
It’s a step up from acrylic since it offers better appearance and scratch resistance, which makes it ideal for watches that need to look good without breaking the bank.
Mineral crystal glass is made from silica, and its manufacturing process involves heating the silica to high temperatures and then cooling it rapidly to create tempered glass. The treatment increases its durability and scratch resistance, though it still doesn’t match the hardness of sapphire.
One distinct feature of mineral crystal is its good transparency, which allows for clear visibility of the watch face. It’s less reflective than sapphire glass as it reduces glare and makes it easier to read the watch in bright light conditions.
Some brands, like Seiko, use a proprietary version of mineral crystal called Hardlex. Hardlex goes through additional treatment to strengthen its scratch resistance and durability even further. It’s a hallmark of many Seiko watches, known for providing good protection without a major increase in cost.
Mineral glass offers superior scratch resistance compared to acrylic, but you should know that it can still get scratched even if it requires a harder material. Plus, unlike acrylic, you can’t buff out scratches on a mineral glass watch – once scratched, the glass must be replaced to restore its appearance.
Pros
Cons
Ideal For: Mid-range watches, everyday use, and budget-conscious consumers.
Sapphire watch top is admired for its exceptional durability and premium aesthetic, which makes it the top choice for high-end watch brands.
Its standout feature is its hardness, rated at 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamonds. Such hardness makes sapphire glass the most scratch-resistant glass available, a key reason luxury brands prefer it for their timepieces.
Brands like Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe use sapphire glass to ensure their timepieces not only look exquisite but also stand the test of time.
Unlike natural sapphire, sapphire glass is synthetic and is produced in a lab using a process called the Verneuil method. Its process involves melting aluminum oxide powder at high temperatures to form a crystal.
The result is a transparent crystallized aluminum oxide that retains the hardness and clarity of natural sapphire. Its synthetic nature ensures consistency in quality and appearance, which is important for high-end watchmaking.
The primary appeal of sapphire glass is its unparalleled scratch resistance. Everyday objects like keys, coins, and even sand are unlikely to leave a mark on a sapphire crystal glass watch. Such durability ensures that your watch face remains clear and unmarred over time, maintaining its pristine look.
Sapphire glass is also prized for its crystal-clear transparency, providing excellent watch face visibility.
However, it should be noted that without an anti-reflective coating, it can be highly reflective, which causes glare that can obscure the watch face. Therefore, most high-end watches with sapphire glass include this coating to improve readability and reduce reflections.
Also, while incredibly hard, sapphire glass is also somewhat brittle. It can withstand minor impacts and scratches, but a heavy direct impact can cause it to crack or shatter. Such brittleness is a trade-off for its superior scratch resistance, so it is less suitable for watches intended for rugged use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: High-end luxury watches, collectors, and those who seek durability and scratch resistance.
Here’s a comparative analysis of the three glass types we have covered above to give you a glance:
| Criteria | Sapphire Glass | Mineral Glass | Acrylic Glass |
| Scratch Resistance | 9 on the Mohs scale (highest): Superior scratch resistance, only scratched by diamonds and similar materials. | Moderate: Better than acrylic, can be scratched by harder materials. | Lowest: It is easily scratched by everyday objects, but scratches can be polished out. |
| Shatter Resistance | Lowest: Brittle and can shatter upon hard impact. | Moderate: Tempered to resist impacts better than sapphire, but can still crack or chip. | Highest: It is very flexible and absorbs impacts without breaking. |
| Transparency | High Clarity: Excellent visibility, but can reflect a lot without anti-reflective coating. | Good Clarity: Less reflective than sapphire and gives better visibility in bright light. | Low Clarity: Can appear cloudy in direct sunlight. |
| Cost | Highest. Most expensive due to complex manufacturing. | Moderate: Affordable and offers a good balance of durability and cost. | Lowest: Very affordable, ao it’s suitable for budget watches. |
The term ‘toughest’ could either mean a product’s ability to resist scratches or shatter, so we’ll keep the answer simple for you:
Picking a good watch glass is crucial for the durability and aesthetics of your timepiece. Sapphire, mineral, and acrylic each offer exclusive pros and cons. For example, sapphire glass provides unmatched scratch resistance so it is perfect for those who want their watches to remain pristine over time.
Likewise, mineral glass combines good scratch resistance with decent shatter resistance, so it’s suitable for everyday use. While more prone to scratches, acrylic glass excels in shatter resistance and suits watches that need to withstand impacts.
So choose one that matches your style preferences and doesn’t dent your budget; the choices are endless!
Acrylic is better than sapphire regarding shatter resistance and impact absorption, so it stands for rugged use and sits well with budget-friendly watches. However, sapphire is far superior in scratch resistance and overall aesthetic appeal, so it is preferred for high-end watches.
Sapphire glass is better than mineral glass in scratch resistance, as it is much harder and more durable against scratches. But mineral glass offers a good balance of scratch and shatter resistance at a lower cost, so it sits well with mid-range watches.
Maintaining your watch glass needs regular cleaning with a soft cloth to remove dust and fingerprints. For sapphire and mineral glasses, you can use a mild soap solution to keep the glass clear. Avoid harsh chemicals that can damage anti-reflective coatings.
For acrylic glass, regular polishing can remove minor scratches and maintain clarity. Always follow the manufacturer’s care instructions to ensure the longevity of your watch.
The best glass for a watch depends on what you value most. For example, if scratch resistance and a premium appearance are your top priorities, sapphire glass is the best choice. It’s nearly impossible to scratch and is used in high-end watches.
Likewise, if you want a balance between scratch and impact resistance at a more affordable price, mineral glass will suit you the most. And if you seek maximum shatter resistance and don’t mind occasional polishing, acrylic glass is a good choice.
