Do you ever consider what kind of glass a watch case has? For most people, the first thing they consider in a watch is rarely the watch glass. But as the experts will tell you, the watch glass has an important role to play.
After all, the watch glass is frequently the first thing you see on a watch when you look at the time. Thus the clearer and more pristine it is, the better. Moreover, it is what protects the face of your watch, so it needs to be hardy enough to withstand drops and scratches.
With that said, there’s actually a lot more to watch glasses than most people think they know. Whether you’re on the lookout for a new ladies’ Swiss watches in Singapore, a fashionable watch as a gift to someone special, or a new sports watch for yourself, it might help you to know the difference between a quality watch glass and one that’s not.
Sapphire crystal glass
Sapphire crystal glass is considered the top-of-the-line watch glass. Most luxury watches and quality fashion watches use sapphire glass. However, don’t mistake this for the colourful sapphire gemstones you see on jewellery. Instead, sapphire crystal glass is synthetic sapphire that is made to be free of impurities, giving it a glass-like, transparent look.
This type of sapphire was first made by the French chemist, Auguste Verneuil, who superheated aluminium oxide powder and placed it under extreme pressure. He then removed any internal stresses from the resulting crystal by heat-treating it. Finally, the crystal was processed into sheets and out came synthetic sapphire glass.
Today, sapphire glass is the gold standard in watches as it is nearly impossible to scratch and exceptionally resilient. However, when subjected to harsh impacts it can still shatter or crack.
For some examples of watches with sapphire glass, do check out Romago Swiss’ collections like their Roulette Master, Super Carbon X, and more, which feature bold styles and equally bold durability.
Mineral crystal glass
Mineral crystal glass is another common type of glass used in watches. It is made out of silica-based standard tempered glass.
This type of watch glass is very resistant to scratches, but slightly less so that sapphire crystal. When it does get scratched by a hard material, it is harder to buff out the marks. One of the most common watch glass materials, it is very economical to produce.
Mineral crystal glasses are often coated with anti-reflective coating to improve the readability of the watch even when under intense lighting. A benefit of this is it makes the watch face more visible and pleasing on the eyes.
Acrylic watch glass
Acrylic watch glass isn’t actual glass. Instead, acrylic is a plastic and inexpensive material that is clear and transparent, like glass. Because of how economical this material is, it’s arguably the most common watch glass used in mid-tier, non-luxury watches. However, some luxury watches do use acrylic, so it is important to differentiate these from their sapphire glass counterparts.
When used on the more expensive watches, most manufacturers use a different term to describe it. Among other terms used to refer to acrylic watch glass include Plexiglass, Perspex, Lucite, Crylux, and Acrylite.
One of the main advantages of using acrylic watch glass is that it is light in weight and effortless and cheap to replace. While it is nowhere near as durable as sapphire crystal at withstanding scratches and cracks, minor scratches can be easily buffed out to maintain its appearance.
Conclusion
Now that you know about the different types of watch glasses, it’ll be far easier for you to make an informed decision on your next purchase. If you’re choosing a gold watch for women as a gift, we recommend going with sapphire.
Although expensive, watches with sapphire watch glasses are often luxuriant and carry a lot of weight, both literally and figuratively. It’s an excellent way to show the woman in your life how special they are to you.
Of course, other types of watch glasses have their own strengths as well, which is why it’s essential that you take your time and choose wisely. Here at Leong Poh Kee, our luxurious watch offerings range from the most opulent to the affordable, with plenty of options in terms of style. Check out our collections and start your own today!