What Is Sapphire Glass on a Watch? How to Identify It?

What Is Sapphire Glass on a Watch? How to Identify It?

Square watch with sapphire glass

For us at SÖNER, it is important that our customers know as much as possible about their watch. We are convinced that once you understand what it takes to make a quality watch, you also value your SÖNER a little more. That's why we share how our work and how they are made. An example is the choice of sapphire glass.

We are particularly proud of this choice, as sapphire glass is a natural stamp of quality for watches. Sapphire is second only to diamond the hardest natural material there is. All SÖNER watches have a super-strong and scratch-resistant sapphire glass as a window to time.

SAPPHIRE, WHAT IS IT?

Sapphire comes from the mineral corundum and consists of alumina. For most people, sapphire is blue, with the fact that the gemstone can have all colors except red, although blue is the most common. The color of a sapphire comes from the interplay between iron and titanium which is found naturally in the stone. A completely iron- and titanium-free sapphire is usually colorless. Sapphire is with its hardness and durability excellent for jewelry, for example.

Rectangular watch with sapphire glass  - SONER (SÖNER)

SAPPHIRE- OR MINERAL GLASS?

The two most common glass materials used today for watches are mineral or sapphire crystals. SÖNER only use sapphire glass.

Sapphire glass is by far the most scratch resistant. Sapphire glass, is about three (3) times more scratch resistant than mineral glass.
Mineral glass is about seven (7) times more scratch resistant than the third most widely used watch glass, plexiglass. 

Another great advantage of the sapphire glass is that it can be made very thin and thus also lighter and with a more slender profile.

With the scratch resistance of the sapphire, your watch looks like new for years. We also believe that a sapphire glass looks more stylish and luxurious, as it has a clearer surface layer that reflects light in a different way than mineral glass.

Watches are often labeled "scratch resistant" when equipped with sapphire glass.

DO YOU HAVE A SAPPHIRE GLASS?

Through two simple tests, you can check if it is sapphire crystal on your watch. Depending on the age of the watch, design, and environmental impact, each of these tests can be misleading, so it is important to do them all.

1. Examine the color. Sapphire glass has a shimmer of pink on the edges of the glass, where as mineral glass is more green blue in its color.

2. Do the water droplet test. Drop a couple of water drops on the glass, then tilt the watch carefully and examine how the drops behave. On sapphire glass the droplet stay intact, almost like a small dome.

 

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