Are Rolex crystals really an acrylic plastic or a polycarbonate plastic?
"Acrylic" Rolex crystals
jmlcihpe
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And by they JeffWB means almost all watch makers at the time. Sapphire is a relatively recent innovation in the history of watches.
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Mostly the curiosity of a chemist. The two do have different properties with polycarbonate being more scratch resistant than most acrylic polymers...thus its use in eyeglases and car headlamp covers.
Sometimes scientific terms get hijacked by the public...terms like "organic" produce for example. And so I was curious about the term "acrylic" as it applies to watch crystals.
Actually, I didn't know that all Rolex watches were now "sapphire". My first Rolex was a late 80s era Datejust and I know it had a "plastic" crystal
Sometimes scientific terms get hijacked by the public...terms like "organic" produce for example. And so I was curious about the term "acrylic" as it applies to watch crystals.
Actually, I didn't know that all Rolex watches were now "sapphire". My first Rolex was a late 80s era Datejust and I know it had a "plastic" crystal
Many people seem to complain about how prone to scratches the crystals are on the vintage Rolex watches. I typically wear a vintage sub or a vintage SD daily. I find that they scratch "a little" over time of daily wear, but not nearly as badly as I thought it would by reading some of the reports on the forum. A little toothpaste or any other light abrasive paste and it's nearly good as new in 15 minutes:-!
I PREFER a plastic crystal on a watch.
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No, I specifically meant Rolex. Many watch companies were using hardened mineral glass, and still do. Example: Seiko's very tough Hardlex. Rolex mostly used Acrylic because it was almost unbreakable, and could be polished to remove scratches.
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Well, since the Sub predates the availability of clear polycarbonate, I'd guess acrylic.
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