[VEV 1138]

Hello,

Just as a non-scientific look at this question, I was wondering how important a Sapphire crystal versus Mineral is to the forum members. This is more about purchasing new watches than vintage. And, this doesn't have to be about only the Russians. Just general watch purchases. Thanks for participating!

Craig

 

[Kurt Behm]

Hi Craig ...........

As we discussed before, to me all things being equal, Sapphire is a 'no-brainer'. With so many manufacturers putting sapphire on very inexpensive watches these days,the cost had obvously come down. I think the benefits of sapphire outweighs any slight incremental rise in cost.

I also like acrylic (you can polish it). It mineral I don't like.

Thanks for the survey.

Kurt

 

[GMT-II]

Re: Hi Craig ...........

As we discussed before, to me all things being equal, Sapphire is a 'no-brainer'. With so many manufacturers putting sapphire on very inexpensive watches these days,the cost had obvously come down. I think the benefits of sapphire outweighs any slight incremental rise in cost.

I also like acrylic (you can polish it). It mineral I don't like.

Thanks for the survey.

Kurt

Unless u like polishing so much and got plenty of free time, acrylic is rubbish and used on those cheap skate watch. It get hair line scratch so easily <|

I will prefer mineral glass for lower cost and better shattering resistant.

Yes, Sapphire is harder but when u drop it, chances of shattering it is higher. Sapphire also cost more to get it.

 

[Militarywatchdude]

I like sapphire on non-military watches. But on military watches I just assume I'm going to wear them rough and scratch them. It's nice to have a mineral crystal so you can get the scratches buffed out!

 

[Kurt Behm]

Re: Hi Craig ...........

After hundreds of Watches (some with very hard use) I've never 'shattered' a Sapphire Crystal. I have seriously scratched several mineral crystals though.

Kurt

 

[cavallino33]

I prefer sapphire. However if I like the watch a lot otherwise and the price is not super high I'm ok with buying a watch with a mineral crystal. The majority of my watches are mineral.

To be honest I've never had a problem with scratching a mineral crystal,sapphire is better but I think mineral is durable enough for my kind use.

 

[AlbertaTime]

I'm OK with anything but prefer sapphire or acrylic (acrylic is easy to keep looking nice!).

 

[michele]

I have no preference, any type of crystal is good if placed in the right purpose.

I like a lot the acrylic crystal of the old Amphibia, very thick and solid.

Mineral or sapphire, it's the same to me, of course a glass crystal that is not easy to scratch is better, but cosmetically they are the same thing.

 

[dedatos]

In principle,if I do remember something of my optics'physics, sapphire should be more luminous than glass or conventional acrylic since it has a very good index of diffraction.....
But since we are in the Russian watches forum, I believe we cannot find sapphire fitting our soviet watches design at afforable prices. Or not?
dedatos

 

[OKEAH]

Real Comrades prefer Acrylic!

It is much less brittle than both mineral and sapphire (very difficult to break even if it deforms under pressure) hence the best choice for military watches.

It is easy to scratch but very easy to polish!

 

[Sparks]

Real Comrades prefer Acrylic!

It is much less brittle than both mineral and sapphire (very difficult to break even if it deforms under pressure) hence the best choice for military watches.

It is easy to scratch but very easy to polish!

Yes. :-!
Had one of my Amfibias onboard a ship. Tough enviroment and it was slammed against steel structures. The scratches was easily removed with tooth paste.

 

[colt]

Real Comrades prefer Acrylic!

I do like the acrylic on my amphibians, easy to live with, safe to bang around.
For higher end watches, I'll prefer spahire, which can really be beautiful (I'm thinking about Breitling).

Anyway, I voted that I don't care b-)

 

[milotime]

I'm looking at a couple of Burans right now...a 3133 with mineral crystal and a 31681 with Sapphire. I'm not too concerned with the movement since I would love both! But is it really worth spending the extra for the sapphire glass?
I'm assuming both watches are built to the high quality I've read about Burans.
cheers,
Milo

 

[Frode]

I like sapphire on non-military watches. But on military watches I just assume I'm going to wear them rough and scratch them. It's nice to have a mineral crystal so you can get the scratches buffed out!

How do you buff out mineral crystal? I scratched my Sturmanskie Zivil today :-x, and assumed I had to live with it....o|

 

[Kurt Behm]

My Son just got 2 Buran's with Sapphire and if you have the option, I think that's the way to go. I've never had a mineral crystal that I haven't scrateched.

Best of Luck

Kurt

My Son's two Burans

 

[cavallino33]

Every time I see those somewhere I think about getting one. I'm not a huge fan of quartz or Russian watches with Swiss movements but they have a very nice style.

Maybe it's my imagination but the dial always seems clearer when it has a sapphire crystal. I don't know if there's any scientific reason or proof of that or if it's just my own mental justification for spending more on a sapphire. :-d

 

[milotime]

Just got my Vostok-Europe Expedition Trophy 2009 and the crystal (mineral) is no way as nice as the sapphire on my Tissot. This won't stop me since some of the nicest watches out there including a number of pilot watches are mineral...will just have to live with it! :-!

 

[Huertecilla]

I do not have a preference as all have pros and cons.

For a tool watch however a properly designed sapphire is the benchmark in ruggedness.
When thick enough, stressfree and protected around the edge it is amazingly resistant.
The crystal of an Enzo p.e. would resist just about anything and neither miniral not synthetic would stand a chance.
This does not come ´cheap´ as there are several downsides which in other applications would make this a NoNo. It is a horror to gallop your horse through terrain with an Enzo on your wrist p.e. :-d
Therefore: it depends.

As for ship-use. The Mühle Glashütte S.A.R. was extensively and intensively tested aboard east sea coast guard rescue boats. It was given the |>
I have one of the pre-series test watches and wear it when fire-fighting, mountain rescue, etc. It has a rubber ring instead of a bezel and that is briljant. I would change the bezel for a rubber bumper on any tool watch. It would prevent most of the scratches on amphibians too. Vostok amphibians have pretty useless bezels anyway so it would hardly be a loss in funcionality....
The light weight of acrylic would then be less downweighed by the softness.

Petrus

 

[dctokyo]

Sapphire is the way to go.

 

[R_T_H]

Why, oh why, is this poll still open? It just keeps popping up to the top - and I think the votes are already fairly representative of what people on the forum think.