Why sapphire watch

Mineral Glass : These are common on most mid-range watches. They are a little more expensive than plastic or acrylic crystals but are significantly more scratch resistant. They are made of glass. It is a very hard, transparent material made of crystallizing pure aluminium oxide at very high temperatures. Synthetic sapphire has the same hardness as natural sapphire gemstones, but without the coloring agents that give the gems their various hues.

When it is heated, the synthetic sapphire forms round masses, that are then sliced into pieces with diamond-coated saws. These disks are then ground and polished into watch crystals. One reason sapphire crystals are relatively expensive is that the tools required to cut and polish this extremely hard material are very costly.

Sapphire whether natural or synthetic is one of the hardest substances on earth. It measures 9 on the Mohs scale, which is a system for rating the relative hardness of various materials.

Diamond measures 10, the highest rating. Diamond can scratch them; so can man-made materials that incorporate silicon carbide, which, with a Mohs rating of between 9 and 10, is harder than sapphire. So, if you accidentally scratch your watch on a simulated-stone surface or a wall that incorporates some of these silicon carbide materials, it could scratch the crystal. The issue when it comes to working with sapphire is that though it is very stable in finished form, sapphire is extremely prone to cracking and shattering when being machined, cut or processed.

This explains why for decades the front and rear crystals on watches were most simple geometric shapes — that is to say round or rectangular — and it was only a couple of years ago that crystal shapes started to becoming more diverse, and even other watch case elements began to be crafted from the material. It was as recently as when Richard Mille and Cecil Purnell have both debuted what are believed to be the first sapphire cased watches. Called the Cecil Purnell Mirage and Richard Mille RM , it was of course the latter that really stole the show — and, to be fair, also the one that was actually made in more than one piece.

Since its debut, Richard Mille has produced a few other iterations of sapphire cased watches, always in extremely limited quantities and with seven-figure price tags.

Richard Mille claims that the case of the RM takes a total of hours to machine, which, even if craftsmen and machines work hours a week, takes one and a half months to complete.

If any part were to crack during in the manufacturing process, the component has to be thrown away, and with it all the time and energy that went into its production.

And then the production process would have to start from scratch, with the hours required starting anew. Regardless of its color, the Unico Sapphire comes in at a fraction of the price of the aforementioned pieces, making it a very interesting and well-timed alternative, while also offering a most comparable visual wow-factor. As is always the case with unusual high-end timepieces, these sapphire-cased horological outlaws need to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated.

For more information, please schedule an appointment with our Sales Consultant here. Depending on the cost of the watch, or the rugged functions of the watch, different crystals are used—influencing the price and value of the watch.

Typically in the luxury watch field, sapphire crystals are preferred. Sapphire is extremely strong and scratch resistant — making it the top choice for a fine timepiece. While sapphire is the more expensive of the three crystal choices, it has its advantages due to the scratch and shatter resistance. In addition to being scratch resistant, a sapphire crystal has more ability to withstand cracks and breakage than glass or plastic.

Generally a mineral crystal is an ordinary glass crystal that has been heat treated or chemically treated to withstand scratches. While it is not as scratch-resistant as sapphire, it is more scratch-resistant than plastic. Synthetic sapphire glass is not really glass at all. It is a very hard, transparent material made by crystallizing pure aluminium oxide at a very high temperature.

Synthetic sapphire has the same hardness as natural sapphire. When heated, it forms a pulp which is then cut into pieces with diamond coated saws. These plates are cut and polished into watch glasses. One reason for the price of sapphire crystal is the tools needed to cut and polish this very hard material. Sapphire either natural or synthetic is one of the hardest substances. It has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, which is a system for estimating the relative hardness of different materials.

Diamond being 10, the highest rating.