# Orient Crystals, Mineral vs. Sapphire



## itguy79 (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm considering getting an Orient shortly....and I wanted to know peoples experience with scratches on the mineral vs. sapphire crystals. I currently own watches with both, the sapphire is obviously IMO much more scratch resistent. But do current Orient owners experience lots of scratches on their mineral crystal watches? Is it worth buying an Orient with sapphire? Just curious before I pull the trigger.


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## Will_f (Jul 4, 2011)

Can't speak to Orient Mineral crystals, but other watches I've owned with mineral crystals were very scratched within 2 years.


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## Mtech (Jan 2, 2010)

Orient mineral crystals are just as good as any other mineral crystal, I believe they are equivalent to the Seiko hardened glass.

The choice of which to choose is less about the crystal composition, and more about the style of the watch and its intended end use. A real diver, should be less interested in a sapphire than mineral, as a sapphire will shatter with a high point load or shock vs a mineral will scratch, crack, or chunk out a piece. What would be better at depth? mineral almost always.

The new generation divers that feature sapphire are using a much thicker crystal than would be required for mineral of the same depth rating, all towards giving the sapphire some measure of fail safe mode.

If you never dive, the choice is mostly about price or style.


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## itguy79 (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks...yes I'm definitely not doing any diving these days, (or ever for that matter). Some of the Orient sapphire's are priced nicely, but just wanted to know. I usually keep my watches for awhile, so as to avoid scratches as possible. I just wanted to make sure no one has really bad experience with the mineral especially considering the Mako model is so popular here.


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## ioulove2 (Dec 20, 2009)

It would be hard to sell me any watch over 300 dollars with no Sapphire.


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## fermopagus (Jan 18, 2009)

ioulove2 said:


> It would be hard to sell me any watch over 300 dollars with no Sapphire.


+1. for a dress or even casual watch priced above $300, sapphire glass is a requirement for me. it's nice to see orient offering up some nice looking watches with sapphire glass at an affordable price point. my orca keeps amazingly accurate time and is making me want another orient (w/ sapphire glass this time).


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## altock (Jul 27, 2011)

Beware that whereas sapphire is extremely hard and scratch resistant, the anti-glare coating that comes on most sapphire will scratch easily, in my experience easier than uncoated mineral glass. If you have multicoated lens you know what I mean.


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## Will_f (Jul 4, 2011)

Most sapphire crystals are AR coated on the inside only. Makes it less anti reflective, but less scratchable. 

On a tangential note, not all AR coatings for glasses are created equal. I have had several pairs, some good, some less good. I assume this applies to watch crystals as well.


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## altock (Jul 27, 2011)

I have a high end watch whose crystal is AR coated on both sides. My assumption is that if they are going to coat only one side it's be the outside (top) one.


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## GJS67 (Dec 1, 2010)

I have the Black Mako, and within 3 weeks, it was scratched and chipped. Chipped it at the 6 o'clock position hitting it against a counter top(not granite either). Seiko's crystal is much harder imho.
If you can get a sapphire go for it. I hear you can get after market sapphire crystals for the Mako, not sure it's worth it for a beater watch.


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## itguy79 (Aug 16, 2011)

GJS67 said:


> I have the Black Mako, and within 3 weeks, it was scratched and chipped. Chipped it at the 6 o'clock position hitting it against a counter top(not granite either). Seiko's crystal is much harder imho.
> If you can get a sapphire go for it. I hear you can get after market sapphire crystals for the Mako, not sure it's worth it for a beater watch.


Good to know about the Mako. I'm sure everyone has a different experience, but I'm in the mind thought, you get what you pay for. I still haven't decided which one to get, but I wouldn't mind taking a chance on an Orient. People seem to love them here.


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## 20DYNAMITE07 (Mar 3, 2009)

I have 2 orients and have never had a problem with my crystals... both are pristine, even after whacking the crap out of them on doorknobs, rocks, and counter tops for what it's worth. 

Good luck with whatever you pick ITguy


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## Will_f (Jul 4, 2011)

I wouldn't let a mineral crystal stop me if my budget watt less than $200. However, I generally spend more than that and sappire is a definate requirement, even if I'm looking for a diver. My oldest watch is seriously battered. Deep scratches in the case and bezel. The crystal (sapphire) looks brand new.

Re Orient's crystals, sappire or otherwise: Everything I've been able to find suggests there is nothing exceptional about either one. The sappire ones that I own are AR coated on the inside, but that's pretty typical.


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## altock (Jul 27, 2011)

I agree. I wouldn't let glass v. sapphire make or break my selection. In my experience glass is not that easy a material to scratch or chip. Is sapphire more scratch proof, yes. But then you'll have a pristine crystal but the rest of the watch may look like crap. For sure the bezel will be all scratched up and rubbed off way before your glass crystal would start to bother you.


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## r80rew (Oct 16, 2012)

I have found a dealer that sells a sapphire crystal Mako with uprated lume for roughly £80 ($129) more than the standard mako price. Is it worth the extra expense.


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## GTR83 (Dec 26, 2010)

Well, that price is roughly the cost of a sapphire crystal and re-lume job, so if you're that much into the Mako I say get it. If i am going to get a Mako I would at least opt for a re-luming job, but that's just me. 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## r80rew (Oct 16, 2012)

Im finding it hard to find somebody in the UK who does re-lume so this seems a nice easy alternative.


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## Kratsmoose (Nov 19, 2012)

I personally haven't found sapphire any different than mineral crystal. I have nicked several sapphires, including Rolex and two Omegas, but no mineral crystal, even though a wore a TAG for 1 1/2 years straight without a nick (mineral crystal). I don't really believe that sapphire isn't better, but I definitely think people overrate the need for sapphire. I think it takes a pretty good shot to nick a mineral crystal or sapphire, and that there's a fairly small range where the one will nick and not the other. I think sapphire is a small plus, could care less about AR coatings (I have plenty with, and without), and would never choose a new watch based on what crystal it has (unless it was the only difference).


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## oogabooga (Aug 6, 2012)

I think the comment about usage is right on the money. We have to realize that mineral crystals are more effective for divers because of the material's elasticity. In short, sapphire costs more of course, but if you are actually diving, it is a "worse" material to use. If you are not a diver, then of course you may be able to say sapphire is superior. Personally, I tend to not worry mineral or sapphire in non-divers, and with divers I prefer mineral, but to each their own


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## ErikS (May 21, 2009)

Well is I were diving all the time it might enter into my criteria.............but then I'd not likely own an Orient anyway. A gshock would be more the ticket (the most common watch I've seen on actual divers arms). Aside from that sapphire is just better. I've banged it into coral.....would scrape mineral, sapphire? Not so much. Got an SMP that been there & done that over 10 years & the crystal is perfect. Dial & hands a faded, case is scratched, bezel is also faded...............crystal is perfect.

I'll take sapphire thank you very much.

But at this price point? Orient is a great value, part of the value is cost & sapphire would add to the cost.


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## cbaytan (Oct 2, 2011)

r80rew said:


> Im finding it hard to find somebody in the UK who does re-lume so this seems a nice easy alternative.


In general thinking you are right, but there are some exceptions for me for instance look below, those watches hardly can have a curved highly domed sapphire, and not in the near future but definitely it's in my list. Just got to be careful.

Orient Star Class Model WZ0061EJ Tonneau Case - BDWF Forum Index Page


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## robatsu (May 25, 2011)

cbaytan said:


> In general thinking you are right, but there are some exceptions for me for instance look below, those watches hardly can have a curved highly domed sapphire, and not in the near future but definitely it's in my list. Just got to be careful.
> 
> Orient Star Class Model WZ0061EJ Tonneau Case - BDWF Forum Index Page


I've got the silvery white faced version of this (WZ0051ej) and a couple of other Orient Star classic models with even more highly domed mineral crystals (WZ0011EJ and WZ0011FH). I've also got Orients and other watches with sapphire crystals. It isn't a huge difference for me either way. One thing, and it is hugely subjective, is that the mineral crystals feel a little more warm/smooth to the touch, but that may just be because they have nice curves/domes on them.

Anyhow, I'll take either, although for something athletic, banging around kinda watch, I probably would go w/sapphire. I don't see any issues w/mineral for dressier watches that I'm not banging around.


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## ErikS (May 21, 2009)

Oh man, I like that one.......................sucker for a tonneau case. I'd have to agree - mineral is fine for a watch that's for "dress" (though I'd still like sapphire, even for a a dollar increase)


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