Is mineral or sapphire crystal better?

When choosing a pocket watch, we usually pay attention not only to the style of the watch itself, but also to the protective glass. Indeed, not everyone will like a week after the purchase to notice scratches and opacities on their beautiful designer watches, as if they were already several years old. Therefore, the right choice of glass can save your accessory and prolong its life for a long time. Let us dwell on the two most reliable options and see if mineral or sapphire glass is better. Before you start directly comparing, it is worthwhile to figure out what each of them is. So, let's start with the mineral.

to contents ↑

Mineral

Mineral glass is made from artificial rock (usually quartz or silicate). This determines the properties of the material, on the basis of which we can conclude for ourselves which glass is better - mineral or sapphire.

Benefits

Here are its main advantages:

• Minerals are quite strong (5-6 units on the Mohs scale).
• Scratch resistant and polishable. However, they do not require special care.
• They are completely waterproof, so swimmers watches with such glass are definitely recommended.

Important! We can only rejoice at the cost account - with such impressive parameters, the material is relatively inexpensive. Therefore, such models are suitable for people who can not afford to spend large amounts of money.

disadvantages

Perhaps the main disadvantage of such a material is its strength. Although the glass resists scratches perfectly, falling from a great height will definitely leave a pile of fragments from it. Therefore, it is important to exercise caution with such a watch. They can usually be identified by the Crystal glass label. But now, when such glass has gained great popularity, it is considered to be “ordinary glass”. It also makes it ordinary that in composition it is very similar to ordinary window panes.

Important! As a result, we can say that “minerals” have an affordable price, which is justified by resistance to scratches and minor damage. However, in terms of strength, in some aspects it is still inferior to conventional plastic ones.

to contents ↑

Sapphire crystal

The material from which it was made - artificial sapphire, is one of the most durable substances in nature. Based on this, we will consider its properties in order to understand what is better - mineral or sapphire glass.

Important! The only thing that can cause significant harm to such a pebble is a direct blow with a diamond, the only material that surpasses artificial sapphire in strength.

disadvantages

Let's start with the minuses: in view of the fact that the technology of “preparing” an artificial pebble is rather complicated and expensive, it costs a lot. However, the price subsequently fully justifies itself.

Benefits

What are the advantages of a sapphire crystal?

• First of all, it is worth saying that sapphire glass is almost impossible to scratch. It has high hardness and can withstand enormous loads.
• Such “pebbles” heat up much more slowly than others.
• The unique luster of this glass lasts quite a long time.
• Sapphire does not burn and does not get wet.
• Incredible transparency is simply amazing. If you do not look closely, you may not notice the glass.
• Do not want completely transparent? Some manufacturers specifically mix in the sapphire mass of dyes to make the color more natural - bluish.

to contents ↑

Which is better?

At first glance, it’s quite difficult to determine the winner. On the one hand - rather cheap, but not enough impact-resistant “minerals”, on the other hand - scratch-resistant heavy-duty, however, rather expensive “sapphires”. Here, it all more likely rests on your financial capabilities:

• If you want a good watch for your whole life, and at the same time you have enough money to afford a sapphire crystal, take it without hesitation. In addition to the price, it has no drawbacks per se.
• The rest is better to choose mineral, because it is a good glass at an affordable price.

Important! Alternatively, you can buy combination glass, for example, mineral glass with sapphire spraying.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Ultimately, the choice of which glass is best for watches is up to you. And remember that you need to choose such an accessory not only for one part, but for a set of characteristics, and there are not so few of them.