Protecting a wristwatch face?

[CZroe]

I hadn't worn a watch for years until one was given to me for my birthday a year ago but I fell right back into wearing it 24/7 as I have done with all my water-resistant watches over the years. It didn't take long before it got a bit banged up with scratches, gouges, and discoloration on the metallic band. The worst part is usually the face, where the gouges typically have what looks like paint and such ingrained in it.

Now, I've been dreaming of a Sony-Ericsson/Fossil MBW-150 Music Edition Bluetooth watch for ages and I finally found a deal on one: $59.99 for an EU version as opposed to $500 for the initial introduction and $315 at the next cheapest retailer (quite the drop!). Anyway, I bit the bullet and got one to play around with even though it's not going to work well on my iPhone (no caller ID, non-native BT stack, required to run Insomnia which kills battery life, etc). I left the packing film on the face and found a huge gash in it after my first day wearing it to work. The film was supposed to be removed, but I'm glad I left it on! Now I need to replace it ASAP because the film looks terrible!

Basically, I need something like Invisible Shield but available in various perfectly round sizes so I can measure and pick the right one.

 

[Leros]

Are you one of those people who leaves the plastic film on everything? I don't understand people like you.

 

[CZroe]

Are you one of those people who leaves the plastic film on everything? I don't understand people like you.

Only until I can replace it with a protector. In one day it's already proven to be a good tactic. You can actually find threads on the net where I tell people about films like that then never even noticed on their original Nintendo DS or GameBoy Advance SP (on the shiny Nintendo logo) and, thus, have likely never removed them. It annoys me too, especially when a boss or someone comes in and tries to scold me for taking one off. It's only intended to keep something looking new through packaging and shipping.

That said, I'm always pleased to find something old and dingy looking only to discover that it has one of those films on it which can be removed and make it look like new and doubly so when I got it for cheap because of it looking bad. For example, an NES Advantage arcade joystick I got years ago. They are plentiful and cheap, but I certainly had the best looking one I'd ever seen after finding the dingiest looking one ever and peeling off the film.

 

[Buckeye269]

Wouldn't buying a screen protector for a smart phone screen and cutting it to size work?

 

[halik]

Buy a real watch with sapphire glass?

 

[BladeVenom]

Just buy cheap watches.

 

[Spikesoldier]

get one made of diamond, you wont have this problem

 

[eber]

I'd just use a product called Polywatch to polish the plastic crystal every now and then. A brushed stainless steel band can be "polished" with a Scotchbrite pad.

 

[Born2bwire]

You can usually polish out all but the most offensive scratches. But as someone mentioned above, getting a sapphire coating would help protect against a lot of scratches. I've got a Speedmaster Pro which uses a hesalite facing(shatterproof) which isn't as scratch resistant but I can just polish out the scratches that I get. Plus, it's really cheap to replace (~$20 last I heard).

 

[lxskllr]

Scratches add character. Let the watch wear them as a badge of faithful service.

 

[stag3]

swatchguard

 

[0roo0roo]

If you wear it, just accept it will be scratched.

If you can't handle that you can't afford to wear it

 

[alfa147x]

Buy a good watch...



°

 

[Schadenfroh]

Any gorilla glass watch faces?

 

[paulney]

Any gorilla watch feces?

Hmmm... some of them do, I think. They are monkeys, after all.

 

[Texashiker]

Scratches on watch face = character

 

[CZroe]

OK, I found some films on eBay. Thanks anyway!

Wouldn't buying a screen protector for a smart phone screen and cutting it to size work?

I wouldn't have anything that can cut a perfectly clean circle.

Buy a real watch with sapphire glass?

It is a real watch from a real watch manufacturer (Fossil). How can I tell if it already has sapphire glass? After all, it is supposed to be a $500 watch.

Buy a good watch...



°

Show me an alternative that does what this does. I got it because I ride a motorcycle exclusively and have no way to control my phone with a gloved hand and no other way to tell the time while riding. Even Sony-Ericsson/Fossil no longer make an alternative. The newer Sony LiveView isn't even a watch really (full-color iPod nano-like Android remote with an optional wrist strap) and it can't be operated with gloved hands.

 

[alfa147x]

OK, I found some films on eBay. Thanks anyway!


I wouldn't have anything that can cut a perfectly clean circle.


It is a real watch from a real watch manufacturer (Fossil). How can I tell if it already has sapphire glass? After all, it is supposed to be a $500 watch.



Show me an alternative that does what this does. I got it because I ride a motorcycle exclusively and have no way to control my phone with a gloved hand and no other way to tell the time while riding. Even Sony-Ericsson/Fossil no longer make an alternative. The newer Sony LiveView isn't even a watch really (full-color iPod nano-like Android remote with an optional wrist strap) and it can't be operated with gloved hands.

It says your watch has

Mineral crystal scratch resistant face with antiglare coating

You'll be fine. Don't buy shitty watches that have regular shitty glass. Watches are suppose to be somewhat durable...

 

[lxskllr]

For a bike, get a cheap stick on clock, and put it on the gas tank or something. You could probably get a bag of them for a few dollars from a place like dealextreme.

 

[dighn]

It is a real watch from a real watch manufacturer (Fossil). How can I tell if it already has sapphire glass? After all, it is supposed to be a $500 watch.

they are more common on higher-end mechanical watches. if it has sapphire they'll say it. I doubt something like this would have it though - not that it's a bad watch, it's just a different market.

 

[iGas]

I can't help you if you are looking for form, but if function is what you are into then any cheap watch will do.

Such as this watch for $8.59

 

[CZroe]

It says your watch has

Mineral crystal scratch resistant face with antiglare coating

You'll be fine. Don't buy shitty watches that have regular shitty glass. Watches are suppose to be somewhat durable...

Thanks. In my experience, AG coatings can scratch even if the surface they coat does not and it looks every bit as bad, so I'm still going to try to protect it.

For a bike, get a cheap stick on clock, and put it on the gas tank or something. You could probably get a bag of them for a few dollars from a place like dealextreme.

And if they made them with CID and AVRCP, I'd be all over them!

they are more common on higher-end mechanical watches. if it has sapphire they'll say it. I doubt something like this would have it though - not that it's a bad watch, it's just a different market.

I got a fancy case with a leather pillow thing but I didn't even get a manual. Their website has long abandoned it. They also made a Classic and Executive Edition which had different faces, buttons, and bands, so it's hard to say what has what unless the spec list you are looking at was pretty specific. I'll be looking for that info too. Thanks.