How to Choose the Best Watch Crystal for Your Seiko Mod

The watch crystal is a thin clear cover that protects and displays a wristwatch’s face. There is a wide variety of watch crystals to suit the design of different timepieces, but in choosing watch crystal materials, watchmakers focus on three things: clarity, durability, and cost.

A lot of raw and processed materials can satisfy these three considerations. However, the most widely used watch crystal materials are plexiglass, mineral glass, and sapphire glass.

What are the differences among these three materials, and what is the most ideal for a Seiko mod? This post will try to answer all those questions and more.

Plexiglass Crystal

Plexiglass is the most economical material among the choices. It is made by mixing resins, fibers, and plasticizers. The resulting compound is then shaped with heat and pressure.

Since plexiglass is cheaper, it is the popular watch crystal material choice for lower-end watches. It is also ideal for huge, thick watch crystals where scratch resistance is not a primary concern.

Advantages:

• Easy to manufacture
• Affordable
• Easy to polish
• Will not break quickly
• Stays in place even when cracked

Disadvantages:

• Low scratch resistance
• Less vivid visibility
• Prone to clouding

If you are modding a Seiko watch and you put a premium on durability over everything else, a plexiglass watch crystal may be the choice for you. Although it is easily scratched and can cloud significantly, you can simply replace it since it is a cheaper material.

Mineral Glass Crystal

Mineral glass is made by fusing sand with limestone, forming a glass that is then processed. It is treated with heat and chemicals to strengthen and harden it.

Mineral glass is a good compromise for watch crystals that are less expensive than sapphire but more scratch-resistant than plexiglass. Most mid-range watches use mineral glass as watch crystals.

Advantages:

• Elegant-looking
• More affordable than sapphire crystals
• Less brittle than sapphire crystals
• More scratch-resistant than plexiglass
• Can be treated to increase scratch resistance 
• Cost-effective watch crystal replacement

Disadvantages:

• Less scratch-resistant than sapphire crystals
• Less impact-resistant than plexiglass
• More challenging to polish than plexiglass

Mineral glass is ideal as a replacement watch crystal rather than a mod part. It does not offer the luxury of a sapphire, but it is slightly below the durability of plexiglass. But if you own a watch with a plexiglass crystal and want to try a sapphire crystal despite your limited budget, the mineral crystal is a good in-between for you.

Sapphire Crystal

Sapphire is a highly transparent, naturally occurring crystal. It is formed from slowly cooled magma, allowing the crystals to grow larger. However, the sapphire used in watch crystals is synthetically produced.

Despite this, sapphire watch crystals are sought after and are the most expensive among the crystal choices. Its high clarity, scratch resistance, durability, and luxurious finish make it the ideal choice for high-end watchmakers.

Advantages:

• Excellent scratch resistance
• Wonderful clarity
• Additional chemical treatments make it look invisible

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• Scratch-resistant but brittle
• Challenging to polish

Sapphire watch crystals have been a top choice for Seiko watch modding enthusiasts. They offer additional elegance to the watch, and their exceptional clarity and scratch resistance allow the other watch modifications to shine.

Conclusion

Despite the popularity of sapphire crystals for Seiko mods, there is no one-size-fits-all crystal that is ideal for a modding project. The most recommended material to use will depend on the project’s budget, design, and purpose.

Modding is an activity that allows you to express your unique sense of style. The most important criterion in choosing a watch crystal is your happiness above all.

Crystaltimes USA is the largest and most trusted name in Seiko mod parts in the US. We offer a wide array of high-quality mod parts, including sapphire crystals, bezels, movements, SKX013 mod parts, SRP turtle mod parts, and so much more. Browse our online shop today!