Sapphire vs Acrylic vs Mineral Crystals – Which one is better for your Seiko watch

A watch crystal is one of the most important features of a timepiece. It’s a glass window that protects the face of your watch, which means that it is also susceptible to taking the brunt of everyday wear-and-tear. It keeps dust, water, dirt, and any other outside elements from coming into contact with the dial and its movement.

Seeing as a watch crystal serves such an essential function, choosing the right materials with varying degrees of strength is critical. Speaking of which, there are three types of crystals used in watches: sapphire, mineral, and acrylic.

Defining the Benefits and Differences of Sapphire, Mineral, and Acrylic Crystals

1. Acrylic Crystals

One of the oldest crystals for wristwatches, acrylic is an affordable and durable choice as the material is made from plastic. While it isn’t necessarily the go-to choice for luxurious brands, it can protect your watch even from taking the hardest of hits as acrylic crystals are resistant to cracks and shattering.

It is a tough, flexible, and transparent crystal. When combined with the lightness of the material, it results in an ideal beater timepiece for everyday wear. While the acrylic surface can easily scratch, one of the best parts in acrylic crystals is that scratches can easily be polished off, allowing you to make it look good as new even after near death.

2. Mineral Crystals

Mineral crystals are the perennial favorite among entry-level designer brands like the iconic Seiko due to its understated elegance and resistance to scratching. The material is made by using heat or chemicals to harden the surface, allowing it sport a polished look for years to come as it has little-to-no chances of splintering.

3. Sapphire Crystals

Arguably the most luxurious material and renowned type of crystal in the world of watches, sapphire crystals has earned its unparalleled reputation as the material itself comes only second to diamond on the universal scale of hardness.

This means that it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and scratch-resistant crystals to-date, making it an excellent choice for upscale timepieces. However, the main drawback is that the hardness of sapphire crystals make it brittle, which means that it is prone to shattering when the glass window makes a direct, forceful impact with a hard object.

Nonetheless, sapphire crystals is still the best of the bunch in top-end watches as the watch crystal uses impressive craftsmanship and high-end tools like diamonds to cute and shape the sapphire crystal.

Conclusion: Choosing Between Sapphire and Mineral Crystal Watches

As mentioned above, each type of crystal presents their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Acrylic is the best choice for casual wear as it is the one that can sustain the most damage, while mineral crystal is the most cost-efficient pick.

Sapphire crystals, on the other hand, is a must-have for avid watch collectors as it adds a sophisticated and highly-functional feature to your beater timepiece.

Should you want to switch up parts on your Seiko watch, get in touch with us today for Seiko mod parts in the USA. We’re happy to help!