Is the sapphire crystal watch scratched? Can we polish it?

Sapphire-glass watches are chosen by many people to buy because of the scratch-resistant feature, keeping the watch shiny. However, there are still cases where the sapphire crystal is scratched due to many reasons. So can polish the glass again? Please follow this article.

1. Why is your sapphire crystal scratched?

- What is sapphire glass?

Sapphire glass is resistant to corrosion and scratches . High hardness sapphire crystal is made up of powdered aluminum oxide (Al2O3), the only stone that can scratch sapphire is diamond .

- The cause of scratching the sapphire glass

Currently, sapphire glass does not use 100% natural sapphire, but is artificially produced and mixed with many additives , which has reduced the original hardness of the sapphire. In addition, on the market, there are a lot of counterfeit and poor quality products, if you are not really knowledgeable, distinguish sapphire glass, it is easy to be bought wrongly.

There are 3 types of sapphire glass commonly used: Thin-coated sapphire (only coated with a thin layer of very brittle, fragile sapphire ), thick- coated sapphire (thicker sapphire-coated, longer-lasting), block sapphire (glass type best scratch resistant, hard to break).

2. Should I re-polish the watch sapphire crystal?

Polishing sapphire is very difficult, requires high cost of materials, specialized machinery, requires experience and meticulousness of the craftsman . So watch repairers will refuse to polish the sapphire or polish at a high cost , often recommending a replacement .

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But if you are limited on budget or the glass you want to replace is not available, you can still polish the sapphire crystal at home with diamond powder using the instructions below.

Note: If you have a sapphire crystal at a reasonable price, you should still replace it. Since polishing is time-consuming, some uneven glass surfaces if you are not skillful will sometimes damage (convex, concave, distorted) the watch surface.

3. How to polish the sapphire crystal with diamond powder

Diamond Paste ( Diamond Paste) you can order from abroad through acquaintances or websites like Amazon . You should choose a diamond powder with 3 particle sizes from 0.25 - 9 micron: particle size from 6-9 micron to remove large scratches, 4-5 micron particle size to help remove moderate scratches, particle size from 0.25 -3 micron for final re-polishing.

Should buy diamond powder in tubes, cylinders to save money (do not need to use the big jar because the price is high and does not need much).

- Step 1

Use glass cleaner and towel to clean the glass. Then remove the sealing tape around the watch face.

Note: Must be tightly sealed to avoid diamond powder stick to wire, watch frame will cause scratches during diamond powder rub.

- Step 2

Rub a large particle size diamond powder (eg 9 micron) onto the scratched glass, then rub the gauze bandage (lint-free cloth) and rub evenly (in one direction) where the scratch is visible until the scratch is completely gone.

Note: Carefully rub the surface so that the surface is symmetrical, not to be concave or defective.

- Step 3

Continue to take the smaller diamond powder (like 6 micron) and use a clean gauze to manipulate as step 2.

- Step 4

Using the smallest diamond powder (for example 3 micron), scrubbing like step 2 or 3 helps to polish the glass surface.

Note: You should be patient to rub for a long time (about 1 hour) to see the best effect. Use a magnifying glass to check again that the scratches have faded.

- Step 5

Use alcohol or glass cleaner to wash the glass surface, then gently dry with a towel.

Sapphire is very difficult to polish, especially for curved glass surfaces . Failure to be careful can dent, distort or crack the glass.

The above manual method is only a temporary cure for small scratches. Ideally, you should replace it at a reputable repair center .

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