As you can see from the image above, an acrylic crystal can gather many scratches, especially one worn often. However, it is not scratch resistant, thus those bangs can still leave a mark. It is very durable, easily resisting bangs. The few that were not were made of mineral glass, or very expensive sapphire.Īcrylic has its advantages.

Up until the late 20th Century, most watch crystals were actually acrylic like the one in the image above. Rolex has combated this issue, using two varieties of crystals over the years in the production of their famous, luxury watches. Though glass provides a transparent view and lovely finish, it is not very durable. Thus, glass is not a good option for a watch cover. It must also be able to withstand being dropped, or set down roughly. It must also be durable, as it will be hit against things during typical wear. To be useful, it must be transparent otherwise the face of the watch will not be seen.

The crystal piece of a watch is one of the most important, yet most fragile parts.

Sapphire crystal