The Watch Thread - Part 14

[peaceheart]

New watch alert! My first German piece the Sinn 556i. This is a perfect go-anywhere-do-anything watch. AR coating on the top and bottom of the sapphire crystal makes it look like there’s no glass. And it is very nicely proportion.

556 says hi!

Yo yo, 656 here!

 

[cyrenic]

How much do you know about coating?

Without giving too much away, there are at least four common methods of applying an AR coating, the best being ion-beam sputtering or magnetron sputtering. These two methods are costly but they ensure the highest packing density for the coating, making them much more resistant to scratches.

Secondly, the coating materials also play a part. You can have a single layer of MgF2, which is effective, but not the best when it comes to cutting down reflections. A multilayer dielectric coating is best, such as alternating TiO2 and SiO2, and you can even try different materials such as HfO2 with SiO2 with different refractive indices for increased scratch resistance.

I have no idea what the coating process is like for the Sinn, but your statement that external AR "is really useless for a tool watch" is spurious at best.

Ok so after all that jargon I guess it is still not as scratch resistant as a sapphire crystal?

People don't like to see scratches on their watch after wearing it while doing all sorts of things that could damage the AR coating la, nothing wrong with that what? Different people different strokes. Surely you don't take everything too literally... If not best not to come to online forums, because people generally don't sit down and write as if they are sitting for exams...

This is a highly debated topic in watch forums, without the need for all sorts of chemistry. It's a simple topic - do I like scratches on my watch crystal surface or not. The fact that you could indeed make the AR coating tougher means nothing if it's not as tough as a naked sapphire? (Please don't use cheem words like spurious on me my little head will explode. )

 

[atypicalsingaporean]

Good info. Never knew theres different AR coating.

Also, coating is usually optimized for a specific wavelength band and angle of incidence -- you usually can't get the best of both worlds, meaning a range of AOI and the entire visible spectrum (400-700 nm).

Usually they just have AR for around the yellow region (580 nm), so your AR coating appears a bit blue, for a large AOI range (maybe from 0 to 10 degrees)? The AR wavelength shifts as you change the AOI, so sometimes your AR reflection appears purplish, rather than blue.

 

[5star_pundit]

I bet you don't know a single thing about the watch movement and parts

LOLOLOL

Sent from HUAWEI ALP-L29 using GAGT

 

[atypicalsingaporean]

Ok so after all that jargon I guess it is still not as scratch resistant as a sapphire crystal?

People don't like to see scratches on their watch after wearing it while doing all sorts of things that could damage the AR coating la, nothing wrong with that what? Different people different strokes. Surely you don't take everything too literally... If not best not to come to online forums, because people generally don't sit down and write as if they are sitting for exams...

This is a highly debated topic in watch forums, without the need for all sorts of chemistry. It's a simple topic - do I like scratches on my watch crystal surface or not. The fact that you could indeed make the AR coating tougher means nothing if it's not as tough as a naked sapphire? (Please don't use cheem words like spurious on me my little head will explode. )

AR coatings can be quite scratch resistant, but they can't compare to having the naked sapphire crystal itself.

The point is, a lot of us like a clear dial with AR coatings on both sides of the crystal, and since AR coatings can be pretty resistant now, we can and do live with AR coatings.

Saying that AR coating is useless for a tool watch is kinda a fool's errand. A tool watch isn't just about banging it around with your hammer, but it's also used for its magnetic resistance, its GMT hand, its chronograph... nothing to do with rough usage, when the AR coating can survive well.

Edit: Saying that diving watches shouldn't have AR coating is reasonable, however.

 

[cyrenic]

I bet you don't know a single thing about the watch movement and parts

LOLOLOL

Sour ah sour

 

[edchys]

I bet you don't know a single thing about the watch movement and parts

LOLOLOL

Care to enlighten me?

Sent from HUAWEI ALP-L29 using GAGT

 

[cyrenic]

AR coatings can be quite scratch resistant, but they can't compare to having the naked sapphire crystal itself.

The point is, a lot of us like a clear dial with AR coatings on both sides of the crystal, and since AR coatings can be pretty resistant now, we can and do live with AR coatings.

Saying that AR coating is useless for a tool watch is kinda a fool's errand. A tool watch isn't just about banging it around with your hammer, but it's also used for its magnetic resistance, its GMT hand, its chronograph... nothing to do with rough usage, when the AR coating can survive well.

Yes well it's just like how some people feel that a sapphire crystal is a no no as it will be prone to shattering vs a hardened mineral crystal.

But it's just personal preference, I don't think GX literally meant that AR coatings have no place whatsoever on a tool watch, it's just his way of expressing that he doesn't like it on his. So chill! No need to get so heated up about personal preferences.

 

[atypicalsingaporean]

Yes well it's just like how some people feel that a sapphire crystal is a no no as it will be prone to shattering vs a hardened mineral crystal.

But it's just personal preference, I don't think GX literally meant that AR coatings have no place whatsoever on a tool watch, it's just his way of expressing that he doesn't like it on his. So chill! No need to get so heated up about personal preferences.

Such vitriol about AR coatings is something I need to dispel. There is a time and place for doubly-coated crystals -- a blanket statement denouncing them is not doing anyone a favor.

There are people against sapphire crystals, and AR coatings, now, but once upon a time, people were against automatic transmission and autofocus.

 

[indigo22]

I bet you don't know a single thing about the watch movement and parts

LOLOLOL

Nomos is a homage brand to Daniel Wellington

True / False?

 

[atypicalsingaporean]

Nomos is a homage brand to Daniel Wellington

True / False?

True.

Lange is a homage brand to Daniel Wellington.

True/False?

 

[indigo22]

True.

Lange is a homage brand to Daniel Wellington.

True/False?

True .

 

[chromehead]

True.

Lange is a homage brand to Daniel Wellington.

True/False?

because ah lang eh son

 

[pwillie]

What you think?
$980 @ watch wonderland

Too ulu brand?

HardwareZone Forums app

certina has something similar in their DS action diver

 

[IndianChief]

Yo yo, 656 here!

Iwc mark wannabes

 

[addictzz]

Saw it in the flesh yesterday at Gnomon. Really beautiful. Am usually not a big fan of titanium build watches but this one is really solid-feeling despite its lightness.

i know this has been a while but this watch looking sooo good and so simple. Simple screams elegant. The frosted glass look on the dial steals my heart. What other details that differ this from Snowflake aside from the movement?

 

[DiCaprio]

i know this has been a while but this watch looking sooo good and so simple. Simple screams elegant. The frosted glass look on the dial steals my heart. What other details that differ this from Snowflake aside from the movement?

There's quite a bit more going on for the snowflake! But whether it's 6k sgd more is another question altogether heh. Here's a snap of a bud's snowflake taken earlier today

Sent from Tomorrowland using GAGT

 

[gaoxing84]

How much do you know about coating?

Without giving too much away, there are at least four common methods of applying an AR coating, the best being ion-beam sputtering or magnetron sputtering. These two methods are costly but they ensure the highest packing density for the coating, making them much more resistant to scratches.

Secondly, the coating materials also play a part. You can have a single layer of MgF2, which is effective, but not the best when it comes to cutting down reflections. A multilayer dielectric coating is best, such as alternating TiO2 and SiO2, and you can even try different materials such as HfO2 with SiO2 with different refractive indices for increased scratch resistance.

I have no idea what the coating process is like for the Sinn, but your statement that external AR "is really useless for a tool watch" is spurious at best.

Still useless to me..... I don't care how many methods are there for AR, it's not scratch proof then it's useless
Ya you may argue that sapphire isn't scratch proof at all, but crap happens to a sapphire crystal, you pretty much f it up big time.
But coating? Lol. It catches scratches easily, so easy.... And what happens? It looks ugly as hell. It's like, it's there but hey its not on the glass? So why use such a half a$$ tech?
Why use something on the outside when it can be done on the inside?
You know what's good? Plexiglass. Scratches on? Some poly watch will do the trick.

Tool watch = prepare to get it rough up (not as if we actually f it up) but if a tool watch catches scratches easily on the crystal which the main purpose of the watch is to tell the damn time at any angle which becomes hard to tell, it's useless.

I don't care how close or rather double AR allows us to see the dial like the crystal is not there. Useless tech that omega and sinn still uses it.

And sorry, I am not as technical as you, throwing all the scientific names around but to me personally, useless.

 

[gaoxing84]

Also, coating is usually optimized for a specific wavelength band and angle of incidence -- you usually can't get the best of both worlds, meaning a range of AOI and the entire visible spectrum (400-700 nm).

Usually they just have AR for around the yellow region (580 nm), so your AR coating appears a bit blue, for a large AOI range (maybe from 0 to 10 degrees)? The AR wavelength shifts as you change the AOI, so sometimes your AR reflection appears purplish, rather than blue.

Not a engineer of any kind.

I don't like to see scratches.
Tool watch having external AR is useless.

Don't get me wrong, internal AR, by all means. It's good cause it can't be touched or scratched.

External AR = joke. If it's not scratch proof, don't bother.

 

[gaoxing84]

AR coatings can be quite scratch resistant, but they can't compare to having the naked sapphire crystal itself.

The point is, a lot of us like a clear dial with AR coatings on both sides of the crystal, and since AR coatings can be pretty resistant now, we can and do live with AR coatings.

Saying that AR coating is useless for a tool watch is kinda a fool's errand. A tool watch isn't just about banging it around with your hammer, but it's also used for its magnetic resistance, its GMT hand, its chronograph... nothing to do with rough usage, when the AR coating can survive well.

Edit: Saying that diving watches shouldn't have AR coating is reasonable, however.

I think you got me wrong, I meant external AR. Not the entirety of AR.
Do you have or own any watches with external AR? Serious qn, not trolling or indicating you cannot afford.
It looks like d1ck when it's f up.