Outer Anti-reflective coating

[Kukulcan]

My first ALT1-Z (2007) got a small mark on the reflective coating in 2011, when I hit a concrete wall pretty hard (case itself got a pretty huge ding).

Was time for a service anyway, so I had the glass replaced. The replaced glass had no problems at all for five years although I wore the watch 24/7 and didn't spare it.

Now I got me a new Bremont from 2016 and after only a month I got the first mark on the coating. It is awful. I love the look of the ZT and often just sit and stare at it and now it is as if someone is pushing asplinter into my eye.

In "historic" documents I still find that the "The scratch resistant sapphire crystal has 9 layers of hardened coating", but I can't find that on the website anymore. Now I read on this forum people have badly scratched crystals, which doesn't compute with 6 years 24/7 without a spot.

Any similar experience or official information the coating hardening process has been scrapped?

[RedsBluesGreens]

Hi Martin,

It is still a core part of the Bremont brand, and is indeed still mentioned on the website - alas, without the hardening statement.

Nine layers of anti-reflective treatment are applied to both sides of the sapphire crystals

And then:

SAPPHIRE WATCH CRYSTALS

Our convex sapphire crystals come with a Mohs hardness rating of 9. That’s also the equivalent to 2000Hv on the Vickers’ scale. Untreated crystals can allow light to reflect back, significantly affecting the legibility of the dial. So antireflective coatings are vapour-deposited to both sides of the glass in a vacuum environment, reducing reflections to less than 0.5% for optimum legibility.

So, after this, I went and asked Giles if they still hardened it as per the old website bio. He responded with this:

Yes, very much so, no changes there!

So that solves that!

J.

[Kukulcan]

Thanks for asking, Jake.

So I was either lucky for 5 years or totally unlucky I now have a mark after only a month

Or if more marks appear it might be a problem with manufacturing, it is not like every production step works out well every time.

[Bc321]

My first ALT1-Z (2007) got a small mark on the reflective coating in 2011, when I hit a concrete wall pretty hard (case itself got a pretty huge ding).

Was time for a service anyway, so I had the glass replaced. The replaced glass had no problems at all for five years although I wore the watch 24/7 and didn't spare it.

Now I got me a new Bremont from 2016 and after only a month I got the first mark on the coating. It is awful. I love the look of the ZT and often just sit and stare at it and now it is as if someone is pushing asplinter into my eye.

In "historic" documents I still find that the "The scratch resistant sapphire crystal has 9 layers of hardened coating", but I can't find that on the website anymore. Now I read on this forum people have badly scratched crystals, which doesn't compute with 6 years 24/7 without a spot.

Any similar experience or official information the coating hardening process has been scrapped?

Have you tried the Poly watch stuff? I had a ALT1-C (older version) with a scratch on the crystal. Poly watch took it right out and looked good as new.

[Kukulcan]

Have you tried the Poly watch stuff? I had a ALT1-C (older version) with a scratch on the crystal. Poly watch took it right out and looked good as new.

I don't see how that can help. The coating is gone at that spot and it won't come back. Could only polish the coating away completely.

[scwheeler]

While I don't know about the Poly stuff, it might take the hard edges off the scratch (which reflect the light) making it less visible.

[Sherduckian]

I also have an ALT1-ZT/51 for a few months now and I recently noticed that the anti-reflective coating is scratched on the crystal. Unfortunately, I am at least 3 years away from a service and the cost of replacing the crystal is significantly higher when done out of service. I am also a little surprised that this happened. No major impacts on the watch and I tend to "baby" my watches quite a bit. The case doesn't have a mark on it but the crystal is somehow scratched.

[Kukulcan]

It is unfortunate whatever the reason. I sure won't have the crystal replaced for £300+ with the chance of it happening again.

Too bad, as this reduces my enjoyment of the watch significantly. Damaged coating is a pet peeve of mine and the supposed invulnerabilty of the coating was a reason for me to choose Bremont in the first place

While I don't know about the Poly stuff, it might take the hard edges off the scratch (which reflect the light) making it less visible.

It is no scratch like a scratched crystal, which usually cant happen with saphire crystal. It has no edges as the coating is too thin to generate an edge.

[Bc321]

So how much is it to get the crystal replaced??? Not sure what happened but somehow put a significant scratch on mine right between the 7 & 8




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[jwalker9]

If I were you, I'd show it to the guys on the English Tour when they stop in Philly. See what they suggest?