Can the ar coating be reapplied? I have a few tiny scratches on the ar coating and want them gone lol. Barely visible but unknown they're there. Will omega reapply the coating if I ask for it?

 

I believe they have to replace the crystal.

 

I asked in a OB about this for my PO, as I'd worn it to the beach and thought I had scratched the crystal - on inspection they said it was just that some of the AR had been scratched off and that the crystal needed to be replaced if I wanted to sort it out.

There may be an unofficial application of AR coating someone will do, but Omega's official line is that the whole crystal needs replacing (they quoted me £500, so I decided to put up with a few scratches instead!).

 

If that's the case, I'd rather buff it off with a cape cod cloth.

 

AR is not applied like paint, it's a number of very thin and precisely calibrated layers deposited on the naked glass or sapphire in a vacuum. You cannot just re-apply it when part of it is missing, or you would end up with the wrong thickness everywhere else.

So yes, you need a new crystal.

 

Thanks for clarifying .

 

If the scratches bother you that much, just remove the AR coating with Polywatch. Or get a hesalite Speedy.

 

Hesalite speedy....been there done that.
Ar scratches are very minimal....will leave as is for now. Cape cod cloth should be able to remove it right?

 

Yes, it can be reapplied. Dont know if Omega will do it. Might be cheaper with a new crystal as I'm quite sure they dont do it in-house.

It's just like glasses. It can be added on. But the original coating needs to be completely stripped off. And any imperfections on the surface may cause problems.

 

I wish they just applied it from the inside only.

 

They could apply it from the inside only, but then you would only get half the effect. A little less than half actually.

 

Crystals have gone up a couple of hundred $$s in the last few years

 

Have you had this done personally? If so, where?

Cheers, Al

 

If you don't like it on the outside, it's easily removed.

 

While working P/T as an optician in my Uni days. We did it all the time to lenses. Sent all sorts of lenses in, always with the caveat that there's no warranty with used lenses or recoat lenses with scratched AR coatings.

Theoretically, one could give those shops a watch crystal and have them go at it.

 

Thanks - I see this suggested all the time on watch forums, but have yet to find anyone who has actually done it.

My sister is an optician - she says they would never take in a watch crystal for this...so not so sure it's as easy as people make it out to be.

 

I've never needed to do it but still have contacts in the industry who will do it for me, if I want. The machinery to hold the lens in place can just as easily hold a crystal.

Dont know it that's just your sister's store policy or the coating factory's policy. As long as I said I wont hold them responsible if it breaks, pretty sure they'll do it. Lenses break all the time.

 

You should start a service...

 

Are they making lenses out of sapphire these days? Seems like AR made for polycarbonate lenses would not necessarily adhere properly to a contemporary watch crystal.

 

I'm not sure that an AR coating for a polycarbonate substrate would be ideal for a sapphire substrate. Sapphire has an extremely high refractive index.