I am constantly amazed at how soft Hesalite is. The crystal on my Speedmaster is forever getting scratched during day to day wear.

Luckily the softness also means is REALLY easy to polish with a bit of Polywatch

Am I using the best stuff? I use this - http://amzn.to/27GWzB2

 

I am using the same. Are there alternatives?

 

It's part of the experience, I'm afraid. I'm a bit OCD and like my watch to look like new and shiny, so had to skip Hesalite.

It might be "very easy to polish with Polywatch" but the reality is that it is also very easy to scratch. After getting used to sapphire, I don't think I'll ever go back to hesalite.

 

At first I thought I would get annoyed with all the scratches from wearing a watch with a plexi crystal but I quickly got over it based on your point about the ease of polishing and the fact that the watch is so much warmer in feel.

 

I use to not care about the hesalite until I started noticing all the milky, white rings around the sapphire Speedmasters I owned. After staring at them and realized how much it really bothered me, I'm not as opposed to acrylic/plastic over watches now. Sure they're easier to stratch, and you're bound to receive plenty of them during the time you own your watch, but it sure beats having a "halo" in the crystal.

 

The Hesalite crystal is an essential component of the Speedmaster look in my view. I gotta have it. The flat and cold-looking sapphire crystal with its characteristic white ring appeals less to me.

I've had good service from the Hesalite, not noticing it scratching to any extent, but the Speedmaster isn't chosen for rough duty use around here.

 

Polywatch is very good, but (almost by definition) something that will remove obvious scratches cannot leave a swirl-free finish. I use Meguiar's No. 9 on a Foredom for that, and it's great. All swirls gone, even under a loupe. Using power tools on a watch can have disastrous consequences, so practice on some scrap plastic first.

 

I can't do sapphire crystals anymore. I've sold all my sapphire watches. Now just Hesalite Omega and acrylic Rolex for me. The occasional need of buffing scratches out of plastic versus the glare, smudges(yikes!), and lack of warmth/character/class in the sapphire is a worthwhile trade off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Scratches and acrylic watch crystals go hand-in-hand. I only have three watches with acrylic crystals so keeping those crystals clean and shiny is not an overwhelming chore. I've found that wearing a watch with an acrylic crystal makes me more danger-aware about watch wearing in general. I've also found that the incidence and severity of watch crystal scratching is proportional to alcohol consumption.

 

Was going to post asking how y'all manage so many scratches then figured the gods of tiny gears would punish me severely. Of course I sit like a slug most of the day.

 

I've had great luck with Polywatch but the Meguire's is interesting. I use it on my cars. Are you using a powered wheel to polish or by hand?

 

How many times do you polish until it becomes thin enough to go through the hesalite crystal--just kidding (my earlier OysterDate had to be polished too).

 

I use it with a soft 2" buffing wheel on a Foredom rotary tool.

 

Yes - Xanax.

 

In this day and age, what's the point of hesalite crystal? What advantages does it have over sapphire? Is it vintage snobbery or am I just missing something?

 

No advantages, some people just think it looks nicer. If you want to call that snobbery that's fine with me.

 

What you're missing is scratches can be buffed out easily, while with sapphire, you can do nothing with scratches at all.

Also, on some Speedmasters with sapphire, the crystal's edge sticks out like a sore thumb blocking partly the view of the dial.

Another point is, vintage Moonwatches only came with hesalite crystal. There's nothing you can do about it either.

 

Part of the experience

 

In this day and age, what's the point to __________? (fill in anything done the old fashion way)

Well, I'll tell you what the point it - choice.

 

#plexiissexy

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk