Omega seamaster 300m professional with 8800 - ceramic bezel numbers longevity

onurzirh · Mar 24, 2025

I'm on the edge of buying a black Seamaster 300M. I can't really decide if I should buy a new one or a used older generation (2500D). The old one has a plain, simple dial, while the new one is a bit more flashy with its wavy design.

The other thing is, the new one has a black ceramic bezel with white numbering. While this creates a great, contrasty look, I'm wondering if the white color will turn yellow over time. This watch has been sold since 2018, so maybe some long-time owners can give me some insight. Thanks in advance.

padders · Mar 24, 2025

I’ve seen the white numbers going porous on one example. That is to say under slight magnification small holes could be seen. No idea what caused it or it it is common but don’t assume those bezels will stay the same or are imperious to scratches for that matter. They aren’t. I’ve not noticed any colour change myself. On balance I prefer the aluminium, steel or gold bezels.

onurzirh · Mar 24, 2025

padders
I’ve seen the white numbers going porous on one example. That is to say under slight magnification small holes could be seen. No idea what caused it or it it is common but don’t assume those bezels will stay the same or are imperious to scratches for that matter. They aren’t. I’ve not noticed any colour change myself. On balance I prefer the aluminium, steel or gold bezels.

Ceramic bezels shouldn't scratch, unless you scratch it witch diamond or glass.

padders · Mar 24, 2025

onurzirh
Ceramic bezels shouldn't scratch, unless you scratch it witch diamond or glass.

Whether it should or not, it does. Sapphire crystals too. I can't say for definite how it happened since the watch came to me that way. Surmising for a second, in the past I've dragged a watch across the top of a car side window before when exiting so perhaps that was it. Or perhaps the previous owner stored it in a bag with his wife's diamond jewellery. Whatever, It does happen. Both ceramic and sapphire can scratch. Or shatter if dropped at the wrong angle.

ErichPryde · Mar 24, 2025

onurzirh
Ceramic bezels shouldn't scratch, unless you scratch it witch diamond or glass.

Or any sandpaper that has bits of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide (which is a lot of sandpapers), industrial sapphire or diamond, and any exotic minerals in jewelry like any corundum, chrysoberyl; possibly beryl, topaz, spinel and a handful of others. It's hard to scratch yes- and even light, non-abrasive contact with these substances may not scratch it- but it can be scratched.

It's a lot more likely to chip via accidental striking but not likely for that to happen either.

And one last thing, glass won't scratch zirconium dioxide ceramic. And a glasswood, so would pretty much any silicate compound with a hardness of 7 on the planet (so, many silicate in the Earth's crust) and it would defeat the purpose.

Whether it should or not, it does. Sapphire crystals too. I can't say for definite how it happened since the watch came to me that way. Surmising for a second, in the past I've dragged a watch across the top of a car side window before when exiting so perhaps that was it. Or perhaps the previous owner stored it in a bag with his wife's diamond jewellery. Whatever, It does happen. Both ceramic and sapphire can scratch. Or shatter if dropped at the wrong angle.

@padders Most likely scenario is contact with a high abrasive sandpaper. Across the top of a car window, it's going to scratch the glass off onto the sapphire. I've seen things like auto paint become stuck on the sapphire surface (and very difficult to remove) via accidental contact.

onurzirh · Mar 24, 2025

Just check the material hardness, or strain/stress graph. Harder materials can scratch softer materials. You may have scratched the ar coating on top of saphire glass.

Hard materials break, soft materials deform. That's why you see dents on metals, metals are soft. Ceramic and sapphire will shatter or chip.

Omega seamaster 300m professional with 8800 - ceramic bezel numbers longevity

onurzirh

padders

onurzirh

padders

ErichPryde

onurzirh

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