How to Figure Out Watch Crystal Replacement Costs Replacing the glass or crystal on a watch is a very common repair that can make your timepiece much nicer looking and far easier to use. Depending on the type of crystal used will help determine whether a chip can be repaired and how good it’ll look when done.
Types of Watch Crystals
Acrylic Crystals – You will pay the least for acrylics. They are light but scratch easily and shatter-proof. This makes it a great option for everyday watches; even if you scratch the crystal, acrylic can often be polished to remove minor scratches.
Mineral glass crystals: These are slightly better than acrylic, as they’re harder to scratch but can shatter on impact. This is the most well used type in mid range watches, balance of cheap and duty.
Stay tuned for Part III: A Buying GuideSapphire Crystals — Often found in luxury watches, sapphires are near as hard as diamonds and provide great scratch resistance. While more crack-resistant than glass, they can still be scratched or broken if enough force is applied – sometimes even accidentally.
Repair Process Overview
The process of replacing a watch crystal usually consists several steps which include:
Evaluation: A watchmaker assess the level of damage and find a suitable replacement.
Disassemble: Most likely you will have to disassemble the watch in order access the crystal.
Replace: The old crystal is taken out, and a new one with proper seal and alignment fit on the watch using specific tools.
Reassembly: All components are placed in their original location and the watch is assembled again.
Considerations for Repair
There are a few considerations to keep in mind when replacing crystals:
Luxury brands: only available trough an authorized dealer — they require a certified crystal career.
Professional Skills: If you try to replace it on your own, you risk further damaging the watch as a whole which is why using a professional repairman is ideal.
More damage: If the crystal is broken it may have allowed debris into the movement, requiring a complete service.
In a nutshell, watch crystal replacement sounds easy but needs to be done right and with proper materials&workmanship if you do not want that scratch or crack coming back anytime soon.