• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

Nano liquid protection on sapphire?

Lagunax

I'm Pretty Popular
18/4/15
2,596
1,019
113
CONUS
Does anyone have any experience on using the "liquid nano" spray or rub on scratch protection that is touted for iPhones on sapphire watch crystals?

I did a search but didn't come up with anything here.

Not that sapphire is not hard enough, or that we are concerned with smudge or fingerprint resistance, but rather whether there is improved optical qualities - does it make the sapphire glossier or more
anti-reflective? Does it hide or fill in micro scratches?

I was just curious as I was reading up on it, I think it was nanofixit titanium, that touted improved optical transmission and color vividness, and also better pictures (reduced glare) from iPhone pictures. I do have a few low grade reps from early on in my RWI journey that have a dull, no AR sapphire that could be improved. I also have a couple of higher grade reps with Double AR outer surface microscratches that can be seen in sunlight too.

Any thoughts or experience? These nano protectors must all be pretty similar.
 

trailboss99

Head Honcho - Cat Herder
Staff member
Administrator
Certified
30/3/08
42,543
12,970
113
I have a feeling one of the main ingredients in that stuff is snake oil . . .
 

timnic54

Put Some Respect On My Name
16/2/16
3,409
1,247
113
Thailand
The front of a phone is glass 5.5 on the Moh scale.

Your watch crystal is Sapphire 9 on the Moh scale . The Moh scale in not linear so 3 to 5 reflects a hardness increase of only 25%t 9 to 10 reflects 300% So I would suggest that sapphire is in the region of 4 to 5 times harder than glass

The silicon Nano particle spray is basically glass. It will not do anything to protect something which is already many times harder than it.

IMHO a waste of time.

Most of the properties of that substance are Hydrophobic. But it will be less Hydrophobic than Sapphire as the Hydrophobia of a solid is directly related to its hardness
 

Lagunax

I'm Pretty Popular
18/4/15
2,596
1,019
113
CONUS
Yeah I hear you guys I know sapphire is pretty hard already, but was curious of the anecdotal customer reviews here and there say on Amazon of ppl that have placed it on their watches with improvement. The seem to say it makes the watch seem newer but is that due to the gloss or improved clarity? AR coating is also a microthin layer on sapphire too.
 

Lagunax

I'm Pretty Popular
18/4/15
2,596
1,019
113
CONUS
Someone with a spare old watch must test this
Well, was thinking of ordering that Amazon 4 pack for $20 to treat an iPad anyways.

I have an old sub and planet ocean low grade reps from watcharoo with little to no AR that frankly look very dull.

My KW Seagull St255 Pam 351's sapphire never looked great to begin with and I know that PAM reps are only single underlayer AR too - safe to try. Have a beater 299 too that might get it too.

I have a beater BPSD and more recently BP 16610 that doesn't have double AR that could use a little more gloss too.

But they say it is safe for sunglasses with AR and camera lens too.

My impression from reading reviews so far is that it doesn't give AR, but more of a protective gloss polarizing effect that would improve LCD clarity and camera photo taking.

In any case the sapphire does look dull(er) than my double AR reps so why not a little more gloss to my low grade reps and beaters?
 

WatchFnatic

Active Member
2/7/15
387
3
18
Well, was thinking of ordering that Amazon 4 pack for $20 to treat an iPad anyways.

I have an old sub and planet ocean low grade reps from watcharoo with little to no AR that frankly look very dull.

My KW Seagull St255 Pam 351's sapphire never looked great to begin with and I know that PAM reps are only single underlayer AR too - safe to try. Have a beater 299 too that might get it too.

I have a beater BPSD and more recently BP 16610 that doesn't have double AR that could use a little more gloss too.

But they say it is safe for sunglasses with AR and camera lens too.

My impression from reading reviews so far is that it doesn't give AR, but more of a protective gloss polarizing effect that would improve LCD clarity and camera photo taking.

In any case the sapphire does look dull(er) than my double AR reps so why not a little more gloss to my low grade reps and beaters?
Looking forward to seeing it! Make sure you take before&after photos.
I think youre on to something here.
 

timnic54

Put Some Respect On My Name
16/2/16
3,409
1,247
113
Thailand
Well, was thinking of ordering that Amazon 4 pack for $20 to treat an iPad anyways.

I have an old sub and planet ocean low grade reps from watcharoo with little to no AR that frankly look very dull.

My KW Seagull St255 Pam 351's sapphire never looked great to begin with and I know that PAM reps are only single underlayer AR too - safe to try. Have a beater 299 too that might get it too.

I have a beater BPSD and more recently BP 16610 that doesn't have double AR that could use a little more gloss too.

But they say it is safe for sunglasses with AR and camera lens too.

My impression from reading reviews so far is that it doesn't give AR, but more of a protective gloss polarizing effect that would improve LCD clarity and camera photo taking.

In any case the sapphire does look dull(er) than my double AR reps so why not a little more gloss to my low grade reps and beaters?

There are some terminology contradictions here. More gloss = more reflection. AR is anti reflection, as in less gloss.

More gloss and you see less dial, which is probably contrary to the desired effect.
 

gbxx

I'm Pretty Popular
24/3/14
1,513
37
48
I'm not sure about Nano - I did like Rain-X on my TC crystal. It made the non-ar date a little easier to read and it kept the sapphire a little cleaner for a little longer during the day.

I swapped my crystal for a genuine crystal with AR and am much happier. Just to set expectations, Rain-X isn't going to make it look like AR. And I doubt Nano will either. It'd be interesting to hear results from someone's effort...
 

mech500

Mythical Poster
6/4/12
8,253
3,594
113
UK
I need something to protect the x2 AR (not the sapphire). The outer AR scratches easily and looks ugly in sunlight
 

mech500

Mythical Poster
6/4/12
8,253
3,594
113
UK
How easily does the AR get scratched?

Even dust on the crystal surface can cause very light swirl marks in the AR.

My gen omegas all have swirls in the AR. Hard to notice but in certain lighting/angles they are VERY visible and ugly.