BCE Ultimate: scratch-sensitive crystal

[shultz]

Hi there,

I purchased an ultimate BCE from Angus very early right after release. The watch is truly nice, no doubt. Even the asian 7750 is running well and looses just 2 to 3 secs a day. But now I notice a few small scratches on the crystal. I am not sure if the outer ar coating is scratched or the crystal (which is promised to be sapphire...).
What's your experience?

 

[Sylar]

Saphire crysltal should not sratch easily. You can do the water drop test to see if its really saphire rather than mineral.

 

[hk45ca]

i was wondering if anybody else was going to mention this problem. i have some small scratches in mine also. i looked with a loupe and it appears to be the ar coating. it looks to me that when they applied the ar they didn't hard coat it. i think this is going to be a large problem in the future. i have already talked to another member that kept cleaning the finger prints from the crystal on his steelfish and rubbed part of the ar off. he had to polish the ar off of the outside of the crystal. basically it is not durable at all as far as i can see.

 

[Sylar]

HK I was too warned about the AR on the Steefish scratching and peeling off. I exposed mine to elements in the ocean, and pool and rivers and it did not looke that it scratched. I did not look at with a loop but I examined it closely before I sold it and did not see problems. I was prob lucky but I did hear from other memebers that their AR coat was coming off.

Its time for a flavor flav AR job.

 

[shultz]

I am owning the steelfish, too. Actually that is my daily beater and there is not one minimal scratch on the crystal/ ar coating. I assume the steelfish ar quality is way better than on the BCE. Probably later I'll have to remove the ar coating on my BCE. That's not an easy job, optical companies use to removed it with acid, brrrr! Over on RWG I read that chieftang would try to remove it with nail polish remover and steelwool 000. Sapphire crystal should withstand that procedere (hopefully!!!!)

 

[maxmlian]

HK I was too warned about the AR on the Steefish scratching and peeling off. I exposed mine to elements in the ocean, and pool and rivers and it did not looke that it scratched. I did not look at with a loop but I examined it closely before I sold it and did not see problems. I was prob lucky but I did hear from other memebers that their AR coat was coming off.

Its time for a flavor flav AR job.

Actually it is Chieftang over at rwg, doing the actual Ar coating, Flav is just removing and reinserting the crystals for some members.
Just wanted to post this so Flav doesent get like 1000 pms asking for a Ar coating job.

 

[janpas]

What's the waterdrop test? Drop the whole watch in the water or let little drops fall on the watchglass? What can you see then?

 

[dadog13]

What's the waterdrop test? Drop the whole watch in the water or let little drops fall on the watchglass? What can you see then?

here is a useful link to you...http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=19856&hl=water+drop+test

as for the info regarding the AR, it's really a pity to hear that...paying serious $$$ for the reps advertised with "GREAT AR" and finding after some time that it isn't so great...

 

[watchman12345]

Mines perfect and I regularly polish the crystal with a polishing cloth.

 

[azgjav]

it might be a better option to go for the dbl ar coating w chieftang. i've a few gen breitlings and the ar on the perfect bce can't be compared to any of em.

 

[shultz]

it might be a better option to go for the dbl ar coating w chieftang. i've a few gen breitlings and the ar on the perfect bce can't be compared to any of em.

I completely agree! The ar on my gen Breitlings is quite resistant, even on my rep steelfish. I am afraid my BCE crystal has been ar coated on a monday.... :?

 

[Arlequin]

Or even on a Friday afternoon yo catch the weekend dropship?

 

[b16a2]

Sounds like the AR is scratching, Sapphire is very resitant. This is the problem with dual AR, even the gens aren't scratch proof. Maybe send it off to be re-AR'd?

 

[1976]

I saw up on timezone a guy with a gen HBB having the same problem,Ar going off,the guy freeked out.We are lucky collecting reps.

 

[crick]

scratches on AR coating happens on gens too:

just the luck of it if you have AR coating on the outside.

 

[takashi]

That's the drawback of double coating... it happens on genuine Sinn 756 too...