HOW BIG can you go..... with the sapphire crystal

[hkbob]

I recently found sources of inexpensive sapphire crystals and watchmakers would can replace them.
This got me thinking - I can get watches with good looks & movement, replace with sapphire, and voila, I get myself a keeper.

In talking to a guy about replacing a 40mm crystal, he chuckled and said - don't blame me if it breaks.
I asked another guy, and he also tried to talk me out of it.

Does anyone have any insight on this ? Is 40mm too big for sapphire due to its brittleness ?
The standard size only goes up to 40mm, thickness comes in 1mm or 1.2mm. Is 1.2 thick enough for 40mm ?
maybe I should opt for the dome crystals (1.3mm thick, I am told). Are dome crystals inherently less likely to break - is that why most big face watches have dome crystals ?

The Bell&Ross is gotta be at least 40mm across too, no ?

[estrickland]

My Astron Stratosphere (aka Death Star) has an edge-to-edge curved sapphire crystal which is 45.3mm across (it's a beast):




Haven't seen another watch which develops caustics (but the Ressence watches probably do):


... or this crazy lume, due to refraction through the crystal:


... but the watch is truly enormous at 48mm across.

[stuffler,mike]

Not going to discuss the skills and knowledge of the watchmakers you are in contact with. But 55mm domed sapphire is possible, see the Laco 55mm B-Uhr Replika

[hkbob]

This is great !
I feel safer even just walking down the street knowing WUS is on my side

thanks guys :)

[jilgiljongiljing]

THere are tons of watches above 40mm with sapphire crystals, heck most sports luxury watches nowadays outside of Rolex are 40+ all the way to 46-48 (some even larger) and they all use sapphire crystals. That said, the quality and sourcing will definitely play a big role in how clear it is, and how durable it is. Not all sapphire crystals and made the same.

[sticky]

I've got a 51mm watch with sapphire but it's rated to 1000M and I read somewhere that the crystal is over 7mm thick.

[Memphis1]

This is f---ing great !
I feel safer even just walking down the street knowing WUS is on my side

thanks guys :)

whatch out for the guy at the corner of lion rock road and carpenter road dressed in a red hoody and timberland boots.

[hkbob]

THere are tons of watches above 40mm with sapphire crystals, heck most sports luxury watches nowadays outside of Rolex are 40+ all the way to 46-48 (some even larger) and they all use sapphire crystals. That said, the quality and sourcing will definitely play a big role in how clear it is, and how durable it is. Not all sapphire crystals and made the same.

true that

[watch_hor]

My Astron Stratosphere (aka Death Star) has an edge-to-edge curved sapphire crystal which is 45.3mm across (it's a beast):




Haven't seen another watch which develops caustics (but the Ressence watches probably do):


... or this crazy lume, due to refraction through the crystal:


... but the watch is truly enormous at 48mm across.

Holy deep dish batman, you could eat a bowl of chowder out of that thing!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VabaX]

there are plenty that go above 40mm. the thing is though, they also go well above 1.2mm thickness.....