AR Coating on Outside...
: If you scratch the crystal, you are playing
: with some pretty hard stuff. On a hardness
: scale, sapphire is one step below diamond.
: Sapphire is twice as hard as the mineral
: below it (topaz). Quartz, is below that
: which is found alot in sand, but unless you
: are going to be on a beach of sapphires and
: diamonds, your crystal should be fine...that
: said, the AR coating may get scuffed up a
: bit. I believe I have seen posts, possibly
: by John R or Keith (guessing) saying you
: could tak your watch to a competent watch
: maker and have them take the outside AR
: coating of so the crystal would not appear
: scratched.
Yes, any watchmaker who works on luxury watches can easily remove the outer AR coating while you wait. There are even some "do it yourself" procedures like using hairspray, but I WOULD NOT try this on a $3400 watch. Leave it to a professional so you know it's done right. Heck, I'm a chemist and I wouldn't even do it myself!!!
I love everything about the Planet Ocean except that outer coating. Not only does it make the virtually "scratch-proof" sapphire crystal much more prone to scratching, but it also gives the black dialed watch that bluish hue under certain lighting conditions. And, like Mick said, it really doesn't need to be there. It does help to further reduce glare, but I think the inner coating is sufficient for all but the most extreme conditions. I also don't like the fact that it makes the crystal more prone to smudging and fogging up. Just my opinion....
