Apple Watch Sapphire Crystal Display Cover Faces Drill in Scratch Test - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Watch Sapphire Crystal Display Cover Faces Drill in Scratch Test

iPhone service and repair website iPhonefixed earlier this week got its hands on a sapphire crystal Apple Watch display cover and decided to put the 38mm part through a scratch resistance test to weigh Apple's claims of a completely scratch-resistant sapphire display.

The website ran the display cover through its test, rubbing it against a stone wall, scratching it with a coin, key, and abrasive paper, and finishing off with tapping the screen with a hammer and drilling it with a power drill. Following the tests, iPhonefixed found Apple's promise of a scratch-resistant display to be entirely accurate, with not a single scratch or scuff on the screen even after all of the site's attempts at leaving a mark.

apple watch sapphire display
Apple's promotion of the sapphire crystal display cover marketed it as a material "ideal for protecting the Retina Display" on the Apple Watch, due to it being one of the hardest transparent materials on the planet next to actual diamonds.

Though iPhonefixed was not able to test the Apple Watch Sport's Ion-X glass display cover, with the lower-end model's "aluminosilicate glass that’s especially resistant to scratches and impact," it too is likely to hold up well to abuse.

Check out the full Apple Watch sapphire display cover scratch test video by iPhonefixed right here.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11

Popular Stories

series 10 apple watch titanium digital crown

Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System

Tuesday June 30, 2026 8:45 am PDT by
A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker. In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system. Citing...
3 4 24 Sport Band Refresh Feature

Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Watch Series 12 Could Introduce Sensor in Band

Friday July 3, 2026 8:54 am PDT by
The Apple Watch Series 12 could ship with a new health sensor built directly into one of its bands, according to a sketchy rumor from a known leaker. The leaker known as "Kosutami" says the sensor will be injection-molded into a silicone band, and only a silicone band, apparently because Apple has not yet solved how to embed similar hardware in bands made from other materials. No detail was...
watchos 27

Siri AI Comes to Apple Watch in watchOS 27 Beta 3

Monday July 6, 2026 1:24 pm PDT by
With watchOS 27 beta 3, Apple added support for Siri AI and the Siri app, so Apple Watch users can now use the features right from their wrist. Apple said Siri AI would be coming to the watch back when watchOS 27 was first introduced, but the feature wasn't live until now. The Dynamic App Grid that pops up when the Digital Crown is pressed displays the Siri app in the center, and the...

Top Rated Comments

147 months ago
Rotate the camera by 5 degrees, slow the video by 40%, change the shirt and whiten the background and you have this transformation.



Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
147 months ago
It is nice to have some positive news for a change.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Poochi Avatar
147 months ago
People who are buying (or pre-ordered) a screen protector are idiots.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
147 months ago
As somebody who has anywhere from two to three drills in my pockets at a time, this is welcomed news.

^ This would actually be funny if watches were kept in pockets…
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
147 months ago
I am happy to know that I can wear my $17k watch while working my construction job and not getting it all scratched up. :D
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
147 months ago
And yet you know Scratchgate is coming.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)