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GorillaHead

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2022
42
142
No worries. And really just relaxing at home over the weekend and a trip to a restaurant. I think it knocked against the table in the restaurant (a wooden table) which is my own fault. I also do expect that to continue to happen as these things are going to take knocks against objects. But the chamfered edge in my opinion is a weak point. If it was smooth lip instead then I don’t think it would have damaged the case.
Def concerning
 

AppleTLDR

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 3, 2015
103
195
United Kingdom
Ill probably keep it for about a 11 months and try to sell it for 700 usd. Hopefully second gen is better. I just love the way it looks. It looks like an actual watch. The others not so much
I’m gutted as I really wanted to love it. And in many ways I do. I like the appearance and it feels really well made. Just a couple of things that mean it probably isn’t right for me I don’t think.
 
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drew0020

macrumors 68020
Nov 10, 2006
2,368
1,281
So as I suspected the Titanium case while strong, is extremely susceptible to marks and chipping. After just one weekend of ownership and with very light use, the chamfered edge on mine has already acquired a chip. I haven’t been out exploring, running, or doing anything labor-intensive. Just relaxing at home, a trip to a restaurant, and driving. The chip I think was acquired after the case came into contact with the dinner table. Absolutely on me. But if it chips this easily during such a short space of time with general day-to-day use, it’s going to look awful after 6 months of regular use. And the raised lip I’ve found is sharp and uncomfortable. I just can‘t understand why Apple decided to add chamfered edges to a product marketed on durability when they are so easy to damage.

All in all, I appreciate what Apple tried to do here to protect the display but I think their attempt at a functional design actually trades away some functionality. The smooth edge for comfortable swiping and navigation of the UI has given way to an exposed, sharp ridge.

This won’t be a concern for everyone but for me, it’s a deal breaker (along with the Digital Crown getting stuck on my wrist bone constantly and inadvertent pressing of the action button). Returning and going for a Series 8 in trusty stainless steel. I'll just deal with daily charging or use low power mode.

*Oh and the return is also due to discoloration on the antenna band as others have reported. Not acceptable at this price point.
Thanks for the great feedback. I share similar concerns about banging the watch (which you have proven to be true) and also the GPS/cellular band connection being easily marked up. Very tough…

My thoughts are when Apple says rugged they mean the screen is 100% protected, because every SS I have ever owned never had any dents or dings in the case that could not be buffed out (if you care to do that). I think the risk is more screen damage, but I’ve never had an issue with that either. I’ve had an SS/CEramic Apple Watch since the first version.

Good luck!
 

xDKP

macrumors 68020
Feb 27, 2011
2,490
2,638
Denmark
I've had the SS since the original, but for the 7 for the first time I got the titanium. Wanted to try something different. My SS would scratch up a lot, though I knew I could always polish it if it really bugged me. The titanium after nearly a year has held up excellent though, for what its worth.
My one year old Space Black Titanium looks new and haven’t got a single scratch. I know the Space Black might be hard to compare though
 

ArchEtech

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2022
474
429
It’s not necessarily the metal itself it’s how the metal is finished. Any kind of matte or satin finish is a lot harder to prevent from general blemishes and very light scratches.

Now what you can do is polish, those out with very fine, sandpaper, steel wool, and actually just a microfiber towel and nothing else. With my series 7 i used just a microfiber cloth to kind of buff out some of the general micro blemish. The downside of that is it ends up, eventually, becoming slightly more polished looking than satin, which some people may appreciate or not.

We’ll have to see how to finish on the ultra does. My initial thoughts are it’s going to be maybe a little more durable than the titanium S7, but may be harder to polish out.
 

MacGiver

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2007
946
214
France
So as I suspected the Titanium case while strong, is extremely susceptible to marks and chipping. After just one weekend of ownership and with very light use, the chamfered edge on mine has already acquired a chip. I haven’t been out exploring, running, or doing anything labor-intensive. Just relaxing at home, a trip to a restaurant, and driving. The chip I think was acquired after the case came into contact with the dinner table. Absolutely on me. But if it chips this easily during such a short space of time with general day-to-day use, it’s going to look awful after 6 months of regular use. And the raised lip I’ve found is sharp and uncomfortable. I just can‘t understand why Apple decided to add chamfered edges to a product marketed on durability when they are so easy to damage.

All in all, I appreciate what Apple tried to do here to protect the display but I think their attempt at a functional design actually trades away some functionality. The smooth edge for comfortable swiping and navigation of the UI has given way to an exposed, sharp ridge.

This won’t be a concern for everyone but for me, it’s a deal breaker (along with the Digital Crown getting stuck on my wrist bone constantly and inadvertent pressing of the action button). Returning and going for a Series 8 in trusty stainless steel. I'll just deal with daily charging or use low power mode.

*Oh and the return is also due to discoloration on the antenna band as others have reported. Not acceptable at this price point.
Thanks much for sharing. This has been my concern since the very beginning. I actually thought about this last year when rumors came up about a squared off series 7. And here we go…. A light bump/hit against the chamfered edge and you have a dent… not sure what Apple designers have in mind honestly! And they call it rugged. My S4 SS seems to be way more durable and it looks brand new. I am really torn now as on one hand I love the chunky, big watch aspect of it but I won’t stand having it damaged all around the screen case in a few weeks/months. 😤🧐
 

MacGiver

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2007
946
214
France
And it was looking good with a shirt/suit to answer to those wondering! I’ll give myself 10 days before I decide whether I swap it with a S8 SS.
 

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ArchEtech

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2022
474
429
I wanna see pictures of the chips in the titanium case and what happened in where to get them because I don’t believe it happen under normally use or even semi-extreme use.

It could chip easier than stainless depending on the alloy, because the stainless it more likely to bench and dent than chip maybe than Ti (I think Ti is stronger but more brittle typically) Finish is going to vary by metal type but also by the finish itself.
 
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MacGiver

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2007
946
214
France
I wanna see pictures of the chips in the titanium case and what happened in where to get them because I don’t believe it happen under normally use or even semi-extreme use.
What do you mean? Are you saying the OP is telling BS? Photos speaks for themselves… If you have an Ultra, try to hit it gently against your table and let us know about your watch 🤓🤔
 

AppleTLDR

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 3, 2015
103
195
United Kingdom
Thanks for the great feedback. I share similar concerns about banging the watch (which you have proven to be true) and also the GPS/cellular band connection being easily marked up. Very tough…

My thoughts are when Apple says rugged they mean the screen is 100% protected, because every SS I have ever owned never had any dents or dings in the case that could not be buffed out (if you care to do that). I think the risk is more screen damage, but I’ve never had an issue with that either. I’ve had an SS/CEramic Apple Watch since the first version.

Good luck!
No problem at all! :) I wanted to ensure people have this information available to them if they’re thinking of making the purchase.

I suspect you’re right, the display is the focus when it comes to durability, less so the watch case. Perhaps as you say that‘s the point given that this is a utilitarian device.
 
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AppleTLDR

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 3, 2015
103
195
United Kingdom
Thanks much for sharing. This has been my concern since the very beginning. I actually thought about this last year when rumors came up about a squared off series 7. And here we go…. A light bump/hit against the chamfered edge and you have a dent… not sure what Apple designers have in mind honestly! And they call it rugged. My S4 SS seems to be way more durable and it looks brand new. I am really torn now as on one hand I love the chunky, big watch aspect of it but I won’t stand having it damaged all around the screen case in a few weeks/months. 😤🧐
No worries! Really happy I could help by sharing my experience :)

And it really was a light bump that you could expect from general day-to-day life. Not through intense use or while doing manual labor, climbing or even from being in the gym.
 

AppleTLDR

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 3, 2015
103
195
United Kingdom
I wanna see pictures of the chips in the titanium case and what happened in where to get them because I don’t believe it happen under normally use or even semi-extreme use.

It could chip easier than stainless depending on the alloy, because the stainless it more likely to bench and dent than chip maybe than Ti (I think Ti is stronger but more brittle typically) Finish is going to vary by metal type but also by the finish itself.
If you scroll further up the thread I included two photos. I'll attach them again below. But I can assure you the chip was obtained from very light, general use. It was a minor knock against a wooden table when taking my seat at a restaurant. Very casual use.

Again it's my fault for knocking it but watches get knocked against day-to-day objects all of the time. Many people won't care about these chips on the chamfered edge. But that doesn't change the fact that these will occur in regular casual use. In my case I wasn't out exploring, I wasn't doing any manual labor or even at the gym. Just a chilled family weekend at home and a meal at a restaurant. No reason to be dishonest about how it occurred. I just want other people to be able to make informed decisions. If they're happy to accept that these chips will occur, then great! At least they're braced for it ahead of time.
 

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PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,228
Midwest America.
And it was looking good with a shirt/suit to answer to those wondering! I’ll give myself 10 days before I decide whether I swap it with a S8 SS.

I think that was what removed a lot of the finish from the Garmin fenix that I had. It was black, and I think titanium, and the black started wearing off. I was shocked but denim can be a stout fabric and cause increased friction that apparently could rub it off. I expect some discoloring with my AE AW. So far there is only one scratch just above the crown. *shrug* Eventually nearly any fabric will cause some loss of color/coating. When I sold it I advertised it as 'broken it coloration', and didn't hide that it was lighter in spots. The purchaser liked that idea apparently. I'm hoping with colder weather on the way, the AE AW will survive in Bristol fashion.
 

ArchEtech

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2022
474
429
Good pictures - thanks. Those don’t look like hard knocks otherwise the screen would show where the hits were probably.

So the watch isn’t going to break, but using it ruggedly isn’t going to keep it looking like a dress watch. It will be interesting to see long term tests on wear. If the finish is soft, even if the watch still functions after abuse, having things scratched to hell won’t fly.
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,759
2,774
And it was looking good with a shirt/suit to answer to those wondering! I’ll give myself 10 days before I decide whether I swap it with a S8 SS.
What band is that? I use the leather link on mine and it feels kinda weird. I want a brown leather link though.
 

ArchEtech

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2022
474
429
Truthfully my S7 Ti scratched a bit but I could buff them out with a microfiber. It took on good hit and just barely scratched the case, similar to the OP but the glass bubble didn’t have a scratch all all. Not a Mark. I was still able to use 4000 grit, steel wool and blend it back in perfectly. Over time the S7/S8 Ti finish with get a little more polished and glossy from rubbing on clothing.

I certainly hope similar wear that my previous watches go through didn’t mean way more scratches. This Ultra finish looks like it will hold up to clothing buffing better, but scratches will be more noticeable.
 
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MacGiver

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2007
946
214
France
Can you post any pics of the SB Titanium.
My one year old Space Black Titanium looks new and haven’t got a single scratch. I know the Space Black might be hard to compare though
The problem is not scratches but the squared off form factor for dinks you will get super easily even slightly bumping a surface. No such issues with a rounded curved watch.
 
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