I felt it happen; it was an almost nauseating sensation. My beloved Apple Watch Series 7, squeezed like a slice of salami between a block of wood and my wrist that was supporting a nearly 75-pound package, finding a bit of sand dragging it along.
My arms, suddenly gaining herculean strength, quickly lifted the heavy pack to relieve the pressure, but it was too late. The sand or gravel that covered the wooden frame carved a terrible little canyon into the nearly pristine face of my Apple Watch Series 7.
I blame myself.
First of all, it’s important to recognize that this is an aluminum Apple Watch Series 7. It’s not stainless steel or titanium. This is important because the crystal is not made from the sapphire you might find in a high-end Breitling watch. Instead, it has Ion-X glass, which should come close in some way to tough Gorilla Glass.
This watch glass, which protects the wearable’s large, colorful, and wonderfully sharp Retina LTPO OLED display, is very good at withstanding bumps, drops, or an awkward bang in a corner of the table. However, it’s not scratch-proof, and in the battle between the pressurized sand and the shiny surface of my Apple Watch Series 7, it lost a lot of time.
Remove
My problem is that I’ve been wearing this watch almost every day since September. It’s one of the first things I put on in the morning—even before I shower—because I train six days a week; I really like how it goes with my curls, push-ups, etc. Also use for hiking – leisure, exercise and commuting. My Apple Watch doesn’t come off my wrist until the end of the day. (To be fair, I don’t shower or sleep with him.)
It’s on my wrist so consistently, I’m the guy you see taking calls and talking to my wrist like a hipster Dick Tracy (opens in new tab). The watch is a wonderful companion and I won’t apologize for wearing it as such.
So sue me if I was using it while undertaking the rather arduous project of clearing out one of my basement crawl spaces. A little bit of the house’s history to help you understand the unique features of this space:
Nearly forty years ago someone dug our basement and put all the earth, gravel and sand (4 feet) behind a concrete retaining wall. They added a closet entry and some molding around it and then used the space on top of the still exposed sand to store things. When I bought the house, I continued the tradition. Recently, though, I found that I needed to clear the space to access some faulty wiring. And since I happen to have a trash can at home for a major kitchen renovation, I thought it would be the perfect time to clean the house.
The incident happened when I decided to dispose of a dismantled and bagged computer desk in the early 1990s. The pressed cardboard plates were enormously heavy. I reached under the bag with my right hand (I’m the rare right-handed watcher on the right), slid it over the wooden frame (part of the sand retaining wall) and prepared to hoist the whole thing out. of the tracking space.
I didn’t hear the scratch, but I felt it on my wrist.
hard to see
To be honest, I didn’t immediately look at my watch, waiting, like a Christmas story (opens in new tab)‘s Ralphie and his BB-shot glasses, which while it was bad, the damage was probably minimal, perhaps not even noticeable.
Right after I took the bag out of my house, I took a look at the Apple Watch Series 7. To my horror, there was now a big, ugly cut in the center of the watch’s display. I ran my finger over it. It was deep, confusing. Horrible.
Disheartened, I removed the watch and placed it on the charging stand while I finished my work.
I can’t say for sure that the sapphire crystal would have held up any better, but I suspect all I would have gotten would have been a scratch and not that half-inch-plus clod.
My advice to you is, if you’re doing heavy lifting or working with your hands and you own an aluminum Apple Watch, take it out before you start, or at least invest in a decent Apple Watch screen protector or case. Your Apple Watch will thank you for it.
Next step
There’s not much you can do about the damage. I don’t think it’s going to get any worse and luckily my Apple Watch Series 7 works like nothing is wrong, like it doesn’t know about its disfigurement.
I could fix it. If it was under warranty or if I was an AppleCare+ member, it might not cost me anything. I’m not. i can still fix it (opens in new tab)but it would cost, at $299, almost as much as a new Apple Watch.
I won’t fix it, but I will keep using it. Every time I see the defect, I curse myself and silently apologize to my Apple Watch Series 7. It deserved better than that.