Fidestro Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I don't have photos of it right now and I doubt it would show up, but I got my blacksteel today and went to sand down the strap at work. I did not have my spring bar tools on me to remove the strap to sand it so I was trying to hold the watch so I would not get it with the sandpaper and I missed and slipped the watch on a stroke and hit the side of the case and put some really minor scratches on it with the fine sandpaper. My new watch already has character! It is on the left side of the watch (the non chrono pusher side) and I have a tendency to beat up that part of a watch anyway so it is no big deal, but I wondered how some of you other guys are holding up after six months or so of blacksteel use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 DLC.. or "Diamond like carbon".. is scratch "resistant" ..not scratch proof... and sand paper grit would surely do some amount of damage I have banged my BS against metal, with no scratches left behind .. but it was smooth metal not abbrassive sand paper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 DLC.. or "Diamond like carbon".. is scratch "resistant" ..not scratch proof... and sand paper grit would surely do some amount of damage I have banged my BS against metal, with no scratches left behind .. but it was smooth metal not abbrassive sand paper I know, I expected it to scratch it and started swearing at myself once I did it. The cool thing is you can barely see them unless you know -exactly- where to look and in -exactly- the right light and angle. It is a whole different ball game from my PVD Pam that is marked to hell at the lugs from changing straps. Lanikai - is yours exactly in the same shape as it was the day you got it? I figure when it gets cooler this fall I will have more battle scars on it from the zipper on my bike jacket sleeve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 umm maybe it's a silly question, but what were you doing "sanding down" the strap? deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 umm maybe it's a silly question, but what were you doing "sanding down" the strap? deltatahoe Read Lani's review! The strap is slightly too wide for the buckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerthat Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 My watch head has no scratches, but I did scratch the buckle as well just trying to remove it, screwdriver slipped any ther eis a tiny scratch on the buckle now where the pin meets. I could not use the buckle with my strap anyway. Not a big deal, but yes the finish will scratch. It almost seems like the coating is less on the buckle given that I have done about the same level of contact with the watch head and yet to make a mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 no wonder i was having a hard time getting the strap through the buckle deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 no wonder i was having a hard time getting the strap through the buckle deltatahoe That would be why, just take the damn thing off before you sand it! I got in a bit of a hurry with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm only speculating, but I believe that the way that the manufacturers obtain the very light gray color on this watch is by applying a very thin layer of the surface coating (we can only take their word that it is actually DLC). A thin layer means less protection... I would expect sandpaper to always be capable of damaging a hard surface coating, because sandpaper contains some very hard and sharp particles (aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.). But a slipping screwdriver really shouldn't be doing much, if any, damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I whacked mine against a wall and took a chunk out of the wall and whacked it against a painted metal door frame. Had to scrape the paint off but no scratches. And yes it is not scratch proof. But then again nothing is. It has held up better than sapphire crystals I have had though. IMHO, it is an excellent finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikki6 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I think the tang buckle may be PVD coated? I'm sure Lani will correct if I'm wrong (and please do!) either that or there is the very finest of coatings on it, as staed above, a screwdriver souldn't be making big marks, neither should everyday wearing for that matter!! But sand paper is always going to win that fight bud!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm only speculating, but I believe that the way that the manufacturers obtain the very light gray color on this watch is by applying a very thin layer of the surface coating (we can only take their word that it is actually DLC). A thin layer means less protection... I would expect sandpaper to always be capable of damaging a hard surface coating, because sandpaper contains some very hard and sharp particles (aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.). But a slipping screwdriver really shouldn't be doing much, if any, damage. The screwdriver part was on a PVD Panerai I have, and I can vouch for it being a very thin layer of DLC. I would like to point out to people that ... I KNOW SANDPAPER WILL SCRATCH IT! I was not expecting it to be bulletproof! This is just something I observed and thought to post it. I think the tang buckle may be PVD coated? I'm sure Lani will correct if I'm wrong (and please do!) either that or there is the very finest of coatings on it, as staed above, a screwdriver souldn't be making big marks, neither should everyday wearing for that matter!! But sand paper is always going to win that fight bud!! lol No, the tang buckle is DLC also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 You have to wonder how all these PVD and DLC watches will look in a few years, especially the ones that get worn every day. It appears even the genuine coatings are far from scratch proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windispd Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 You have to wonder how all these PVD and DLC watches will look in a few years, especially the ones that get worn every day. It appears even the genuine coatings are far from scratch proof. What u mean by that, they said dlc coating could last almost forever ?? 0_0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 What u mean by that, they said dlc coating could last almost forever ?? 0_0 No such thing. I think I will like mine more after it gets beat a little bit. This watch is too badass to look pristine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 There no coating that lasts forever.. especially on a watch as you can hit some pretty hard stuff. The coating is only a tough as the metal underneath too, so if the steel under the coating deforms then the coating will deform too. Its even worse on reps as the steel if often not the best. I can imagine a breitling or similar looking quite good with a few marks but I wonder how something high end like the Richard Mille's will fair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADRED7 Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 Guys...its not only the coating...(BTW; PVD and DLC are just the coatings)....its the material that will be coated. The steel of the BS gen is a bit different to our rep-watches....harder type. And the manufactorer used a process to harden the steel before coating to get it more scratch-resistant. The coating on our BS is a good one .... but the steel it is attached to is weaker than the gen. I have no scratch in my BS but it lightens up from month to month...it is not as dark as before due to finger-oil, nose-grease and other stains I thought ceramic would hold up nicely....but my TG has some minor scratches from desk-diving though. Theo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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