The Watch Series 7 is more durable than any previous model, with Apple touting the crack-resistance design, but it's important to note that the glass screen can still be scratched. Since the Apple Watch is rounder than ever, it enjoys the same strength benefits that a dome gets with impact forces pushing molecules together, making them even stronger. Scratches happen when objects move across the surface and the curved screen doesn't offer any inherent protection from that potential damage, as a few unlucky owners have already learned.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is considered one of the best smartwatches on the market with a robust App Store that even includes games. The Apple Watch is known to be among the best health trackers, with ECG, heart rate, blood oxygen sensors, and the ability to detect falls as well as send an SOS in the event of a car accident. As a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch reports activity completion in rings that make it easy to understand where the wearer is for the day with just a glance. It's the do-everything and go-everywhere smartwatch that quickly becomes an important part of the wearer's daily routine.

Combining great form and function, the Apple Watch Series 7 is a joy to wear, making it all the more distressing when it becomes unexpectedly damaged. Apple claims its watch is very durable demonstrating its strength in a YouTube video of a bike crash. Despite the improved durability, reports of scratches on the screen of a brand new Apple Watch Series 7 are already surfacing on Reddit and Apple's discussion forum. For example, Reddit user u/johnjoseph98 included a video of the scratch and asked whether it could be buffed out, however, that might remove the oleophobic coating that Apple applies to lessen fingerprints. u/DominusDK posted a photo on Reddit, explaining that damage occurred after brushing by a wall, and several scratches can be seen on the screen of their Apple Watch Series 7. On Apple's discussion forums, Naiad-21 asked about damage from daily use, since their Apple Watch Series 7 already had two significant scratches on the screen after only seven days of normal use, claiming there was nothing they were aware of that might have caused this. Two other comments on the same post shared that they had also noticed unexpected scratches.

How Apple Watch Series 7 Can Be Scratched

Apple Watch Series 7 Edge Thickness Closeup Side

The reason the Apple Watch Series 7 screen can be scratched is that it is made of glass and there are common substances that can easily scratch glass. There is a rating system for hardness and for most glass it is between 6 and 7 on what is known as the Mohs scale. Anything that is harder can create scratches on something softer. Even though the domed glass on the Apple Watch Series 7 is more crack-resistant, it doesn't prevent scratching. While the ceramic case of the Apple Watch Edition, based on the Series 2, was described as extremely scratch-resistant, Apple has made no mention of scratch resistance for the Apple Watch over the last several years.

This might come as a big shock since Apple declared that the newest model to be the most durable ever and demonstrated it surviving a crash to the ground where a mountain bike rider tumbles over. Watch Series 7 models that have stainless steel or titanium cases should resist scratches better, as the company uses sapphire glass on the screen instead of the less expensive dual-ion exchange glass which comes with the lower-cost models that use an aluminum case. Apple still doesn't make any claims about scratch resistance for its sapphire glass and a close examination of the video of the fallen bike rider shows that the screen of the Apple Watch Series 7 being worn never crashes into the ground. That implies owners of the Watch Series 7 should not expect it to resist scratches. If there is a concern this might happen, a screen protector should be applied to the Apple Watch to help protect from damage.

Next: Teardown Reveals What's New Inside Apple Watch Series 7

Source: Apple/YouTube