Omega Moonwatch Sapphire OR Hesalite? | Watchfinder 

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Before deciding on a watch, I always hit it with a hammer. If it doesn’t break, it’s a keeper.

The fact the sapphire version comes with a clear exhibition rear is starting to tempt me.

Sapphire is the best for a regular person and every day wear. Because it is scratches that are the number one problem for watches today, and this is where sapphire shines. Yes it can shatter, but I have yet to shatter a sapphire, and I have knocked them quite hard on metal beams. My acrylic watch has not only been scratched but also cracked by a blow

I chose hesalite 7 years ago. No regrets. It has a unique, liquid-like look. Beautiful.

No right answer, no wrong answer. I went with the Sapphire on my Speedmaster, you may prefer the Hesalite. Whichever you choose, you get a top quality, very cool watch.

I thought I wanted the sapphire speedy because of the exhibition case back, but as soon as I saw held the two of them side by side, in person, the decision was obvious. The only choice is Hesalite. The sapphire changes the entire look of the dial. It's harder to tell from video, but in person the difference is night and day

Mine is the sapphire version and I love it. The hesalite model also has its advantages, no doubt, but as a daily watch it is important for me that it is scratch resistant.

I just like polishing the hesalite occasionally and making it all shiny and new again. An experience that you don't get with sapphire. Kind of matches nicely with the whole idea of enjoying hand wound watches in the modern era - we like that they need regular attention.

Something to consider is that, in this video, they used a very cheap and soft acrylic. The acrylic used in most expensive watches is much more scratch resistant. The various names indicate different formulations with different properties. Some of them could actually take a hammer hit without breaking (thicker polycarbonate for example).

The sapphire back on the non-hesalite Moonwatch allows the very pretty chrono movement to be viewed.

I bought the Hesalite a month ago no regrets! Dial so clear with a touch of a vintage look and i feel like im in the 60’s buzzin with armstrong. You’ve got to be ballsy to wear one

Partly due to this video, I was certain I wanted to pick up the sapphire sandwich version. I got the opportunity to compare the two versions (005 and 006 references) and in the end opted for the hesalite. I just found the gradual dome and the way the dial looks more pleasing on the hesalite version. Even after I made the purchase I was still in doubt because I had heard so much about scratches on hesalite. Though now, after 6 months of wearing I realize it was made out to be a bigger issue than it actually is. The Speedy is my daily wearer and I have only felt the need to polish once so far. Too much is made out of something that takes 10 minutes out of your year to resolve with normal (daily) use.

Bravo Watchfinder, this video will be an asset to anyone entering the watch community.

There's something about your videos, everything's clean, clear, perfect, the details, background music, I just love to watch them, keep on like that!

Thank you very much for an educational comparison between the Sapphire Vs Hesalite. Great Review

If I were going into space, Hesalite is the way. If it were just a historical piece for me, again Hesalite. For me, going into space isn't likely. I love that I can wear Sapphire crystal watches and they stay looking new for a very long time. Call it a compromise but I'll take Sapphire any day. Also, this was a great video, well done!

I have a 2003 omega Seamaster. It has s sapphire crystal face. I have worn it pretty much everyday for 15 years. Never managed to scratch it. I have had the rest of the watch polished for scratches 3 times in the same period. I would always choose the sapphire.

I’m not going to the moon so it’s going to be sapphire.

Would be interesting to see the sales figures for Hesalite Speedys vs Sapphire ones.

I’ve had a few plexiglass watches as well as a few sapphires and other than what was detailed in this review here’s what I’ve discovered. Sapphire is a smudge magnet, and Hesalite isn’t. Scratches in Hesitate clean up beautifully with Polywatch. My Speedy Pro crystal dates back to 2006 and still looks great. If Sapphire breaks, it a mandatory full service as those sapphire shards get everywhere. Here in Oz that runs to ~A$1000 (~US$700).

Hesalite was for short use, and for not shattering in space. For us normal mortals, living in gravity and using the watch everyday as a regular watch. Sapphire is the absolute best alternative. It both looks better, and gives more security, and dont get scratches, and dont get yellowed by age.

There are a couple of misleading elements in this video. First, the information regarding the manufacturing processes for sapphire crystals is out of date. It is entirely possible to fabricate sapphire crystals that do not suffer the shortcomings pointed out in the video. Second, and more important, is the relative significance of the weaknesses of the two materials. It is far, far more likely that an acrylic crystal will suffer abrasions and scratches as well as ultraviolet discoloration (which was not mentioned in the video), than that a sapphire crystal will shatter.

Such a well put together and voiced video!

Great comparison review. I go for Sapphire as the choice for all watches except for the Man on the Moon. It's totally got to be Hesalite. A nod of respect to the real Moon watch. I also love the distortion Hesalite brings to the table when looking at a dial from an angle. Once again......Hesalite for the Moon Watch, Sapphire for all other watches IMO.

Seems the decision can be made by answering two questions: 1) Are you planning on venturing into outer space and worried for potential shards in your spacesuit? 2) Do you plan on spending most of your time staring at you watch from the edge? An answer in the affirmative to either suggests you may prefer Hesalite. You might feel the "milky band" around the circumference of the sapphire would be a detractor but wait until you get that first scratch from a gentle breeze across the face of the Hesalite.

Can’t unsee the milky ring now

Hesalite hands down for me. The dome looks so much better, also feels more true to the original.

I have actually owned both (at the same time) oddly enough. Ended up sticking with the Hesalite. I love how sapphire doesn't scratch but the Hesalite is easily repaired with Polywatch. In the end it came down to looking at the face of the watch. On my sapphire model it had a large milky white ring around the outside of the dial. This is due to the thickness of the sapphire crystal itself. Probably wouldn't bother most but it bugged me. Also the dial just wasn't as interesting/clear to look at vs the Hesalite. At different angles the dial kind of dances around a bit. The Hesalite model is also much lighter since it doesn't have 2 sapphire crystals weighing it down (sapphire model has a display back). I never cared about watch weight until I realized how much it can affect where the watch sits on your wrist. I hate a watch that slides around all over the place (prefer a tight fit) and with the Hesalite model being lighter it stayed on my wrist where I wanted it much easier than the latter.

I used to like sapphire more, but now its def acrylic. At first it looks way smoother and more oldschool to me (which I like in mech/auto watches), secondly it is less reflective without AR coating. It also got its own "shimmering" going on. And I usually take care of my watches, so I never had the issue with scratches. But even if so, you can simply polish them out a few times and if it is too bad of a scratch, acrylic is really cheap to change, so not a big deal.. I think they both have their pros and cons but over all you have decide on your own what you like more. I really like the aesthetics of the acrylic. Only watches where I clearly prefer sapphire are Rolexes/Pateks because of their overall super-clean look, which sapphire fits better to.

I have worn my Speedmaster Hesalite watch for ten years.On occasion I will use Polywatch to remove scratches.About five years ago I did manage to put a deep scratch in the crystal I showed it to my trusted watch repair guy and he polished the face with a polishing wheel all good as new.He did tell me if needed the Hesalite crystal could replaced not a big deal.

That glass break in the end gave me goosebumps, such an informative and awesome video with that banger of an ending

Hesalite does scratch and scuff easily but keep in mind that it’s also pretty easy to polish out most scratches on your own

I got my Speedmaster in 1969 as a gift for my 17th BD about 10 days after Apollo 11 landed on the moon with Buzz Aldrin wearing his Speedmaster as the first watch on the moon. Neil Armstrong left his Speedy hanging on the LEM's instrument panel. Rumor had it that the built-in Bulova clock in the LEM needed some help so Neil took his Speedmaster off his wrist and hanged it (not hung it) on the instrument panel. My Speedmaster was built around October 1968 as far as I can determine so it was built before Buzz was the first person to wear a watch on the Moon. It is one of the early .861 models. The first moon watches had the .321 Lamania movements, the same design as the Patek Philippe watches. I've heard the .321 movement was more expensive to make but was not quite as accurate as the newer, but less costly .861 models that began selling after the fall of 1968. Omega Museum can you please confirm this "fact". The beat frequency was upgraded from 18 kHz to 22 KHz and an extra jewel was added to the newer .861 model. Also, a plastic piece was added to the movement. Although more efficient, and thus cheaper to make the .861 movement was deemed more accurate. However, the original "moon watch" was a .321 Omega Speedmaster Professional. The word "Professional" was added to the watch's faceplate after it was discovered that Ed White wore an Omega Speedmaster during the first moon walk before the watch was certified for outer space by NASA. Years later, the .861 was upgraded to the .1861 version which is essentially a .861 except the parts are "Rhodium Plated". The parts were dipped into a protective coating for longevity purposes. I don't know if any .861 Speedys ever made it to the moon's surface. I've asked the Omega Museum this question and they are still investigating as of a few years ago. I'm still waiting for an answer. I'm sure the .861 was used by NASA astronauts at some time after Apollo 11, but nobody I've asked can supply the answer. The question has been referred to the Omega Museum. I've posted the question to the Omega Museum as follows: " When was the first time a .861 Omega Master Professional went into outer space". So far, I have not gotten a response. If anybody knows the answer, please advise. Finally, everything I've stated above was from my recollection. I have not double checked my facts so I can not guarantee the accuracy of what I've stated above. I believe I'm correct, but I can't confirm it. So please don't copy and paste the above as if it were Gospel. I do certify that I've stated the above with all due respect to the Omega Museum. In fact, I would like the fine people at the Omega Museum to double check my facts and correct them where necessary and answer my question about when was the first time a .861 Speedmaster went into outer space. I compliment the above video producers for their fine work. I will say that the original Hesalite cover on my original Speedmaster was very soft and was easily gouged and scratched. When I sent my Speedy back for a "tune-up" to Omega in N.Y.C. sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, they gave me a newer, tougher and more scratch resistant Hesalite cover. It is still Acrillic, but much tougher than the original from 1968. This is another fact that only somebody who has owned a Speedy for 50 years can attest to.

I love the look of the hesalite, the warm tinge looks the part on a retro watch but I don't know if I could deal with the compromises for my personal usage. Been mulling this over for a bit and still can't decide.

for true space fans there's only one option. hesalite. then get some polywatch.

I'm admiring watches less than 24 hours now. So I'm a noob. But my take is that on any other watch than the Moonwatch I'd take the sapphire, it's more resistant on a daily basis and it has the clear back so you can see the movement work which is beautiful. But, on a Moonwatch I'd have the Hesalite, simly because that's how it was up there on the Moon and it has that inscription "Flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions", I'm a space nerd so that's really important to me 🤷🏻‍♂️😁 Edit: I guess you'd say that if it's really important to me to have a watch like the ones that were on the Moon I should buy 105.012 with the caliber 312 but my take is that vintage watches are like classic cars. Yeah they're beautiful to look at and they hold a special place in the hearts of gearheads but they don't handle that good in the corners and they would benefit with 100 more PS. What I like about watches is that manufacturers sell you "the restomods", if you want an Alfa Romeo restomod you go to Alfaholics not to Alfa Romeo but if you want "an Omega Speedmaster restomod" you go to Omega, they still sell it but modernized

Originality, as the watches worn by the Apollo astronauts, were Hesalite plastic, as they were deemed far safer in a zero gravity environment. A Hesalite plastic, will not shatter or splinter like a more expensive Sapphire crystal. The fact that none of us are going into outer space any day soon, means a Sapphire crystal model will be far more robust, and will not scratch or get damaged in every day use. If originality bothers you, get the plastic Hesalite, if you just want the best Speedmaster, go for the Sapphire.

If you wear your Speedy Pro daily to work, even in the office based environment, the hardened plexi-glass does wear easily and you will end up with minor scratches in no time at all. As well, it is only the sapphire glass Speedy, that is supplied with an exhibition back and cal.1863 movement.

7:05 great way of scientifically testing the difference in hardness of the material😉

Hesalite on my Speedy MAAAANONAFAAACKINMOOON! and sapphire on my Planet Ocean 8900 :) Polywatch is your friend! I've had my Speedy for over three years, worn it quite a lot and it's absolutely perfect - Not a single mark on it. Polywatch is also BRILLIANT for cleaning up scratched acrylic windows on electronic kit as well. It's seriously good stuff!

You won't regret the hesalite... the distortion is beautiful!

I was torn between these options and even though I prefer the idea of scratch-resistant crystal and the crystal window to view the beautiful movement, I still prefer the look of the original, and don't like the distracting "ring" inside the bezel that the outer perimeter of the crystal creates. If it is relatively easy to replace the hesalite with an OEM one then I don't mind doing that every couple of years or so. So I purchased the hesalite.

I chose the sapphire. It's just prettier, more scratch resistant and you have the clear case back to watch the awesome movement. Cant beat those.

Note to self: Never block a hammer strike with watch, block with forearm instead.

I wish you would have done some more scratch testing before you smashed them. I'm always wondering if the sapphire crystal on my Speedmaster '57 will survive a good sweep against a brick wall. In my opinion, the chances of fracturing the crystal are a lot smaller than the chances of scratching them. So for me, the sapphire was the right choice. It will stay clean and shiny for the rest of your life.

Watchfinder & Company you have a new sub... I extremely enjoy these presentations very, very informative as well as educational. Thanks for the knowledge

7:08 onwards.. so satisfying....mmm.....

Hesalite -> You are boarding on the Shuttle, next stop: the Moon Sapphire -> You are waiting for the next train to go to your 9-5 work Your choice.

Well, since I'm not going to the moon any time soon, sapphire for me.

Purchased mine two weeks and got the original moonwatch.

4:18 that's all you have to see in this video. and he wasn't even scraping it too hard.

I wore a plexi Rolex for years, never occured to me that it scratched. In years of wear I've never seen a real scratch on it and never polished it either. And I'm very hard on watches. It's less of a big deal than you would think. Way more important is if you like the look of plexi/hesalite.

Sapphire hands down. Scratches on hesalite will drive you nuts. Jus t look at it and it gets scratched.

That Sapphire shattered like my heart when you broke those

Acrylic can be polished back to look almost new and is also a lot cheaper to replace if you shatter it. If you shatter the sapphire the shards can scratch your dial.

Benefits are the acrylic has a look that can’t be replicated by sapphire. But you have this very nice expensive watch that will look good either way but the question is would you sacrifice it for durability to match the insane price tag or make it look a bit better for a piece of plastic that will definitely scratch and could get very deep scratches. When a sapphire will rarely ever get a scratch and is very strong. I absolutely love the acrylic look and I wish they could make a stronger crystal with the exact same look. But it’s so risky. If someone put scissors directly on my sapphire watch I’d be so much less worried that if it were acrylic because the sapphire could maybe get a scratch but it probably won’t. But the acrylic will definitely get a scratch it and could even break the crystal. Expensive watches should be made with the best quality parts in mind to make them look better. Acrylic still has a better look but I’d rather have a watch that looks like new until I die than one that has an expiration date and it’s when that crystal gets broken.

This is my exact dilemma, I am looking to add this to give my 300M company (2007 model year). Which keeps its credibility to Omega lovers, i'm leaning to Hesalite for being traditional - however I'm thinking the Sapphire for real world practicality. 300M has been worn daily for 11 years its still 9.9 out of 10 of original finish.

I prefer this style, the way he speaks, the speed, the words he uses, to me is better than his newer videos

I have read that the whole nasa debate of whether sapphire or hesalite for the moon watch is actually misinformation. At the time they were procured sapphire was not used in these watches. Also, the sent an RFP to a bunch of watch manufacturers and tested what they got back and chose from those watches. There wasn’t a big back and forth about how to engineer the watch for space, they just picked the speedmaster because it did the best for what they needed. And it came with a hesalite crystal at that time, so that’s what it went to space with. Feel free to tell me I’m wrong, but I believe it is more likely that they simply used what was available.

MAN ON THE FUCKING MOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNN

Going with the heslite isn't a bad move, most scratches can be polished out by most owners quite easily with a little time effort .on the other hand Sapphire will be almost impossible to polish by hand for the owner

There are two additional factors, the first being AR. The anti-reflective coating on the underside of the sapphire crystal acts as a filter, giving the dial a slightly cooler hue. Acrylic, naturally anti-reflective and requiring no AR coating, presents the dial slightly more warmly. While this effect is more noticeable on white-dial watches, on the Speedy, it's evident on the hands, indices, and markers. Together with the beloved distortion at the edge of the acrylic crystal, Hesalite offers a more traditional and vintage vibe!

I fault no one for their choice here, but I went with the Sapphire. Some days I just stare at the back of it while I'm waiting on something. I completely understand going either direction, but I really don't think you can make a bad choice. Every time I think I might have buyer's remorse, I just kinda stare at it and smile.

Sapphire over the others...always. In that specific watch the sapphire version also has the visual case back which is showing the beautiful movement in full glory. It`s marvelous.

I got rid of small scratches on my TAG Heuer Targa Florio (plexiglass) by rubbing gently a soft cloth and a tiny bit of toothpaste. Make sure the toothpaste does NOT have any particles otherwise it will scratch the plexiglass even more.

For daily wear, sapphire. Bulova now has a watch called the Curve. The crystal is curved sapphire. Just may lead to some interesting watches in the near future.

Did you see the beveling and the black polishing on that hammer? Stunning!!

I'd love the Hes version, however, I'm so brutal on my watches that I'd deep gouch the thing just getting out of the car. I've had an SMP300m now for 3 months, and I'd had the seatbelt come and smash into the crystal, banged it against walls, stairwell railings, catch it on tables/benches, went cave diving with it...yeah no way. I wear my watches, and wear them a lot. They need to survive me. So I'll go sapphire...though my heart wants hesalite.

Vostok Amphibia have very thick lucite crystals..My Omega 266 has had the same lucite crystal since it was new in 1954. However my daily beater is a 1985 Vostok Komandurskie akak with the low beat 18000bph hacking movement. The Omega is 18000bph too. The Lucite has been on it since new. However, my dress diver is a Seagull Ocean Star 28800bph and a Sapphire chrystal. I like this watch because I live by canals and its waterproofing is more reliable than the other two. Its too new to tell how it will be, but hey only cost me £280 here in the uk. I also have a Vostok Amphibia 710 ministry case scuba dude when I am working on the boat £54. I love them all.

Without a doubt, the finest watch vlog on the internet. Great information, as always.

Hesalite for the speedmaster and sapphire for anything else. Hesalite what makes speedmaster unique watch package and it feels wrong to not have it.

Would have been more interesting to see a scratch test with mohs picks on both types

I went with the sapphire sandwich and I dont regret it at all. Also you can see the movement through the back, but also not the movement has metal pushers inside instead of plastic on the hesalite version

A couple of my sapphire watches have perfectly domed crystals, as smooth as the acrylic in the video, with no discernible "step," or "milky band," or distortion when you view at an angle. What they do have is a sharp edge that is hidden by the bezel. Sapphire crystals shaped like the one in the video only seem to be on watches where the design did not allow the crystal to be set flush with the bezel. It happens that only one of my watches is like that and I actually like the effect.

It's kind of tipped by the fact that the sapphire sandwich is a nicer watch overall, with the higher-finish 1863 calibre and exhibition case back. Mmm, manual wind. I'm thinking about one soon, the sapphire. I do want a Submariner very badly though. We'll see.

3:20 its transparent aluminum. That ad campaign would have shattered all sales records.

This a very high quality watch channel, well done. However, I think that this particular video is a bit confusing and lacks perspective. Both materials obviously shatter as the video demonstrates. Hesalite shutters into large chunks and mineral into random large and very small pieces (messier); maybe hesalite can withstand stronger impacts without shattering but, practically, they both shatter. The question is what are the chances you'll knock/drop your watch bad enough to shatter its dial window? Practically, very small unless you're into sports or vigorous physical activities in which case you'll probably not wear a $6K Moon watch (unless there is a fat wallet in one of your pockets). Scratches, on the other hand, are extremely common and, personally, I'm not getting any kicks in polishing my 6K watch with toothpaste, gumption or corn flakes. Replacing the dial window on a moon watch is expensive unless you want to risk sending it to a cheap-n-cheerful local watchmaker or - even worse - do it yourself... on a $6K watch, again. Sapphire is a no-brainer unless you're a collector and look for authenticity (in which case you should look for a vintage piece to do it properly) or don't mind scratches (some people like their watches with a bit of character). Regards,

Great video, and much needed. Having owned an acrylic Datejust for a decade in the 80s/90s I know which way I'm going............. If I ever get the chance to travel to the moon I'll "upgrade" to Hesalite.

Plastic Vs. Near diamond hard material. Such a tough choice

Outstanding video, once again. Now I understand the difference between saphire and acrylic (that shattering demo was awesome too!)

I will select sapphire every day over hesalite. It is super subjective, but to me the feel of hesalite on a watch is quite cheap and plasticky. I will take my chances with sapphire or even the so-called lower quality mineral glass.

Very good video! My 2 cents: If you want a Moonwatch, buy it with Hesalit. If you want a Chrono with all the modern specs, buy nearly any other Speedmaster.

You would sound great reading one of the unfortunate events series

I would prefer Haselite over Sapphire because scratches can be polished away with Mobile Display Polisher easily. I tried it many times on a CWC W10 British Army watch and it delivers very good results. A Rolex Oyster DJ of mine has a flat Sapphire crystal. The plane of it protrudes a bit and the sharp edge all around can chip off a bit when struck hardly. Happened near the sixth hour index. Years later iduring maintenance Rolex polished the steel case that looked like new again, even scratches on the bracelet & crown disappeared. But although difficult to decide if it was mine because it looked so brand-new again, I recognised my DJ because of that tiny gap in the crystal at 6h.

Sapphire is better imo. I don't have to worry about broken shards of glass in zero gravity often so I think the increased scratch resistance is far preferred for me

i got hesalite and love it, yes i have scratched it but polywatch got them right out and 2 years later it still looks like new, scratch saphire and replacement is the only option

This is one of the most interesting videos I have ever seen about watches. Well done that man !

also worth noting, Hesalite can be polished out at home to looking like new, if you do scratch sapphire it stays scratched, o yea you can scratch it alright. I other point a new Hesalite crystal id about £60 where as the sapphire is £300+ major consideration.

Straight and concise review. Feels like watching nat geo.

I think they also make the flyscreens on submarines out of acrylic.

It would be a better idea to laminate Gorilla glass to the acrylic to add scratch resistance and keep the original shape.

Sapphire is the way to go. It arguably has the single best decorated chronograph movement under $15k, and this video failed to mention that.

Would you consider an overview to Seiko's Hardlex vs Sapphlex, too?

Nicely done. I learned exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks.

*Laughs in double Anti reflection sapphire Breitling glas*

I love the domed sapphire crystal but I wish that version had the closed case back. I will be purchasing my first Speedmaster very soon and cannot wait.

If I was my dad, I’d choose sapphire bcus he’s perfectionist. He always pays attention to every little detail such as minor scratches 😅. But I’m more a wabi-sabi guy. I think hesalite would age beautifully as you wear it every time.

Just purchased my first Omega Moonwatch. I bought it because it IS a Moonwatch and I chose Hesalite for the same reason.

Most of times a worn out object has more character than a pristine looking one. Watches are that way. The thing is that some are expensive and we tend to keep them barely used, looking like brand new, because we fear they'd loose value. But that's not the healthy way, nor the aesthetical one. Hesalite, no doubt.