Apple hasn't declared it to be normal wear and tear yet so it's amazing that so many people on this from know that it's wear and tear. It sounds to me like a manufacturing defect and that Apple intended that it would last longer. If that's true, then I fully expect that Apple will issue replacements to any who experience the problem. If the same issue existed on all of the watch models, I might tend to agree that it is normal wear and tear - but that's not what's being reported. Either way - it's probably not the end of the world or reason for any type of scandal. It does nothing to detract from the operation of the watch or the look and feel of it while it's being worn. It may lower the resale value - but again - I expect that Apple will step up and offer a replacement to anyone that has a watch affected by the problem. Also keep in mind that just because it is ONLY being reported by owners of the Space Grey Sport model - those reports don't mean that ALL of those models suffer from the problem. There could have just been 1 or 2 bad batches. In any case, I'm curious where the person who claims the there were only a few sold got their numbers from. Oh! They just made it up? Thought so. LOL
This is probably the most pathetic "gate" yet. You mean a surface that rubs your skin every second of every day, and that nobody can even see, experiences wear? OMFG!
This is probably the most pathetic "gate" yet. You mean a surface that rubs your skin every second of every day, and that nobody can even see, experiences wear? OMFG!
Yeah. I'm sure that's what they're saying at Apple too. /s
To clear stuffs up, I got my watch on April 27th and has been wearing it since.
The usage are as following:
1. 10 hours per day
2. 1 hour workout per day
3. 2~4 hour long distance cycling per week.
Usually after a long workout, I wipe it off with soft fiber cloth with water similar to what you'd use on your eyeglass.
I had always been a very careful person on all my Apple products and was just curious to see if anyone else is having the same issue so I posted it on Reddit yesterday.
It seems to only happen to Sport version as confirmed by other Redditors who stumble on my post. (It wasn't a top post so not many people see it)
Needless to say, I am bringing in to be repaired this week.
[quote]Alumunum has pretty good corrosion resistance and the Series 7000 probably more so, plus if it is space grey, it has anodizing, not sure about the silver colored one, but in any case, it is probably not raw aluminum. You should be fine. I have the SS and no issues with the logo or text.[/quote]
actually, corrosion resistance of 7k series aluminum is worse than that of 6k aluminum.
some people's sweat is more acidic than others. combined with the laser etching possibly penetrating the anodizing to the point of reaching bare aluminum, extended wear would allow the AL to begin oxidizing and result in the anodizing to begin coming off.
anodizing is the controlled oxidation of the surface of aluminum alloys. like scraping rust off steel, anodizing can also be removed in similar processes. what's going on here is similar to using an acidic rust remover on rusted steel, as body shops would do as part of prepping an old car for primer and paint. it also explains why just the apple logo coming off is the most common issue: the solid logo has the most surface area etched and would be the first to go if the etching process creates a weakening of the anodizing. using the car analogy again, think about rusting of steel under the paint... the paint gets scratched, an oxidizer reaches the steel, the steel rusts and the process causes the paint to bubble when enough contact causes the paint to then flake off.
i can see Apple being very interested in this due to the rumors of them moving to 7k aluminum for the iPhone... people will go bonkers if the iPhone inscription starts coming off their devices. the easy solution would be to not etch the text so deeply and the only way to determine that is to examine how deeply these watches were etched.
So I'm looking at the second picture, and I can see and read all of the text because it is still there, so what is the issue?
What is the issue? Seriously? If I bought a twenty dollar watch from Sears, and this happened after a few months of use, I would get a replacement and an apology. So is it any wonder, that people who spent 3-400$ on a premium product are holding Apple up to the same standard?
Strictly speaking, I guess it is more of an 'embarrassing fabrication error' than a 'defect'. But that's beside the point which is: When people spend 3-400$ on an Apple Watch, they have a right to expect a product that's somewhat more sturdy than this. Text coming off after a few months of use may be ok if it's a 50$ Szenzhen cheapo, but some of us hold Apple to a higher standard.
The kind of quality standard you'd expect from a product with profit margins above 30%.
It's not made of diamond, folks. Expect some form of wear with use, otherwise keep it in it's original packaging.
I'll never understand people who seem to believe, that Apple can do no wrong...
It's not a shoe we're talking about here, where normal use will cause visible wear. Text and logos aren't supposed to come off a few months after you buy a watch.
As evidenced by the fact that Apples quality control people are looking into it, which the article mentions.
I have this sports model and wear it whilst walking to work every morning. I do sweat quite a bit whilst doing so and my watch is still fine. May be an issue with acidity content of the wearer.
Alumunum has pretty good corrosion resistance and the Series 7000 probably more so, plus if it is space grey, it has anodizing, not sure about the silver colored one, but in any case, it is probably not raw aluminum. You should be fine. I have the SS and no issues with the logo or text.
actually, corrosion resistance of 7k series aluminum is worse than that of 6k aluminum.
some people's sweat is more acidic than others. combined with the laser etching possibly penetrating the anodizing to the point of reaching bare aluminum, extended wear would allow the AL to begin oxidizing and result in the anodizing to begin coming off.
anodizing is the controlled oxidation of the surface of aluminum alloys. like scraping rust off steel, anodizing can also be removed in similar processes. what's going on here is similar to using an acidic rust remover on rusted steel, as body shops would do as part of prepping an old car for primer and paint. it also explains why just the apple logo coming off is the most common issue: the solid logo has the most surface area etched and would be the first to go if the etching process creates a weakening of the anodizing. using the car analogy again, think about rusting of steel under the paint... the paint gets scratched, an oxidizer reaches the steel, the steel rusts and the process causes the paint to bubble when enough contact causes the paint to then flake off.
i can see Apple being very interested in this due to the rumors of them moving to 7k aluminum for the iPhone... people will go bonkers if the iPhone inscription starts coming off their devices. the easy solution would be to not etch the text so deeply and the only way to determine that is to examine how deeply these watches were etched.
Are you suggesting that the etching goes "through" the anodized layer, onto the un-anodized metal underneath, and therefore may corrode off of the raw metal. Otherwise, I would think the deeper an etching, the stronger it would be (?)
But I'm not sure I understand what your actually saying.
Are you suggesting that the etching goes "through" the anodized layer, onto the un-anodized metal underneath, and therefore may corrode off of the raw metal. Otherwise, I would think the deeper an etching, the stronger it would be (?)
But I'm not sure I understand what your actually saying.
Sure Apple will figure it out though.
that's what i'm saying, but i'm not saying the whole etching.
anodizing has a single purpose: controlled oxidization of the aluminum to prevent uncontrolled oxidation.
through improper etching by chemical reaction of the etching compounds or otherwise etching through the anodized layer to expose a layer of the aluminum that is not anodized, you then introduce a surface that is then susceptible to oxidation. that oxidation can then cause the anodizing to weaken.
a deeper etching will help ensure the durability of the etching itself, but an etching that breaks through the anodizing in any way exposes the underlying aluminum to air allows opportunity for the aluminum to oxidize.
think of it this way using my car analogy: you have a painted steel panel and, for some reason, you want to "etch" an apple logo into it. as long as you etch it into the paint and only the paint, you're fine. however, say you accidentally go all the way through the paint for less than a millimeter, not for the whole logo, and just barely nick the metal. it's unnoticeable, even by you having done it. however, after a few months and rain/wash cycles, you'll begin to see a tiny rust spot. eventually, if left unchecked, the rust will grow beneath the paint. eventually, the chemical process of oxidation causes the paint to bubble. once you try to push on that bubble, the brittle paint then cracks and breaks away.
that's basically what's going on here from a mechanical standpoint. the what, where and why are obvious to anyone who works with metal. the only question is "how," as there are a few reasons for this to happen. be it a chemical reaction with the etching compound as someone else described elsewhere to my suggestion of microscopically penetrating the anodized layer and oxidation, one can only know once they've examined the item and the process.
Being serious, I've just taken my 42mm space gray Apple Watch off to check and the back looks perfect.
I wonder if those people have had sand/grit between the back of the watch & their wrist & not washed it off? I've had a couple of occasions when that has happened but I took my watch off to get rid of the grit, as it felt uncomfortable.
Alumunum has pretty good corrosion resistance and the Series 7000 probably more so, plus if it is space grey, it has anodizing, not sure about the silver colored one, but in any case, it is probably not raw aluminum. You should be fine. I have the SS and no issues with the logo or text.
M experience with aluminium and sea water is that it corrodes very badly if the protective anodizing is breached.
Comments
Agree, not really a defect. Here comes wear-gate.
Are you fing kidding me??
Do you think, in Apple's eyes, that this falls under normal, average wear and tear?
You think Apple meticulously (as they do everything) printed that stuff on the back, and said:
"Meh, Hey Jony. Yeah, this'll last for awhile, and then just kind wash off over time."
"Hey Tim, is that cool with you?"
"Yeah?"
"Awesome. Start the presses!"
This is something that didn't work as Apple had intended; and they will fix the problem.
End of story.
Still very glad we went Stainless Steel.
Cost and time are the two things that come to mind.
Still, if it turns out to be a problem then Apple will correct it. No company wants their logo rubbing off anything.
This is probably the most pathetic "gate" yet. You mean a surface that rubs your skin every second of every day, and that nobody can even see, experiences wear? OMFG!
Yeah. I'm sure that's what they're saying at Apple too. /s
Based on what I have been reading it appears to only be the space grey.
I am the original Reddit user on the 2nd picture. (Proof: http://i.imgur.com/5m7gAlK.png)
To clear stuffs up, I got my watch on April 27th and has been wearing it since.
The usage are as following:
1. 10 hours per day
2. 1 hour workout per day
3. 2~4 hour long distance cycling per week.
Usually after a long workout, I wipe it off with soft fiber cloth with water similar to what you'd use on your eyeglass.
I had always been a very careful person on all my Apple products and was just curious to see if anyone else is having the same issue so I posted it on Reddit yesterday.
It seems to only happen to Sport version as confirmed by other Redditors who stumble on my post. (It wasn't a top post so not many people see it)
Needless to say, I am bringing in to be repaired this week.
actually, corrosion resistance of 7k series aluminum is worse than that of 6k aluminum.
some people's sweat is more acidic than others. combined with the laser etching possibly penetrating the anodizing to the point of reaching bare aluminum, extended wear would allow the AL to begin oxidizing and result in the anodizing to begin coming off.
anodizing is the controlled oxidation of the surface of aluminum alloys. like scraping rust off steel, anodizing can also be removed in similar processes. what's going on here is similar to using an acidic rust remover on rusted steel, as body shops would do as part of prepping an old car for primer and paint. it also explains why just the apple logo coming off is the most common issue: the solid logo has the most surface area etched and would be the first to go if the etching process creates a weakening of the anodizing. using the car analogy again, think about rusting of steel under the paint... the paint gets scratched, an oxidizer reaches the steel, the steel rusts and the process causes the paint to bubble when enough contact causes the paint to then flake off.
i can see Apple being very interested in this due to the rumors of them moving to 7k aluminum for the iPhone... people will go bonkers if the iPhone inscription starts coming off their devices. the easy solution would be to not etch the text so deeply and the only way to determine that is to examine how deeply these watches were etched.
What is the issue? Seriously? If I bought a twenty dollar watch from Sears, and this happened after a few months of use, I would get a replacement and an apology. So is it any wonder, that people who spent 3-400$ on a premium product are holding Apple up to the same standard?
Strictly speaking, I guess it is more of an 'embarrassing fabrication error' than a 'defect'. But that's beside the point which is: When people spend 3-400$ on an Apple Watch, they have a right to expect a product that's somewhat more sturdy than this. Text coming off after a few months of use may be ok if it's a 50$ Szenzhen cheapo, but some of us hold Apple to a higher standard.
The kind of quality standard you'd expect from a product with profit margins above 30%.
I'll never understand people who seem to believe, that Apple can do no wrong...
It's not a shoe we're talking about here, where normal use will cause visible wear. Text and logos aren't supposed to come off a few months after you buy a watch.
As evidenced by the fact that Apples quality control people are looking into it, which the article mentions.
actually, corrosion resistance of 7k series aluminum is worse than that of 6k aluminum.
some people's sweat is more acidic than others. combined with the laser etching possibly penetrating the anodizing to the point of reaching bare aluminum, extended wear would allow the AL to begin oxidizing and result in the anodizing to begin coming off.
anodizing is the controlled oxidation of the surface of aluminum alloys. like scraping rust off steel, anodizing can also be removed in similar processes. what's going on here is similar to using an acidic rust remover on rusted steel, as body shops would do as part of prepping an old car for primer and paint. it also explains why just the apple logo coming off is the most common issue: the solid logo has the most surface area etched and would be the first to go if the etching process creates a weakening of the anodizing. using the car analogy again, think about rusting of steel under the paint... the paint gets scratched, an oxidizer reaches the steel, the steel rusts and the process causes the paint to bubble when enough contact causes the paint to then flake off.
i can see Apple being very interested in this due to the rumors of them moving to 7k aluminum for the iPhone... people will go bonkers if the iPhone inscription starts coming off their devices. the easy solution would be to not etch the text so deeply and the only way to determine that is to examine how deeply these watches were etched.
Are you suggesting that the etching goes "through" the anodized layer, onto the un-anodized metal underneath, and therefore may corrode off of the raw metal. Otherwise, I would think the deeper an etching, the stronger it would be (?)
But I'm not sure I understand what your actually saying.
Sure Apple will figure it out though.
Are you suggesting that the etching goes "through" the anodized layer, onto the un-anodized metal underneath, and therefore may corrode off of the raw metal. Otherwise, I would think the deeper an etching, the stronger it would be (?)
But I'm not sure I understand what your actually saying.
Sure Apple will figure it out though.
that's what i'm saying, but i'm not saying the whole etching.
anodizing has a single purpose: controlled oxidization of the aluminum to prevent uncontrolled oxidation.
through improper etching by chemical reaction of the etching compounds or otherwise etching through the anodized layer to expose a layer of the aluminum that is not anodized, you then introduce a surface that is then susceptible to oxidation. that oxidation can then cause the anodizing to weaken.
a deeper etching will help ensure the durability of the etching itself, but an etching that breaks through the anodizing in any way exposes the underlying aluminum to air allows opportunity for the aluminum to oxidize.
think of it this way using my car analogy: you have a painted steel panel and, for some reason, you want to "etch" an apple logo into it. as long as you etch it into the paint and only the paint, you're fine. however, say you accidentally go all the way through the paint for less than a millimeter, not for the whole logo, and just barely nick the metal. it's unnoticeable, even by you having done it. however, after a few months and rain/wash cycles, you'll begin to see a tiny rust spot. eventually, if left unchecked, the rust will grow beneath the paint. eventually, the chemical process of oxidation causes the paint to bubble. once you try to push on that bubble, the brittle paint then cracks and breaks away.
that's basically what's going on here from a mechanical standpoint. the what, where and why are obvious to anyone who works with metal. the only question is "how," as there are a few reasons for this to happen. be it a chemical reaction with the etching compound as someone else described elsewhere to my suggestion of microscopically penetrating the anodized layer and oxidation, one can only know once they've examined the item and the process.
Wait, people bought an Apple watch? /s
Yes - those 2 and me!! /s
Being serious, I've just taken my 42mm space gray Apple Watch off to check and the back looks perfect.
I wonder if those people have had sand/grit between the back of the watch & their wrist & not washed it off? I've had a couple of occasions when that has happened but I took my watch off to get rid of the grit, as it felt uncomfortable.
Alumunum has pretty good corrosion resistance and the Series 7000 probably more so, plus if it is space grey, it has anodizing, not sure about the silver colored one, but in any case, it is probably not raw aluminum. You should be fine. I have the SS and no issues with the logo or text.
M experience with aluminium and sea water is that it corrodes very badly if the protective anodizing is breached.