Apps I need help deciding between the SS and Aluminum.

[SYCAMOREGRAD]

I am trying to decide between the Series 7 Stainless Steel and Aluminum Apple Watch. Any real life recommendations?

Is the sapphire crystal worth the extra cost?

Which case is more scratch resistant?

Thanks!

I would definitely go stainless. Yes, the sapphire crystal is worth it. I got an aluminum 6 and the screen is scratched wsybbetond belief. I can even see the damn thing so I’m stuck with it until I pay it off. Definitely going with stainless from here on out!

 

[SYCAMOREGRAD]

My mind always goes to resale/trade in value since these devices will eventually be slow or unsupported. Apple Watch has the worst trade in value of any Apple product so spending you money on anything more than a base model aluminum watch is literally throwing money down the drain. If you plan on keeping the watch until the wheels fall then see below:

Alum - lighter, body is less prone to fingerprints/scratches, screen is more susceptible to scratches so if you're someone who bumps into things best to avoid.

SS - heavier, body is more prone to fingerprints/scratches, screen is more scratch resistant but not true sapphire like "normal" watches so proceed with caution.

Titanium - middle ground between the other materials as far as weight with the SS attributes.

Remember these are tech watches so spending hundreds or thousands with their atrocious resell values and short lifespans is not the best financial decision.

The stainless has a much higher resale value. Enough to essentially trade it in every year for a new one. The aluminum glass scratches too easily and I cannot sell it, so I’m stuck with it for a while. I tend to tick tick tock. Got series 3 aluminum, then series 4 ss. Skipped 5, got series 6 aluminum, and I will pay it off just in time to get the series 8 in ss. I only jumped from 3 to 4 because of the redesign. The 7 series didn’t do much for me. Hopefully the 8 will be exciting.

 

[Howard2k]

I would definitely go stainless. Yes, the sapphire crystal is worth it. I got an aluminum 6 and the screen is scratched wsybbetond belief. I can even see the damn thing so I’m stuck with it until I pay it off. Definitely going with stainless from here on out!

Please can you post a pic.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

Though I prefer the look of the Aluminum, the harder glass of the SS is a must if you can afford it. The glass of the Aluminum models is impressively strong, but the scratches that build up on it can get distracting if you’re the kind of person who tends to notice them.

 

[skyhawkmatthew]

Please can you post a pic.

Here's my S4. Hiking, mountain biking, swimming, squash, and daily out-and-about.

 

[thadoggfather]

How much of that could be mitigated with a screen protector tho

 

[Howard2k]

View attachment 2000614 Here's my S4. Hiking, mountain biking, swimming, squash, and daily out-and-about.

That’s amazing, thanks for sharing. Those case scratches - wow. I don’t have a single scratch like that. That‘s reassuring actually. I’m pretty active and I wear my watch on my dominant hand but I don’t have anything at all like that. That’s a horror show. I would get that Ti if that’s how my aluminum was looking!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

View attachment 2000614 Here's my S4. Hiking, mountain biking, swimming, squash, and daily out-and-about.

Wow, this picture should be testament to how durable the aluminium is. You have to look very closely to see that it’s scratched. Mine is 2 1/2 years old and I can’t even see a scratch on mine yet and I’ve worn it everyday.

I say for those that scratch their watches, it’s not the fault of the watch but the wearer.

 

[Howyalikdemapls]

I’ve had both. Yes, the crystal is more durable than glass, and aluminum dings up easier than SS… that wouldn’t be my deciding factor though. I had my S2 for over 4 years and it still looked fairly decent. I’ve had my SS for about 1 year and it has micro-scratches on the SS which can easily be buffed out, and the crystal looks almost flawless. Personally I wouldn’t take durability into account unless you’re really careless. Also it blows my mind that some people find the SS watch too heavy. I can’t imagine being able to tell the difference in weight once it’s on my wrist. I’d go by which one you like more. If it’s the SS, then weigh your financial situation to see if you want to spend the extra few hundred dollars to have a prettier watch.

I like the look of the SS waaaaaaaayy more, especially when dressed up nice for work or dates/nights out.

 

[PaladinGuy]

If you are used to wearing watches already, it’s very hard to get used to the feel of the aluminum versions. They just don’t have the nice feel of a watch. It really comes down to that mostly in my opinion. The higher end version of the Apple Watch are just more enjoyable to wear and feel much nicer on the wrist. Second to that is the durability. I’ve never scratched a sapphire display on an Apple Watch. I’ve had every series except series 6.

I briefly tried to do an aluminum Series 2 and Series 4. Both times I just couldn’t adjust to how much it felt like a toy to me. That’s just my subjective impression. I’m not saying everyone feels that way. I wore expensive Swiss dive watches for years before the Apple Watch. That’s what I came from wearing.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If you are used to wearing watches already, it’s very hard to get used to the feel of the aluminum versions. They just don’t have the nice feel of a watch. It really comes down to that mostly in my opinion. The higher end version of the Apple Watch are just more enjoyable to wear and feel much nicer on the wrist. Second to that is the durability. I’ve never scratched a sapphire display on an Apple Watch. I’ve had every series except series 6.

I briefly tried to do an aluminum Series 2 and Series 4. Both times I just couldn’t adjust to how much it felt like a toy to me. That’s just my subjective impression. I’m not saying everyone feels that way. I wore expensive Swiss dive watches for years before the Apple Watch. That’s what I came from wearing.

I wouldn’t agree with that as I wore heavy stainless mechanical watches for many years prior to getting an aluminium Apple Watch. It didn’t feel weird and not feeling the bull on my wrist was a welcome addition. Possibly a subjective reaction depending on the person but not one that really factored for me.

The weight difference between the aluminium and stainless AW is also only 9 grams or the equivalent of two sheets of A4 paper which is almost impossible to feel from a blind test. I think it’s perhaps more of a psychological impression as a wearer already knows aluminium is a lighter material (30% lighter than steel), but in reality the casing components are very different due to the stainless model having a less dense design. This allows Apple to manufacture these watches in an almost identical weight to each other.

 

[PaladinGuy]

I wouldn’t agree with that as I wore heavy stainless mechanical watches for many years prior to getting an aluminium Apple Watch. It didn’t feel weird and not feeling the bull on my wrist was a welcome addition. Possibly a subjective reaction depending on the person but not one that really factored for me.

The weight difference between the aluminium and stainless AW is also only 9 grams or the equivalent of two sheets of A4 paper which is almost impossible to feel from a blind test. I think it’s perhaps more of a psychological impression as a wearer already knows aluminium is a lighter material (30% lighter than steel), but in reality the casing components are very different due to the stainless model having a less dense design. This allows Apple to manufacture these watches in an almost identical weight to each other.

Perfectly legitimate. Everyone has their own subjective feeling. I will say that haptics are best on aluminum and titanium because they have a lower density. It allows the vibrations to pass through the material much better. That’s the only thing that “feels” better to me on the aluminum.

I can completely understand people financially making the me decision that it’s not worth the price though for premium models. We all have different thresholds. For me, I’d be really unlikely to ever consider a Hermes model. That’s just too much for me for a disposable item. I also don’t have enormous expendable income. To each their own.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Perfectly legitimate. Everyone has their own subjective feeling. I will say that haptics are best on aluminum and titanium because they have a lower density. It allows the vibrations to pass through the material much better. That’s the only thing that “feels” better to me on the aluminum.

I can completely understand people financially making the me decision that it’s not worth the price though for premium models. We all have different thresholds. For me, I’d be really unlikely to ever consider a Hermes model. That’s just too much for me for a disposable item. I also don’t have enormous expendable income. To each their own.

Yeah for me it’s not that I can’t afford the more premium models, I just don’t think they are worth their retail price purely for a different casing material and a different type of glass. I’ve paid a lot more for non-smartwatches in the past to be honest. I think the aluminium appeals to a wider audience generally because they are expensive for a smartwatch but not too expensive for them to be popular.

I think from what I have read on here there are a lot of people who swear by stainless AW’s because they’ve either damaged an aluminium watch previously through complete fault of their own or prefer the more expensive models because they prefer the look and have the perception subjectively they are better. There’s no right answer though, the best watch or choice is the one the person is happiest with.

 

[Howard2k]

If you are used to wearing watches already, it’s very hard to get used to the feel of the aluminum versions. They just don’t have the nice feel of a watch. It really comes down to that mostly in my opinion. The higher end version of the Apple Watch are just more enjoyable to wear and feel much nicer on the wrist. Second to that is the durability. I’ve never scratched a sapphire display on an Apple Watch. I’ve had every series except series 6.

I briefly tried to do an aluminum Series 2 and Series 4. Both times I just couldn’t adjust to how much it felt like a toy to me. That’s just my subjective impression. I’m not saying everyone feels that way. I wore expensive Swiss dive watches for years before the Apple Watch. That’s what I came from wearing.

I have always worn watches. I've never weighed any of them and I guess I'm just not sensitive enough to weight that the paperclip difference would be the thing that delineates between "real watch" and "toy watch". Certainly some of mine would be heavier and some would be lighter.

Do you apply that standard to all your watches? So any watch under 40 grams is a toy and any watch over 50 grams is not a toy? A small Rolex would be a toy? A heavy Fisher Price would be a "real" watch?

 

[PaladinGuy]

I have always worn watches. I've never weighed any of them and I guess I'm just not sensitive enough to weight that the paperclip difference would be the thing that delineates between "real watch" and "toy watch". Certainly some of mine would be heavier and some would be lighter.

Do you apply that standard to all your watches? So any watch under 40 grams is a toy and any watch over 50 grams is not a toy? A small Rolex would be a toy? A heavy Fisher Price would be a "real" watch?

I was very careful to claim subjectivity. I know some are very touchy about the toy analogy. That’s just how it feels to me. It’s not only weight. It’s the whole package.

All I can say is that TO ME the steel and titanium watches feel much nicer. That’s why they cost more. If it’s not worth it for some, that’s their decision/opinion. If it didn’t matter to me, it’d save me a bunch of money. It does matter, and I enjoy the higher end watches much more. I like it to look as much like a traditional Watch as possible.

I didn’t mean to offend anyone.

 

[Howard2k]

I was very careful to claim subjectivity. I know some are very touchy about the toy analogy. That’s just how it feels to me. It’s not only weight. It’s the whole package.

All I can say is that TO ME the steel and titanium watches feel much nicer. That’s why they cost more. If it’s not worth it for some, that’s their decision/opinion. If it didn’t matter to me, it’d save me a bunch of money. It does matter, and I enjoy the higher end watches much more. I like it to look as much like a traditional Watch as possible.

I didn’t mean to offend anyone.

To be fair, I've never worn an SS or other case material either. I contemplated a Ti for my next one (even though I run, all that extra weight ), and still might, but the Aluminium one I have is holding up surprisingly well.

After reading the forums I was expecting the SE to cross the finish line after 18-24 months beaten to hell and then Ti would be a logical choice but my experience has been surprisingly different. And at 50% more money... It's not as easy a decision as I thought. Still tempting though.

 

[PaladinGuy]

To be fair, I've never worn an SS or other case material either. I contemplated a Ti for my next one (even though I run, all that extra weight ), and still might, but the Aluminium one I have is holding up surprisingly well.

After reading the forums I was expecting the SE to cross the finish line after 18-24 months beaten to hell and then Ti would be a logical choice but my experience has been surprisingly different. And at 50% more money... It's not as easy a decision as I thought. Still tempting though.

Makes sense. It’s absolutely the worse financial decision. Then again, all tech is disposable. I’ve tended to sell mine after about 1-2 years to recoup some from them when I upgrade. You absolutely lose more money from the nicer material watches. People on the used market tend to want a deal and low price and to them (usually) they could care less about the material. I’ve found that many buyers are not used to wearing a watch and aren’t familiar with the benefits of sapphire.

Long story short, if you want to lose less money over the long haul, aluminum is best.

 

[Nell]

I've had silver aluminium, stainless steel and now titanium. I've had no issues with scratches on any of them. I like the look of the titanium the most and I'll choose the same again if I can afford to when it comes time to change it (not for a few more years, I hope).

 

[Cotypubby]

The weight difference between the aluminium and stainless AW is also only 9 grams or the equivalent of two sheets of A4 paper which is almost impossible to feel from a blind test.

No. When I upgraded from an aluminum to SS last year, the very first thing I noticed when putting it on was "Wow, this one is heavier!" It was very noticeable when worn with a solo loop. I had not even known before buying that the SS was heavier. That said, after wearing it for a day I completely got used to it and it no longer felt different, but it's ludicrous to suggest that the difference is "impossible" to feel.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

No. When I upgraded from an aluminum to SS last year, the very first thing I noticed when putting it on was "Wow, this one is heavier!" It was very noticeable when worn with a solo loop. I had not even known before buying that the SS was heavier. That said, after wearing it for a day I completely got used to it and it no longer felt different, but it's ludicrous to suggest that the difference is "impossible" to feel.

Perhaps some are sensitive to the weight of objects and others aren’t. I couldn’t feel the difference between 9 grams personally and that is probably a bonus.

 

[bricktop_at]

Perhaps some are sensitive to the weight of objects and others aren’t. I couldn’t feel the difference between 9 grams personally and that is probably a bonus.

Sure that’s of course a possibility.
For me the difference is noticable at first, especially when switching from Ti to SS and vice versa during the day - but only for a short time and then I don’t notice it at all.

 

[Tdude96]

I have aluminum for now, but plan to go to titanium. An aluminum S4 for 3 years, and now an S7. My S4, after 3 years had a very visible scratch on the screen from when I knocked it against a metal door handle and some micro scratching from general usage, but nothing that made it unreadable/unusuable. The case was pristine aside from one small chip, which was hardly noticeable. No one else really noticed the scratch on the screen, for that matter. But I did, and it bothered me a lot.

The plan is to upgrade to titanium if still offered next time I get a new one. I dislike the shiny stainless steel look and the scratches it builds up, despite people claiming it adds character.

Yeah, the Apple Watch Scratches—All Stainless Steel Watches Do

Should a luxury item you paid hundreds of dollars for be so susceptible to scarring? As a matter of fact, it should.

www.wired.com

 

[Thirio2]

If cost is not important get the one you like the looks the best. I had aluminum S0 and black aluminum S4 with no issues that I noticed. If you keep it 4 years the cost difference per year is not very much. After 4 years there may be new features you want, if not, and the battery is still good keep it another year. I may consider ss for my next purchase for this reason. Don’t know if it will be S8 or Sn?

 

[BillGates1969]

There is no right or wrong answer to this - it is 100% down to the user.

I have had SS0, SS2, SBSS3, ALU4, SSG5 & SS7.

The only watch that I didn't like was the ALU S4. Not the fault of the watch, but it felt lighter and less premium TO ME.

I did scratch it slightly on the case, but surprisingly the face was mint after a year. It just wasn't for me. I would rather go an extra year on an upgrade and stay Stainless though now.

Nothing wrong with Aluminium at all and I don't get the Stainless through a feeling of worth or snobbyness, I just personally prefer it.

I don't care what material watch people wear as ultimately they are the same insides. Whatever you go for you get the latest and IMO best smartwatch on the market.

 

[jamface]

…spending you money on anything more than a base model aluminum watch is literally throwing money down the drain.

this isn’t true. The difference in cost between base model and anything more expensive has to be paid to the retailer. If you attempt to pay for an upgrade to SS for example, by paying the difference in cash down a toilet, sink or any kind of drain, the retailer will not consider this valid remuneration.