What is a Double Domed Crystal? – Double Domed vs Dome vs Flat Sapphire Crystals

In the world of wrist watches, you might come across many types of watch crystals. Watch glasses come in different materials such as acrylic crystal, mineral crystal, and sapphire crystals, and sapphire is the most durable out of the three.

Among the clearest and most scratch resistant crystal materials for watches are Sapphire crystals, which are scored as 9 on the Mohs scale, meaning they can only be scratched by few gems such as Diamond, Ruby, and Moissanite. Thus, they used to be harder to cut and be shaped, but with advancements in crystal dome technology, nowadays, sapphire crystals can easily take several shapes such as double dome, single dome, and top hat or box shapes, as well as the flat shape if needed.

Although formed naturally, Saphire crystals can also be manufactured synthetically in labs and can also take coatings, such as blue or yellow coatings, as well as anti-reflective coating (AR).

At this point, you might be wondering, “What a double domed crystal is?” That is what we are going to cover at Saatsaz Watch, as well as its comparison to other watch crystal types and shapes.

What is a Double Domed Crystal?

Just like their materials, watch crystals can come in many shapes such as flat and domed shapes, and each one of these shapes has its own pros and cons. Unlike flat crystals, domed crystals that go under the watch bezel insert, have a dome shape and this comes with some benefits such as a better look/aesthetic and readability, because of their better design to catch light.

The domed crystal shapes can also differ from each other. Single Dome crystals are domed at the top surface but have a flat bottom surface. Double Domed crystals are domed at both the top and bottom surfaces and offer better readability from angles. The dome curvatures can be extreme, like the top hat domed crystal, which is a tall and round crystal that sits on top of the watch and catches light better while adding a more vintage look to the watch.

Seiko Dive watches, such as the Seiko SKX007 diver watch, originally feature Hardlex domed crystals that can be replaced and modded with double domed Sapphire crystals.

Double Dome vs Single Dome Crystal

What makes double domed crystals better than the single domed ones… and more expensive? The answer lies in the manufacturing expenses and the benefits it provides.

Shaping domed crystals requires advanced equipment and technology. Single domed crystals offer better readability as they magnify the watch dial through itself. The downside of single-domed crystals is their dial distortion when looked at from extreme angles, which is not very popular, to say the least.

Unlike single domed crystals, double domed crystals are curved on the inside as well. Apart from the aesthetic and beauty that the double-domed crystal adds to the watch, it also makes the watch dial visible from every angle. However, this magnificent addition can be costly, which in our humble opinion, is totally worth it.

Conclusion

Crystals can come in many materials and shapes. One of these shapes is the double dome, which is superior to the flat and single dome crystals, as it offers a more pleasing aesthetic on the watch, as well as the better display of the dial that it provides at extreme angles, but for a higher price, of course.

Now that you know the difference between watch crystal types, which one would you choose? Is a double domed sapphire crystal worth the money? In our opinion, it is; but what are your thoughts on them? Share them with us in the comments… and Thank You for reading.

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