Sapphire Apple Watch screen passes scratch test with flying colors

When Apple Watch launches later this month, two models — Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition — will sport display covers made from sapphire, a super-hard material Apple has used in smaller implementations like the iPhone's Touch ID home button.

A UK company called iPhonefixed got its hands on what it claims to be an Apple Watch screen replacement and put the sapphire part through its paces in a scratch test. Unsurprisingly, the screen withstood some major punishment, coming out unscathed from a process that would probably but gouges in parts made from lesser materials.

Like other scratch test videos, iPhonefixed used a variety of surfaces and tools to field test Apple's sapphire display. Meant to be a simulation of everyday wear and tear, the test involved raking the part against a stone wall, contact with a coin and a key, and rubbing it with sandpaper of an unspecified grit. More outlandish tests included a hammer and power drill.

In the end, Apple's sapphire component came away with no visible marks, scratches or nicks.

The unscientific test bodes well for Apple's first wearable. Devices attached to one's body are often subjected to bumps and scrapes, and with a watch, the glass element is first to make contact. Judging by recent reviews, Apple Watch is not a slim accessory, meaning it could be even more susceptible to accidental damage.

While Apple's sapphire material held up in testing, it remains to be seen how well the company's ion impregnated "Ion-X" glass withstands similar punishment. Cheaper than sapphire, Ion-X is used in the Apple Watch Sport model, which also swaps out stainless steel and gold for aluminum.