What is Hardlex crystal?
Seiko's own hardened mineral glass, used on most of its affordable watches.
How it compares
Hardlex is Seiko's name for mineral glass that has been heat-treated for extra hardness. It's more scratch-resistant than ordinary glass and acrylic, but far less than sapphire, so it will pick up marks over years of daily wear.
Its advantage is toughness: it's less likely to shatter than sapphire from a sharp blow, which is one reason Seiko uses it on budget dive watches. Many Seiko owners replace Hardlex with an aftermarket sapphire crystal.
Which crystal at which price
| Price | Sapphire | Mineral | Acrylic | Watches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $500 | 32% | 59% | 9% | 101 |
| $500 to $1,500 | 87% | 13% | 0% | 100 |
| $1,500 to $5,000 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 99 |
| $5,000 and up | 99% | 0% | 1% | 106 |
Current watches in our catalog, which is weighted to popular enthusiast models.
Questions
- Is Hardlex better than sapphire?
- It's tougher against shattering but much easier to scratch. For most daily wear, sapphire stays looking newer.