Protecting and displaying the face of a wristwatch is a thin clear cover that's typically referred to as the watch crystal. Watch crystals come in a myriad of shapes and sizes to fit the design of all the different timepieces being designed and sold. Crystals also come in varying thicknesses and quality. Watch brands today consider three attributes when selecting a crystal:
- Clarity
- Durability
- Cost
Even with all the variations in size and so forth, watchmakers will use one of three distinct materials for their crystals, listed in order of least to most expensive:
1. Plexiglass (plastic)
2. Mineral glass
3. Sapphire glass