How to tell if it's Bloody Sapphire? Diamond Selector II Review c/o TomTop - Perth WAtch
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มี.ค. 2019
- Diamond Selector II Gemstone Tester: www.tomtop.com/p-h8809.html?a...
Addendum: StarKing have confirmed that the AM0184 will be sapphire going forward - confirmation review coming soon!
Special thanks to TOMTOP.com for this collaboration! Demonstration of how this portable tester can help you figure out if your crystal is really sapphire!
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DIAMOND SELECTOR II:
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GUANQIN Automatic Power Reserve GJ16106 (PTS Hangzhou 2B00/2BA0) - • Guanqin "Nomos Lambda"...
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GLYCINE Airman 42 “Double Twelve” GL0063 (ETA 2824-2) -
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With the Starking AM0184 They originally came with sapphire crystal. I have mine on now in fact. Tested using the Diamond Selector 2 and it's sapphire. However I ordered a second one about a month later, at it wasn't sapphire. So I contacted the seller and they told me that they'd switched it, as they ran out of sapphire crystal stock. So it seems that use whatever is available at the time. Hence why specs seem to change quite a lot with these Chinese watches.
Thank you for that - yes indeed some others have commented on a similar experience, and when they discovered it wasn't sapphire StarKing sent a sapphire crystal, but the user had to arrange the change themselves. The most annoying thing about this is that they use the same case back that has the word "sapphire" on it even when sending mineral glass!
Lets face it Ivan, we all quietly know that many Chinese sellers descriptions of watches have to be taken with a pinch of salt .
By way of extreme example, here's a little quiz for everyone:-
Copied verbatim from a Chinese seller's Ebay listing today, guess which well respected watch that you've reviewed they are describing from the following set of specs:-
Strap Colour:
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Clear, Gold, Green, Grey, Orange
Case Colour:
Bronze, Ivory, Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Clear, Green, Grey, Orange
Style:
Art Deco, Bauhaus, Big Face, Cartoon/Novelty, Casual, Diver, Dress/Formal, Luxury, Military, Pilot/Aviator
Complications:
Alarm, Altimeter, Annual Calendar, Barometer, Calculator, Compass, Date Indicator, Day/Night Indicator, Day Indicator, Depth Indicator
Caseback:
Exhibition
Character Family:
101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, Bambi, Beauty & the Beast, Cars, Chicken Little, Cinderella, Darkwing Duck, Descendants, Despicable Me
Face Colour:
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Clear, Gold, Green, Grey, Multicoloured, Orange
Strap Material:
ABS Plastic, Alcantara, Alloy, Aluminium, Bamboo, Brass, Calf Hair, Canvas, Carbon Fibre, Ceramic
Well rather obviously, it is the Seagull 1963, that very pretty chronograph with the fascinating column wheel movement.
Read more at:-
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seagull-Chronograph-Menn-watches-Pilot-Official-Reissue-304-1963-exhibition/173765925402?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170920101022%26meid%3D91ee26d87be34eb086877948443ae034%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D173042012891%26itm%3D173765925402&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109
Hahahaha wow that's hilarious!! I started expecting to read: "tyres: Bridgestone, Good Year, Pirelli, Yokohama, etc etc" :D
Yeah, I'd say take these descriptions with a *tablespoon* of salt!
David Holland Be careful with anything that is supposed to be Sterling Silver from China also. I’ve been taken in the past on that.
Excellent video! Very practical demonstration!
Thanks for that - glad you found it helpful! :)
Another great video. I've been meaning to get one of those testers. I think it's safe to say that sometimes if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Thanks man - well said! :)
Can't wait for the glycine airman review
Thanks - I'll probably release it next weekend :)
Perth WAtch My Airman is patiently standing by!
Most helpful - just bought the tester as I recently bought a Pulsar Military style watch that was advertised as 'upgraded to sapphire' - With the tester I could confirm it was indeed sapphire! atb snack.
Nice one! :)
Nifty gadget! Thanks.
Thanks man :)
Thank You so much for the lesson , I have exactly the same diamond tester but I didn't know how to properly use it until now.
Take care from Montréal, Québec 😁
Haha cool! Most welcome, glad this was helpful! :)
Michelangelo D It comes with instructions, no?
This was disapointing....we both own the Guanqin ”Lambda”!! When I got it and I did the drop test!! That showed the drop withholding on to the Crystal as a Sapphire would!! I was certain it was Sapphire!!🙈🙈
I’m ever gone trust Guanqin or Starking!!
Thanks for sharing!👏🏻😍
Yeah, I guess the droplet test isn't foolproof... it seems like there are watches from them that have been shown to be sapphire but it's not certain what we might end up getting.
Interesting video!
Thanks man :)
Great video. Would be interested what it says about a Parnis. They are so nicely priced for Saphire.
Oh, I've returned the Parnis I had... but will be sure to test it if I happen to come across another!
i have 1 of this..& its a good tool..Great vid too..at least i know its true or false as listed for watches with sapphire. i have had many watch sellers gone quiet after i send my test video to them. tq
Dodgy sellers! They should be closed down!
Wow, how can we trust those Chinese specials now? BTW, could you test a Sapphire-coated mineral glass? Just wondering what the reading could be. Thanks!
Good point... I think I have Spinnaker with that, will do that this evening!
Tested it on the Sorrento which is supposed to have sapphire coated mineral glass... it reads like mineral glass.
@@PerthWAtch Thanks for the follow up! Have a great day!
Pretty sure it’s not composition... more just relative hardness. Best way to use is to test on a watch you know for sure is sapphire, and one that is mineral glass, and then test the watch you want to find out about.
Very interesting results. I certainly don’t feel offput about the Chinese watches, because it stands to reason because of the pricing. The Starking is stil a great watch in my opinion. I wonder how it would fair on my Parnis Daytona? Thanks for the review Ivan👍🏼
Thanks Ray - interestingly it does looks like this $45 StarKing dress watch did ship with sapphire initially before they downgraded it!
Definitely worth getting one of these.
I take it you're referring to the StarKings or the Guanqins here :)
No, to the diamond selector.....
Haha, yes sorry I meant "you're not referring to..."... stupid typo!
You finally got one!
Haha yes, took me longer than I expected :)
Shame about all those watches that were not sapphire.
It was disappointing... but when I take a step back and notice what I can get for about $60, it's still pretty astounding :)
Can't wait to find out which's the hardest one. I meant watch. :)
Hahaha... touche!
just bought one - thanks!! Will let me know if I get some replaced with sapphire if they really are!!
What did you buy?
oh, the Diamond Tester II - may be having some of my crystals replaced with sapphire, and now I can confirm that they didn't rook me!@@PerthWAtch
Ah ok I see - all the best!
@@PerthWAtch Got it today. All were as advertised except one Wenger Urban Metropolitan/Date Model 01.1741.117 which said on the sale site it was Sapphire and it certainly isnt. Great tool though.
Now you reviewed the Guanqin GJ16034 last year, you said it had a sapphire crystal, I bought this watch because of yours and Jody’s
review. Is it really Sapphire?
Chris Walls Jody tested it and it came up as sapphire. Perhaps the Diamond Selector I did differentiate between crystal coating and that’s what it was?
I could go by the information I could find at the time, which stated it was sapphire - I no longer have the watch, otherwise I would certainly look into testing it.
That makes sense, Chris. Thanks
@Tony Hill lol he dumped the manual ig
Great price 👍👍 great review what's not to like 🙂
Thanks for that.... a great little tool to have I find! :)
Well I'm Chinese, so there you go, you got your first target ;)
Interesting video. For prices they charge for the Starkings and Guintins, it not really a surprise. It is false advertising, And it’s good to know the truth.
Looking forward to the Airman Review. I have 2 GMT versions.
Thanks man... and yes, some of those listings absolutely is false advertising - annoying the StarKing dress watch even has "sapphire" engraved on to the case back!
Interesing...
I have the Guanqin Nomos copy. I am not super careful with my watches, and I am a commercial truck driver! Although I am not smashing my watches on concrete all the time, they are exposed to rough environment. Nomos is one of like 20 watches I have, it's not on my wrist all the time, but I would guess by now maybe a month? Well, not a scratch on the crystal! 👍🏻
I remember in your original review you were talking about water drop test, and that Guanqin "feels" like sapphire. Maybe it's some sort of hardened mineral... 🤔
The water drop test I did was on a different Guanqin model... unfortunately I no longer have that watch with me to use this tester on.
Strangely enough it reports a negative on my sapphire Casio but was really ok with a Corgeut and a Parnis. I'm quite prudent with the conclusion we can make with this device.
Thanks for sharing that - hmm, that's odd if Casio stated it's sapphire and turns out it isn't... not something I expect from them. I have one Casio on me that is advertised as sapphire (GWG-1000 Mudmaster) and it checks out as true.
@@PerthWAtch I just went through my collection and it looks globally alright, that Casio is just the least 'responsive' of the bunch, the Parnis being the boldest one. I've even had the surprise to discover that the Pop Pilot LHR has a sapphire crystal, although it's not specified for that model. All good then.
Glad to hear it looks like it checks out correctly overall! :)
Works on Ruby too.
Ruby is pretty much the same composition as sapphire AFAIK... what we see here is clear crystal, but of course we know there are the naturally occurring blue sapphire gems. Ruby is the “red version”.
How does the Loreo diver compare to these ? Check out Ali Express would love to know the spec of the Loreo vs Invicta ?
Yeah good question man, let me know if you manage to find out ;)
Good video, thanks. Instructions specifically say to only touch surface, not tap or strike to avoid possibly breaking the sensor :/
Thanks - yes I would imagine it’s not good to strike a crystal with the detector...!
thanks for this,,,,very interesting! Any chance of doing the Ball GMT please?
I've done at least one... take a look through the channel archives to check that out :)
@@PerthWAtch Thanks PW, I searched but couldn't find the glass test for the 'Ball'. Great vids by the way...cheers
Sorry I thought you meant a review... I haven't tested the glass on any others of my Swiss made pieces.... honestly I think if it says sapphire, it would be a waste of time to test it as there would no doubt it would be the truth.
Hello mate, did you check the heimdallr tuna homage?
They say it's sapphire and one buyer seid it was easily scratched with in a week of normal office use.
If I had one, sure, I would check it. But I don't have one ;)
@@PerthWAtch(: so get one
For the sake of testing the glass? I don't think so...
A simpler way to test, put your watch down for a few minutes then pick it back up, if the crystal is room temp then it's likely mineral but if it's noticeably cooler, even a bit cold then it's sapphire.
Interesting but rather subjective, and not simple for some
Can you check Cadisen?
I would but I no longer have one with me...
Jordy from One More Watch uses a tester as well and have a positive reading for Sapphire on all his Chinese watches that claimed Sapphire crystals.
Sounds like he's having better luck than me with these Chinese pieces!
Tony Hill thanks for the info, not having that device with instructions in front of me I assumed he was performing the test correctly. Guess not.
@Tony Hill I thought it has to be at 0 because the bigger the stone is, the smaller the calibration number (as per calibration table at the back?) Apparently, the watch crystals are way bigger than usual diamonds and gems.
@Tony Hill yeah but I agree on one point that this thing could mistake something that can conduct heat really well for a diamond. Yeah watch sapphire should not be shown as diamond.
👍🏼
😄
That's a step above the water-drop-adhesion-cohesion test.
Haha yes, much more objective and reliable!
Yes.. the water drop test is literally "free" and it is rather accurate as well.
@@PerthWAtch common sense is that at the prices offered, even with cheap labor, specs in many Chinese watches cannot be as claimed. No illusions here.
That's one point of view. However the objective truth (as can be read in comments here) is that others have tested this $50 StarKing dress watch and found that the crystal is actually sapphire. StarKing themselves admitted they changed this when they allegedly "ran out" of sapphire crystal.
@@PerthWAtch I suppose I fall into the "you can't make something from nothing" school. Good discussion,Ivan, and good video.
I have the same Starking and My Diamond tester two says it is sapphire. I wonder how we got different results. I set mine up just like yours.
It's been documented on forums as well as from responses from StarKing themselves - the watch definitely did have sapphire in some batches, but at times they have swapped it out for mineral glass. Allegedly this is because they had "ran out of sapphire" at the time, but that sounds dubious. The most annoying thing for me is that the listings had continued to say it's sapphire (some listing now say mineral glass), and worse yet, the watch has "sapphire" engraved onto the case back!
Perth WAtch Outright fraud!
Yes it is, but unfortunately does not appear punishable by any meaningful authority...
@@PerthWAtch IM SAYING FOR STARKING, this model designed for sapphire glass all the way, but last year, its ture have one production is hardlex glass made by the mistake of factory, that's a big mistake, While the same time in office store the page details had changed "Sapphire Glass " to "Hardlex glass". After that time, everything come to normal and keep its SAPPHIRE GLASS ALL THE WAY. STARKING ALWAYS KEEP THE TURE INFORMATION for buyers and try best to update in time. so for now who got AM0184 is not a sapphire crystal come back to the office store... they will 100% take the responsible.(ONLY the order placed in aliexpress office store.)
Ah very good, thank you for the helpful update! That is good to know - perhaps send me a black dial AM0184 and I can do a direct demonstration compare with this model to prove to viewers that it will now always be sapphire? I will send email to remind also, thanks!
I have had more than one abysmal experience of the Aliexpress disputes resolution farce!
Yeah you shared that in the other post right?
Wait does it suppose to be on 3 bars or you can test it in 4 bars?
Can’t recall but I think there should be a baseline reading (one light) before you begin.
@@PerthWAtch i uploaded a video of me testing the Sapphire glass on my tag heuer and oris mine took awhile to beep and I've put it in 4
Part of the key for me is to make sure it can consistently differentiate between watches you know for sure have sapphire vs mineral glass.
What the dio2 and1
What?
These testers, or their clones, sell for
Pretty much 100% accuracy in determining sapphire vs not - quite easy to test it out by using a whole bunch of watches where you know for sure what it is.
STARKING Official Store on Aliexpress states that Since 2019.01.01 ,Anyone who bought the model AM0184 is not Sapphire glass ,can contact with us and send the proof ,we could resend a new one .
Thanks Jenny, StarKing has been in touch with me separately also and have confirmed that this model is now sapphire... there was reported error from factory for a batch of production. Cheers!
whatttt that starking needs to be a sapphire
You mean that dress watch? I really should be, but hey Seiko get away with Hardlex all the time...
Thank you for the video! StarKing disappointed me..
Thank you - you and me both!
STARKING is 100% Sapphire now, can check with jody's vidoe.
Ah very good, thank you for the helpful update! That is good to know - perhaps send me a black dial AM0184 and I can do a direct demonstration compare with this model to prove to viewers that it will now always be sapphire? I will send email to remind also, thanks!
Do NOT be surprised by the thieves at Starking. See my comments above.
Not bad for $10 USD.
The amazing world of online shopping today :)
Perth WAtch I got a Seagull 1963 chronograph yesterday and it was the sapphire model, but, I want to make sure it’s actually sapphire 😉
Hope it proves to be so!
Sadly most Chinese brands lie about the Sapphire crystal and the genuine leather straps... :-(
:(
What a surprise all Chinese watches failed. I still like my Chinese collection as sapphire was not the selling point for the purchase.(And for the low prices I knew they were probably fibbing)
My Starking dress watch has sapphire (but the watch was otherwise faulty). And my Guanqin GJ16034 has sapphire (and apparantly tungsten bezel) eventhough not advertised. So I guess it is hit or miss with these Chinese watches. Buyer beware - I almost always shop on Ebay; sellers usually offer a discount when their advertising shows to be too bold.
Thanks for the comments guys!
TSP - interesting to note that. Did you use a tester like this one, or did you have other means to ascertain that they were sapphire?
@@PerthWAtch I used exactly the same tester that you have. And also did some tests on watches I was sure was mineral, to be sure of the testers credibility. Btw thanks for your videos.
Thanks! BTW how did you work out that bezel was tungsten?
@@PerthWAtch I am not 100% sure about the tungsten, but it has been claimed in a couple of forums. I have also seen it advertised by some of the sellers on the web. I have another watch with a similar faceted bezel, which is claimed by the advertisement as being tungsten. I do not want to claim it by certainty, but I am tempted to take one for the team now when I brought it up.
Sometimes its just the cyclops that is sapphire,lol
Yep :)
:)
;)
You know which big brand that lies about sapphire, or at least use a cheap as sapphire crystal that is no harder than regular mineral glass? Apple. Jerry rig everything channel has been testing them and they scratch just as easily. Maybe if you have access to an Apple watch or iPhone, you can test it with that gadget.
Interesting. Are you referring to the lens cover? If so that does test out as sapphire on my iPhone 7, and as far as I know that's the only part that is actually claimed to be sapphire... the touch screen glass is AFAIK still Corning Gorilla Glass.
As for Apple Watch, I don't have access to one presently and have no interest in it... but for what it's worth I think only the higher model of the latest V3 is marketed as sapphire.
@@PerthWAtch Yeah, the lens cover. But if your test shows that it is sapphire crystal, then I guess they are not made equal. Check out this video th-cam.com/video/oT6VL4x-rHY/w-d-xo.html. Apple's sapphire lens cover scratch at the same level 6 as regular glass while a Tissot watch used as a comparison in the video didn't scratch at that level.
It's the same with series 3 Apple watch th-cam.com/video/9EBgaxFfDA0/w-d-xo.html again he compares it with the Sapphire crystal on a different Tissot.
Cool, thanks, I'll be sure to take a look!
@@PerthWAtch do a video on it. I'm sure it'll get a LOT of clicks. Plus you can expose the fact that just because a manufacturer claimed it's "sapphire" doesn't mean it's going to be scratch resistant.
Good idea... I probably won't be game to damage a phone or a watch though, but I guess can always reference others!
Now do it again, but just do the poor man's water drop test because I bet you it shows the same result... You do not need that tool...
That's not a bad idea actually!
Aliexpress diputes resolution is a TOTAL DISGRACE. You will NEVER get your money back, if you are extremely lucky you MAY get up to 50%, but that is incredibly rare. They will NEVER make the seller pay for return shipping. You will be forever stuck with a defective item. Their 'investigation' of your claim will be utterly hopeless at best, their decision-making is completely flawed, bewildering and bizzare to say the least. 'customer service' is a term completely foreign to them. You will be out of pocket, of that there is no doubt. There are many great sellers on the Aliexpress website, but the charlatins are there in force, and when something goes wrong, the 'resolution service' will always favour them in some way. Ali actively aids in defrauding it's 'customers' who have been mislead by blatantly false advertising claims by not giving you a full refund and making the seller take back the goods at their expense. You will be offered a refund but you have to pay return shipping-often costing way more than the goods themselves, so this is a joke in itself (they know this).Basically, you hand your money over and hope for the best. The disputes process itself is laborious, confusing, and frustratingly difficult (deliberately!) I have learnt some tricks over the last year on how to manage a dispute better, but at the end of the day you are completely at Aliexpess' mercy. They have your money!
NEVER BUY A WATCH FROM STARKING OR THE BENYAR FACTORY STORE!!!! Most watches with an English DAY complication will invariably have some other language variant on the dial, usually chinese or Spanish. The English day will appear for a couple of hours in the wee small hours of the morning, then the other one takes over for the rest of the day. You can invariably see this when you try to set the time. ALL OF THE ADVERTISING PHOTOS WILL SHOW ENGLISH DAYS ON MOST WATCHES. Best to avoid these types of watches altogether. There is some really good stuff on Ali, and some real junk. Just don't expect miracles if something goes wrong (there is no such thing as 'consumer rights' in China)
Sorry to hear about your bad experience - I hope this will serve as helpful warning to others!