$hit Happened Sometimes

[ck77]

Colleague's watch dropped from a table. Face down.
Ouch ....





Will send in to Ball service center, most probably the movement need to be clean as well.

[meoramri]

Ummm looks like the crystal has some form of laminate - stops it from shattering completely. Can anyone confirm?

[STT1987]

Keep calm! Everything can still be saved!     

[swleong]

OMG, look like the day date display also got affected...

[Everdying]

so much for shock protection

[G.MAC]

how high was the table from the ground? And also what sort of floor was it?

[dpkong]

safest place for a watch in on the wrist..

[nasa]

Ouuch!! Sakit hati tengok..May i know what Ball model is that?

[RaymondT]

  noooo ... Not a ball 

[takashi78]

Shock protection is for the movement NOT the glass.

[ck77]

how high was the table from the ground? And also what sort of floor was it?

Normal table height I guess, should be marble floor.

[ck77]

Ouuch!! Sakit hati tengok..May i know what Ball model is that?

This is Ball Ionosphere Chrono.

[Enkidu]

Colleague's watch dropped from a table. Face down.
Ouch ....



Will send in to Ball service center, most probably the movement need to be clean as well.

Let's do some simple physics (my first attempt after 23 years)......

Assuming the watch weighs 200g or 0.2kg

Force = mass x acceleration
F= 0.2kg x 10m/s2
F= 2N

The watch fell on its face. I assume the diameter of the dial / crystal is 40mm. Hence the radius is 20mm or 0.02m. Area of the dial / crystal is therefore approx 3.1416 x 0.02m x 0.02m = 0.001256 metre squared.

Pressure exerted ==> P = F/A = 2/0.001256 = 1,592.3 Pascal = 1.5923kPa.

Now, from my memory, 1 ATM is 101.3kPa.

Can 1% of the atmosphereic pressure really crack the crystal like that? Or maybe my physics is rusty beyond help? 

[ck77]

Wah Loo, I thought you are a lawyer.
Physics also can 

[tonykpk]

Pull out the crown n stop the watch, small debris might enter the movement n also the hands might swipe the debris against  the face..

[Enkidu]

Wah Loo, I thought you are a lawyer.
Physics also can 

If my calculation is correct, then perhaps the watch did not fall flat on its face, perhaps at an acute angle and onto something sharp. Hence the Area onto which the force is applied is much smaller, meaning the pressure was much much higher. Hence the crack....

[dennis.T]

Is it u fren accidentally step on it after dropped? I dropped my 16610 before from table height and the only damage is the lug dented and the saphire still crystal clear... Not even a scratch

[ck77]

Is it u fren accidentally step on it after dropped? I dropped my 16610 before from table height and the only damage is the lug dented and the saphire still crystal clear... Not even a scratch

Maybe like enkidu said, is the angle.

[horomas]

I have dropped watches before from table,well,actually waist height and so far thank my lucky stars no untoward incident.That really looks nasty and hard to imagine that table height can wreak so much havoc

[Scott C.]

shit~!! how much it cost to fix the glass?

[takashi78]

Well even the sapphire glass on my AP cost rm300+ to replace.
Aint gonna be that expensive i think.
More worried if the movement damaged much.

[dpkong]

do the crystals on ball watches protrude above the bezel like Rolex watches?

Can 1% of the atmosphereic pressure really crack the crystal like that? Or maybe my physics is rusty beyond help? 

Now while I cannot confirm the calculations, I would think that although the force of impact may be much lower than absolute atmospheric pressure, it cannot be used as a comparison because both the inside and outside of the watch should be at atmospheric pressure. I'm inclined to think it hit at a point and resonant frequency created at impact is close to the resonant frequency of the crystal and that caused it to shatter.

[Dickson Lim]

do the crystals on ball watches protrude above the bezel like Rolex watches?

Can 1% of the atmosphereic pressure really crack the crystal like that? Or maybe my physics is rusty beyond help? 

Now while I cannot confirm the calculations, I would think that although the force of impact may be much lower than absolute atmospheric pressure, it cannot be used as a comparison because both the inside and outside of the watch should be at atmospheric pressure. I'm inclined to think it hit at a point and resonant frequency created at impact is close to the resonant frequency of the crystal and that caused it to shatter.

Now that is some serious science. 

Anyhow, hope that no debris enters the movement.

[Enkidu]

Now while I cannot confirm the calculations, I would think that although the force of impact may be much lower than absolute atmospheric pressure, it cannot be used as a comparison because both the inside and outside of the watch should be at atmospheric pressure. I'm inclined to think it hit at a point and resonant frequency created at impact is close to the resonant frequency of the crystal and that caused it to shatter.

2013 Nobel Prize in Physics coming your way next year. 

[azzamov]

Ouchhh...pray the watch will 'heal' faster...