Fenix 7 Sensor Glass Durability?

You should consider none of these had a glass sensor. You can't compare apples to oranges. 

I was very happy that this new glass sensor exists, but there are people already having big scratches and cracks, see DCRainmaker video. This won't be the only ones out there I believe. 

I couldn't find DC Rainmaker video when he's showing scratched or cracked fenix 7 glass. Could you post a link, please?

Already did here at the beginning. But I think it was Fenix 7 vs Instinct 2 around min 12:30 ...  major scratch, almost seems like a crack. 

I see it now. But I see serious scratches on the metal case as well. It ends with the letter F... If he managed to scratch steel or titanium, then it's not surprising that he scratched glass ;)

Hi,

I own a Fenix 7X Sapphire and found your thread Googling scratches on the glass covered heart rate optical sensor. I wanted to reply to reassure you are not the only one to have experienced this.

I have had my watch about four months and I have picked up a small scratch on the glass sensor. It is viewable when under the right lighting and at the right angle, but it is there nonetheless.

Like you, I have never dropped the watch or placed it sensor-side-down on any surface. I am so meticulous with the watch as it is so expensive.

The only explanation I can think of is that at some point, a piece of grit has worked its way under the watch and wedged between my skin and the glass. I do run a lot of trails so the prospect of dirt, sand and grit in the environment is quite high. That said, wearing the watch on the trails in those environments is what a rugged adventure watch should be able to handle.

I owned a Fenix 3HR Sapphire that was the plastic and epoxy sensor covering. It got a lot of cracks over its surface and this appears to have been a material fault given how common the issue was for Garmin users.

My Fenix 6X Sapphire is almost in pristine condition after years of use, with just the single impact mark from a foreign object.

It's disappointing to have the scratch on the Fenix 7X Sapphire glass optical heart rate sensor cover. Particularly since I have not placed it down on any surface or dropped, and have really just used the watch in everyday fit-for-purpose situations. It has been washed in fresh water after every use and really just treated like a live grenade care-wise. But I guess if you are running trails or hiking in environments that have a lot debris (sand, mud, dirt, rocks etc...) this is an inevitable risk.

I am going to live with it because it's on the outer part of the sensor plate and not directly over the light sensors themselves (fortunately). I will keep up washing it after use and just hope this is a one-off event. That said, it's a watch for adventures and the outdoors. So I am not going to use it only on the road for fear of another scratch. That would be crazy. If we lived like that with our purchase, we may as well leave it in the box and just look at it.

This doesn't really help you, but hopefully knowing you aren't the only one helps.

I do question why Garmin did not apply Sapphire glass to the back of the sensor for the same durability as the screen. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Wouldn't that uh mess with light refraction and require an algorithm adjustment just for the sapphire glass sensor? I'd like to know. 

My Fenix ​​7 is only a few weeks old and somehow I already have a few very light scratches on the sensor glass. To be honest, they are so light that you can almost only see them with a really bright flashlight and a small magnifying glass. I only discovered it because of this thread. Garmin Chat Support says such small scratches are considered "normal" and do not affect reading performance. I'm not happy about the tiny scratches but I think we have to live with that now. I bet almost all Fenix ​​watches, even with the glass sensor cover, will have slight scratches after a couple of weeks if inspected properly enough. How can you avoid it altogether?

BTW I've only ever cleaned the sensor cover with Kimwipes made specifically for camera lenses and lab gear to be extra careful with the watch. Doesn't seem to have helped either. I'm not even sure if the cleaning isn't actually the cause of some of the scratches. Bummer...

Been quite careful with sensor glass of my 7x, and never laid sensor on table or other hard surface, yet have picked up a couple more rather obvious scratches along the way. Seems scratches inevitable, although doesn't seem to affect performance so far.

Currently contemplating if to also get an Epix 2 or Marq 2, and if I do, whether to skip purchasing the vented titanium bracelet altogether - have the concern that metal of the bracelet can easily scratch sensor glass, with potential for longer / deeper scratches due to the hardness / sharpness / weight of the bracelet... 

My two week old Fenix 7 face glass just got a thin crack right on the middle of the face diagonally, how did it happen?, just happened to accidentally hit something while wearing it, the impact was not so hard but it sure is hurting!! This sucks! Get a tempered glass on!