Sapphire crystal is a white, synthetic sapphire. Thanks to its hardness of 9, this crystal can only be scratched by very hard substances similar to diamonds. For UNION GLASHÜTTE watches, only double-sided, non-reflective sapphire crystal is used, meaning that both sides of the crystal are coated with an anti-reflective layer. As there is therefore no mirroring in the crystal, the full glory of the dial is easier to appreciate.
The 4 C's of a Diamond
Cut
Many people confuse the quality of the cut with the shape of a diamond. The cut is the only direct influence of human beings to the diamond. A good cutter could play with the shape and the quality of the cutting to improve the quality of the diamond. The cut will influence the fire and sparkle of the diamond. Created in 1900 the brilliant cut is the most used cut. The Brilliant cut consists in 57 or 58 facets (with or without culet).
The cut for the watches setting is very demanding due to the fact that the diamonds are small and the setting in the stainless steel asks a perfect cutting. Union Glashütte diamonds are cut in the traditional Brilliant style without culet.
The Union’s diamond certificate shows a 32/24 which is the total number of facets (crown-girdle/pavilion) excluding the table.
Colour
The colour describes the amount of colour the diamonds contains.The diamonds we use in the watch industry are yellow. The scale of colour ranges from colourless to pale yellow with an infinite variety of subtle intermediate hues. The rarest of the diamonds colours are white or colourless. So, the more colourless the diamond is, the more valuable it is.
For the colour grading many scales exist. The most used are the “Wesselton scale” for trade and the “D to Z scale” (from GIA) as official scale.
The colour of the Union Glashütte diamonds is Top Wesselton due to the fact that the setting in white metals does not allow any colour.
Clarity
The clarity describes the clearness of a diamond. Most diamonds have imperfections in them. The internal imperfections are called inclusions and the external blemishes. The clarity is determined by the severity of the inclusions and blemishes. The clarity scale is broken down as it follows:
Carat-weight
The carat is a standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond (and gems).
One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram (in the trade, the diamonds are also measured in points, i.e. 1 carat = 100 points).
Conflict-free diamonds
All UNION GLASHÜTTE diamonds are 'conflict-free' and comply with the guidelines and certification system of the Kimberley Process. We are therefore able to provide the required written guarantee for each UNION GLASHÜTTE diamond: "The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict-free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds."
Water resistance
All UNION GLASHÜTTE gent's watches are water-resistant to a pressure of 10 bar (100m), and all ladies' watches to a pressure of 5 bar (50m) in accordance with the relevant ISO standards. Every UNION GLASHÜTTE watch must pass a series of diving tests before it may be sold. For example, one test is carried out using high air pressure to simulate the certified depth in order to ensure that no air penetrates inside the watch case. Another test takes the watch through wide temperature variations in a damp environment to ensure the total absence of water condensation inside the watch glass.
Important! The water resistance rating of our watches is based upon laboratory pressure tests, comparable to the pressure conditions to which an unmoving swimmer or diver may be exposed at the corresponding depth. As most water sport activities are closely linked with strong or intense movements, the real pressure to which the watch is exposed may in particular cases vary and be higher than during the tests.
Please further note that water resistance cannot be guaranteed for an indefinite length of time. Accidental shock or impact to crown or push-button may affect the water resistance. To keep the watch water resistant, we recommend not to push any button under water. After contacting salted water you should carefully clean the watch from outside with a humid cloth. We strongly recommend not to open the watch on your own! We further recommend that you have your timepiece checked for water resistance by an authorised UNION GLASHÜTTE Service Centre annually.
Leather straps
Depending on the model, UNION GLASHÜTTE uses genuine crocodile skin straps, doubled calf leather or calf leather with a crocodile skin effect. Some ladies' watches have a synthetic satin strap, which is significantly more durable than a normal satin strap. For the ladies' diamond models, real alligator skin straps are used. All leather straps are fitted with a decorated stainless steel folding clasp with push-buttons.
Metal bands
All UNION GLASHÜTTE metal watch bands are made from solid 316L stainless steel.
Steel clasps
All UNION GLASHÜTTE watch bands are fitted with a decorated stainless steel 316L double-folding clasp with two push-buttons.