Welcome to the Plastic Dome

Hesalite? I could have called it Perspex's Shatterproof Properties, but somehow that doesn't roll off the tongue as well.

What is it about acrylic crystals anyway? I used to hate them. They scratch just by looking at them. After a while, a scratched-up crystal makes a watch look old and tired. Surely synthetic sapphire (corundum) is the way to go. But then I started collecting Speedmasters and my preference began to change. Somehow the Moonwatch needs an acrylic crystal. It makes the whole thing pop. That beautiful dome you can achieve using an acrylic crystal can't be duplicated by sapphire. All of the domed sapphire crystals I have just don't get it 100% right. Maybe 75%-80%, but that's it. Plus, the benefits of acrylic's shatterproof properties outweigh its nuisance as a scratch magnet. Imagine dropping a Speedmaster from any considerable height and it landed on its crystal. I know what type I'd prefer in that scenario. And when it's time to polish an acrylic crystal you can always use Polywatch, Brasso, or even toothpaste.

I'm up to 4 Speedmasters now. One of them has a sapphire crystal and display back, which was actually my first Speedy. I even had two of these sapphire models, but eventually sold the other. After that, I only started to collect the "classic" versions with the proper Hesalite crystals.

What's my grail watch? It would probably have to be a military issued Speedmaster, preferably issued by the MOD. If you know of one for sale give me a heads up!