Hesalite vs Acrylic Crystals

[morafa4]

Can anyone speak as to the difference between old hesalite crystals and the later gen acrylic crystals that came to replace them? I'm thinking about sourcing a NOS hesalite crystal - just curious to see if there are any notable differences and/or if it's worth it.

Specifically, I'm wondering if it feels different (harder or more brittle) and if there are any differences in luminosity (more transparent, etc) or even basic shape. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[TheBluePrince]

The older hesalite one's will often be brittle now even if they are "NOS". The force of clamping them down to ensure water tightness could cause micro cracks/fractures which could end up with you having a very bad day. A big dome looks cool but if you want to ensure your watch is water tight and actually wear it get a modern crystal.

[morafa4]

Originally Posted by TheBluePrince

The older hesalite one's will often be brittle now even if they are "NOS". The force of clamping them down to ensure water tightness could cause micro cracks/fractures which could end up with you having a very bad day. A big dome looks cool but if you want to ensure your watch is water tight and actually wear it get a modern crystal.

Thanks BluePrince, that's a reasonable enough answer for me to abandon the thought. But out of curiosity, are they any differences between the profile (shape) of original Rolex Service crystals and aftermarket ones that you have seen?

I can't help but feel that I've seen differences in the general shape of crystals (as seen in the Sexy Plexi thread for example). I'm not talking about the difference between Super Dome crystals and others, but rather in among all crystals excluding the Super Dome.

Thanks all!