Honestly, I couldn’t appreciate the hesalite much about a decade ago. I mean, how could a material ranging at 1-2 scores out of the 10 Mohs scale compete with a 9 score one, which is sapphire?! I was sure this material would perform no resistance or readability, being based on plastic polymethyl methacrylate.
But once my father borrowed his Junghans Max Bill Handaufzug 027/3701.04 for a wedding. At first, I was shocked to observe how neat it looked, how clean and did not impair readability at all. At the event, there was much light; I could look at it from different angles, and it looked great indeed. I kept the watch for several months; during this period, I loved it indeed. I find this material adorable. Doesn’t shutter, behaves well and the tiny scratches, as it is more sensitive to them than sapphire, are easily removed with the most basic toothpaste. Also, it is much more affordable than watches with sapphire.
Generally, sapphire has a more complex process of manufacturing. It is more resistant, much more resistant than hesalite, so it’s incredibly strong against impacts. So, after all, it all depends on what you really need. If it’s scratch resistance, then it’s sapphire. If it’s a non-shatter property that you need, then it’s hesalite.
In terms of readability, both are great. Sapphire is more reflective of course, but nowadays I think all manufacturers apply anti-reflective coating so it shouldn’t be a problem.
For my necessities and lifestyle, hesalite is more than suitable.