1) How many of your have suffered a drop of their AW. Which glass did it have and did it survive?
I've only had 1 or 2 drops of the watches in 5 years of use and nothing shattered. I'm careful putting them on and off and once on obviously they shouldn't be falling off. I don't think this is near the same risk as an iPhone which you are constantly handholding. Use good judgement and falls shouldn't be an issue.
2) How many of you have scratched the face of your AW - and which glass did it have. It seems fairly common that the Ion-X scratches extremely easily.
I've had sapphire the entire time. Never, ever scratched even banging it in sharp edged metal or stone. It's why I paid more frankly. But this year I moved to an aluminum ionX screen to see how it is for a year. I fully expect scuffs now but hopefully only minor, as I was used to with older non-smartwatch glass faced watches. My teen daughter's ionX apple watch face that is 1.5 years old only shows barely noticeable marks if tilted in the light, it isn't ugly or anything and not noticeable to others on the wrist.
3) Will the Stainless Steel or Titanium retain more value when selling or will I lose the extra I put into it?
You lose extra! BIG TIME. The AW loses value far more than any other Apple device. The best at retaining their value are the cheapest, my older SBSS AW4 only was worth $30 more than an aluminum AW4 after only 1 year despite costing me $300+ more! This is resale prices to Apple and you can do better on sites like eBay but the more expensive watches plummet far faster than the cheap ones there too. Major downside to the expensive models if you intend to resell them.
4) I've read that the SC affects the display negatively due to it's much higher reflectivity. In bright light, it washes out more. For anyone who's have the SS or both SS and Alum, have you noticed this?
I've had them both now, I'm sure its "true" but its so subtle I can't notice it, although I haven't tried side by side. Both are very bright and you'd love either. It is NOT worth deciding on glass vs. sapphire just on the idea sapphire is somehow going to be dimmer or washed out.
5) Has anyone w/ SC face had issues with chipping? The scratch resistance is incredible but I wonder about chipping.
Never. I heard the SC might be equal or even slightly more likely to shatter than glass but honestly its a subtle difference and scratches are far, far, far bigger and more likely issue. If price is no object and a "perfect" screen is what you want for your watch then sapphire is the better choice hands down even if the shatter resistance is in theory slightly less.
6) Having Apple Care+, maybe I'm better off dealing with a drop (which should be covered, w/ the deductible payment) vs multiple scratches on the Ion-X (which I'm guessing they won't cover, right, as it's considered "normal wear & tear"). Thoughts?
Probably. I haven't used AC+ on my watches ever, never had a shatter or damage in 5 years of 24/7 use.
7) Anyone used a screen protector and has it helped?
I won't put a screen protector on a watch, to me it looks beyond absurd. I'm sure it would help the glass models with scratches but again, I'd rather have a scratch than a screen protector when it comes to watch.
8) I'm a little worried about a case/screen protector as some Redditors have published phots of the case itself causing scratches to the watch and face. I always use cases/screen protectors on my phones because my health issues cause me to drop them some. However, a watch isn't the same since it's strapped to one's wrist. I mostly worry about scratching or chipping while going by a wall, door jamb, etc. I think the Solo Loop might help me drop it less since I won't be fiddling with a watch clasp while the AW isn't yet attached to my wrist (I would think one of the most vulnerable moments).
On your own here, the scratches are likely to come with walls, door jambs etc. like you said, I think the risk of dropping taking it on or off once or twice a day is fairly minimal if you use the least bit of care. I've probably totally jinxed myself.
9) What's the difference in the PVD Gold coating vs the DLC Graphite coating on the SS models of the S6. I've heard that either of these is much more scratch resistance vs the silver SS.
DLC Graphite and DLC SBSS coating is nearly scratch proof. By far the most damage resistant coating Apple Watches have and my SBSS looks essentially new after 2 years of constant wear. The PVD coating does help reduce scratches but not nearly to the extent of the DLC coating. Silver SS scratches while breathing on it as you rest it on a bed of feathers... lol! That said Silver SS is the one material I think looks good scratched up over time, like a patina. You can also easily polish it out, something you can't do with the DLC and PVD coated models. You'll just need to do it daily the way Silver SS collects scratches.
10) Does the PVD Gold SS show fingerprints as much as the DLC Graphite SS? I've seen some photos of fingerprints on the previous Space Black SS & it did show quite a bit. Curious if Gold shows as much.
Both show finger prints, I'd imagine it might be easier to see on the gold but in general the casing is so thin vs. the screen you don't notice smudges much, it's just hard to see the case much in the first place.
