By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

Published: 10:55 EDT, 13 May 2015 | Updated: 12:43 EDT, 13 May 2015

It may cost from $349 (£299), but Apple’s watch has been shown to scratch and shatter easily.

Now early adopters who want to protect their timely investment can buy a rubber case designed to fit it snuggly while leaving the touchscreen and crown easily accessible.

The CandyShell Fit case, made by Silicon Valley-based Speck has a hard polycarbonate shell that acts like a bumper for the watch and a softer shock-absorbing interior.

A rubber case for Apple's Watch is about to go on sale that's designed to protect the timepiece from bumps and scratches. The CandyShell Fit case (pictured) has a hard polycarbonate shell that acts like a bumper for the watch and a softer shock-absorbing interior

The 1.5mm raised lip of the case is intended to protect the watch’s display if it is knocked or dropped.

The  Apple Watch, which costs from $549 (£479) and Apple Watch Edition from $12,000 (£8,000) have screens made of Sapphire glass, while the Apple Watch Sport has an Ion-X glass display, which is 'protected by a lightweight aluminosilicate glass that's especially resistant to scratches and impact,' according to Apple.

But damage to the screen, such as chips, scratches or shattering, is not covered by the watch's warranty and is expensive to fix, MacRumours reports, making a cover a good idea.

US owners will have to pay repairs fees of $229, $329 and $2,800 for the Sport, Watch and Edition models respectively to fix a cracked or missing crown, missing buttons, or screen damage, for example, it reported, but no details are available about the cost of repairs in the UK. 

Speck's New CandyShell Fit Is Two Layers Of Meticulously Designed Protection For Apple Watch: http://t.co/KgXFx3hNsg pic.twitter.com/mzV0Op2iYS

A case would protect Apple's watch from scratches. Some early adopters of the Apple Watch have complained its stainless steel case scratches easily, according to 9to5Mac. The 316L steel used is cold-forged to be 'extra hard', but it seems to scratch in a similar way to the back of an iPod.

Purpose: The case is designed to protect the Apple Watch, while leaving the screen, Digital Crown and heart sensor free.

It should cushion the blow if the watch is dropped and protect the watch's stainless steel bezel from scratches.

Materials: It has a hard polycarbonate shell that acts like a bumper for the watch and a softer shock-absorbing interior.

Design: The case has a 1.5mm raised lip to protect the watch's screen, which has been shown to be scratch-proof.

Price: $30 (£20) when it goes on sale.

Colours: A number of bright options.

Sizes: To fit the 38mm and 42mm watches. 

A video by TechRax recently showed the Apple Watch Sport shattering easily after being dropped from a height of just under four feet (1.2 metres) to simulate what may happen if a wearer drops their watch while tightening or unfastening the strap.

The watch survived the drop when it was not dropped directly on its face – despite a nasty ‘crack’ noise – but it shattered when it was dropped screen first.

Speck's case is also designed to cover the watch's stainless steel bezel.

Some early adopters of the Apple Watch have complained its stainless steel case scratches easily, according to 9to5Mac.

The 316L steel used is cold-forged to be 'extra hard', but it seems to scratch in a similar way to the back of an iPod. 

The case doesn’t cover the Digital Crown, heart rate sensor or screen, so the watch can be used as it’s intended.

The dual-layer design is inspired by the company’s CandyShell smartphone cases and is said to be easy to slip on and off, meaning that a user could give their Apple Watch Sport extra protection in the gym, but wear it normally elsewhere. 

A video by TechRax recently showed the Apple Watch Sport shattering easily (pictured) after being dropped from a height of just under four feet (1.2 metres) to simulate what may happen if a wearer drops their watch while tightening or unfastening the strap

Promoting its case, the company says: ‘Go one step further, knowing that your Apple Watch will be guarded from everyday bumps and collisions.

‘Now you can track your fitness in rough and rugged conditions, whether that may mean pumping iron at crossfit, scaling walls in rock climbing, or cycling for miles without fear of damaging your new favourite Apple device.’

Speck told Cnet that the cover is sweat-resistant and can withstand extreme temperatures, as well as chemicals such as sun cream. 

It will cost $30 (£20) when it goes on sale from the Speck website and will be available for Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition in both of the watch’s 38mm and 42mm sizes in four colours - black, white, blue and red.

It’s expected that the case will ship later this month. 

The sapphire glass screen in the Apple Watch has remained scratch-free after being subjected to being rubbed with sandpaper, keyed and even hit with a hammer.

The test was carried out by Cardiff-based iPhone repairs specialist iPhoneFixed.co.uk, which used a sapphire screen from a 38mm Apple Watch for its experiment.

Two out of the three models of Apple Watches have sapphire glass screens - the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition.

The glass is made from synthetic sapphire, which is created by applying heat and pressure to aluminium oxide powder, before the crystals are processed to remove impurities.

The tiny round disks created are ground into shape, and polished, to become glass.

Sapphire glass is said to be twice as tough as normal glass and almost as hard as a diamond.

To test the durability of the screen, it was rubbed against a stone wall and then with a coin, before being ‘scratched’ by a key.

The video capturing the attempts at destruction, shows no scratches were achieved to the screen.

It also withstood being rubbed with abrasive sandpaper at some force and hit by a hammer – albeit not very hard.

But most impressive, was the screen’s ability to withstand an electric drill being dragged across its surface, without leaving a mark.

The test led iPhoneFixed to claim: ‘Sapphire glass is pretty strong and virtually impossible to scratch’.

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