The horrors of magnetism 🧲⚡️… do you care?
Getting my one off my watches magnetized is one of the great horrors that I have, unfortunately, although I do have a demagnetizer. I fear for that so much that I don’t take another watch in my backpack as the laptop is in there. There are layers between them but still. Which is another thing that I need to get a grasp on. I am not sure what would get the watch magnetized. Not entirely, but I mean, how close to the phone, for how long.
What do you think really does magnetize a watch? Where is the line?
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Vinnie Fox
A watch ORIENTed SEIKOpath… I love authenticity and craftsmanship in a watch. to me an exceptional watch is a watch that is manufactured exceptionally well under the microscope. I find it mind blowing...
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Member since
Last active: 5 hrs ago
20.00 cm
I lay on my bed wearing my watch while watching content on my laptop and reading WC posts on my phone. Magnetization is easily remedied at a low cost.
Buy an Omega or Milgauss 👍
I wear a modern Omega. Magnets hold no power over me.
Use a compass to measure around the house. If the compass is not pointing towards north, then the area is magnetized.
It turns out, anywhere near my speakers is magnetized. Also, my desktop table (supported by iron bars underneath) is magnetized.
Most modern watches with ETA/Sellita movements have some amount of anti-magnetic material used in the hairsprings, so the risk is low unless you put a strong magnet right on the watch. And even then, the effect might be temporary.
The only watch of mine which got seriously magnetized was one with a ST36 movement which I think is easily magnetized. As I didn’t have a demagnetizer, I just adjusted the regulator to compensate for magnetization.
The only time I worry about it is when I’m flying so I use their quartz movement when I’m flying.
Buy an Omega or Milgauss 👍
What about my watches that I love?😅 I just wanna make sure that I’m doing everything to protect them however, I actually do think I’m doing way more. This is why I initiated this poll. I want to see if everyone does what I do or am I overdoing it.
It's so easy to fix that I'm entirely content never paying any mind to it up until the time when it actually happens to me, at which point, I'll reevaluate whether it's worth worrying about.
I've magnetized watches. I demagnetize them. It takes two minutes. I have no idea how they got magnetized. It's nothing to be horrified by. So no, I don't care.
The only time I worry about it is when I’m flying so I use their quartz movement when I’m flying.
Tell me more please! How does it magnetize a watch?
I voted A because I do care but I'm not worried or horrified over magnetism. It's an easy fix, for that reason I bought my demagnetizer few months ago, it's extremely affordable and within watch enthusiasts it's a same must have tool as stethoscope for doctors or wrench for mechanics
My Omega is resistant to the equivalent of an MRI scan... so I don't lose sleep at night, hah.
It's so easy to fix that I'm entirely content never paying any mind to it up until the time when it actually happens to me, at which point, I'll reevaluate whether it's worth worrying about.
Well, this to be honest, brings me a lot of relief. What I was thinking and worried me more is that demagnetizing the watch wouldn’t go exactly as planned and this is one more reason why I initiated this poll. I feel like I might be giving it more than it’s worth.
You basically want me to make a magnet watch holder 🤣
Well me too, but something magnetized that damn Longines! Haha! You ever come out to San Francisco I’ll pay for you to play pinball friend.
First one to know if I went to San Francisco man!🤩
Actually man, thank you so much because you have confirmed a theory in my head. I had to watch that was running 4 seconds faster a day and I wasn’t sure if it was just magnetized so that confirms it. 🙌🏼
Glad to help confirm your theory! +- a few seconds is usually ok and is considered within tolerance for most brands. You can try to regulate to get closer to 0 seconds. If your seeing a minute or more chances are the hair spring is magnetized.
Did you notice any changes to the automatic ones?
Nope. I did though with the digital. They were off about a minute
How much ahould it read on the magnetometer so i’d know the watch is magnetised?
I'm not sure a consumer magnometer/app is going to pick up anything less than a REALLY magnetised watch but put it this way, most modern watches can handle exposure to a magnetic field around 60 gauss. Any more than that then you want to demagnatise
Just a few times surrounded by super magnets is great you’ve been really cautious with them! 👏🏼
I have actually demagnetized a watch of mine before yet it was because I wasn’t sure if it was magnetized or not. it kept perfect time and then it acted funny too as it became fester by about four minutes a day.
How did they act funny to you? Was it the same?
Just as you described!
BTW, I used Twixt app to keep track of daily variance, much easier to check if one is being suspicious 🤨
Just as you described!
BTW, I used Twixt app to keep track of daily variance, much easier to check if one is being suspicious 🤨
Yeah I have a similar app that I’m planning on using starting today.
I still don’t know how to ise it really but I dont think it will be more complicated than watch making so I think we’re good😂
Any advice tho?
Glad to help confirm your theory! +- a few seconds is usually ok and is considered within tolerance for most brands. You can try to regulate to get closer to 0 seconds. If your seeing a minute or more chances are the hair spring is magnetized.
I might be a bit sick because I like +- 0 a day and a maximum of like +- 5 seconds a day but what can we so?😅
My Alpinist got magnetized last month, gaining 45 seconds a day (compared to its usual +6). It's taken about 9 months for that to happen, despite me wearing the watch daily while using my phone, computer and tablet. A demagnetizer solved it instantly (and as a bonus, a week later my dad mentioned his Seiko prospex tuna was running way too fast, and turns out magnetism was the cause - I was able to undo it and he's now happily wearing the watch again). I'm not super worried as it only happened once so far. If it started to be a frequent occurrence it might bother me more. I am already getting a little irritated by having to reset the time on the watch every couple of weeks, unrelated magnetism. I might end up being a quartz guy.
It’s awesome that they went just back to normal. How did you demagnetized them?
My method is, push button and keep it down. Place the watch face down on the demagnetizer for about 3 seconds then lift it up slowly till totally away then leave the button.
It’s that small blue chinese demagnetizer.
How do you do it?
I avoid leaving it next to a computer too long, other than that I’m not really sure where the magnets are to avoid them 😅
I really do so too. I hope that’s about it 😂
From what I've seen since '07 for me, it has to do with how long. Like days at a time...
OR
A very, very, very strong magnet lol....👀🤏🏻
Magnet's can be in a lot of things people don't think about, speakers, tablets, kids magic erase toy screens, smart phones, laptops, etc.
It's such an easy fix, if it happens I don't let it bother me. Nor do I let it influence a purchase of a watch I like.
I wear my watches in some pretty adverse environments at times, and the only times I've had some magnetized has been at home, or at home station, never the field 😂. YMMV.
I don’t know how can we be more careful man! 😂
Yeah I have a similar app that I’m planning on using starting today.
I still don’t know how to ise it really but I dont think it will be more complicated than watch making so I think we’re good😂
Any advice tho?
It uses daily pictures - so quality of the pic matters. Use a bit of zoom, a steady hand, and take from directly above, no angle.
I need to get it all perfect trying to see if spring drive changed 1 second 😂🙄
It uses daily pictures - so quality of the pic matters. Use a bit of zoom, a steady hand, and take from directly above, no angle.
I need to get it all perfect trying to see if spring drive changed 1 second 😂🙄
Im really interested to know if it will too 😂
A local jeweler passed these out years ago. The instructions for use were on the back.
A local jeweler passed these out years ago. The instructions for use were on the back.
Great help and marketing 🙌🏼
It’s awesome that they went just back to normal. How did you demagnetized them?
My method is, push button and keep it down. Place the watch face down on the demagnetizer for about 3 seconds then lift it up slowly till totally away then leave the button.
It’s that small blue chinese demagnetizer.
How do you do it?
Sorry for the delayed reply. I also use the small chinese blue machine. I hold the watch face up just above the magnetizer then hold the button down, looking for that slight vibration of the magnetic field on the watch, then I slowly lift the watch up to about 30cm height, let go of the button and move the watch off. So basically I only have the machine on when the watch is above it. That has seemed to work well.
However, my watch got magnetized again in the past week! It's a bit ridiculous. It didn't get magnetized a single time for 9 months and suddenly it happens twice in the same month.