Magnetized Watches: What Does it Mean?
Before we go any further down this topic, you need to understand what magnetized watches mean. Mechanical watches heavily rely on delicate components, such as the balance spring and escapement, to keep accurate time. When these watches are made or when they are serviced, watchmakers carefully align these components in order to make sure the watch doesn’t go too fast or too slow. When exposed to a magnetic field, these components can become magnetized, causing the watch to behave erratically. Even a brief exposure to strong magnets can disrupt the balance of the components of your watch.
Symptoms of a Magnetized Watch
How can you tell if your watch has been magnetized? Of course, there are certain symptoms that you might start noticing. Some of these symptoms might even scare you off if you have never heard about watches getting magnetized.
- Inaccurate Timekeeping: One of the first things that tend to go wrong when a watch gets magnetized is its timekeeping abilities. Magnets can often interfere with the mechanics of the watch resulting in the watch running too fast or too slow. Sometimes a magnetized watch might even gain or lose minutes in a single day.
- Completely Stopped Movement: Though not common, there are extreme cases, where the watch might just stop functioning altogether. This only happens in the case if the watch comes in contact with a strong set of magnets. This happens as a result of the whole escapement locking up, or the spring coils getting tangled.
- Erratic Behavior: In some cases, users have even reported that the second hand on their watch just started acting up. It would either move unevenly or sometimes even jitter.
Don’t Panic! Do This Instead
Mechanical watches are not cheap and they can often cost as much as a car does. So, getting your watch magnetized can leave you panicked especially if you have spent a large portion of your life savings on the watch. But that’s the last thing you should be doing as you should be focusing on fixing the watch.
Visit a Service Center
The best way to solve this issue is to take the watch to your nearest watch service center. A professional watchmaker has all the tools or in this case a demagnetizer that he can use to remove any magnetization from your watch. These watchmakers not just have a demagnetizer but also a timegrapher which means they will be able to test the watch right after demagnetizing it.
There are times that just a normal demagnetization might not help and the watch will need a service to actually start to function properly. This is where these watchmakers will be able to guide you better and help you revive your watch to its normal condition.
Try out DIY solutions
Although not recommended, you can also buy a demagnetizer yourself and try to demagnetize the watch. While this is helpful for people who do carry a little bit experience, for others this might not be fruitful.
Avoid Getting Your Watch Magnetized
After reading about this topic, even if your watch has not been magnetized yet, you might have become a bit paranoid. There are a few things that you can keep in mind in order to avoid this from happening with you.
Stay away from Magnetic Fields
Avoid placing your watch near objects with strong magnetic fields. These objects can include speakers, refrigerator magnets, magnetic phone covers, computer hard drives and more. Even the everyday electronics around you like your smartphone can emit low-level magnetic fields. Having your phone close to your watch might not affect as much but its always best to keep at least some distance between the two.
Get Anti-Magnetic Watches
In case your work requires you to be close to magnets and you still love to wear a watch, you should opt-in for anti-magnetic watches. These watches are built using using materials like silicon balance springs or other special materials.
