Magnetism in watchmaking
Watches can be negatively affected by magnetism and may gain or lose time. It is important not to leave a watch near magnetic objects for extended periods. Indeed, magnetism in watchmaking affects the components within the watch movement. Magnetic fields can impair a watch's proper functioning. On this occasion, we will examine an important aspect of watch mechanics: magnetic fields and their influence on watchmaking. Watches and magnetism: discover the secrets of your timepiece!
Watches and magnetism
A magnetic field is generated by an electric charge produced by moving electrons; this charge creates a magnetic field surrounded by a magnetic energy source. The strength of a magnetic field is measured as a function of the magnetic flux occurring in a given region.
Magnetic fields vary in strength, measured in Gauss. A magnetic field can be more or less intense; in watchmaking, the weakest fields may have no effect whatsoever on a watch's mechanism. However, strong magnetic fields can significantly destabilize the entire mechanism.
What is a magnetized watch?
A magnetized watch is a timepiece that has lost its accuracy and exhibits an irregular ticking sound. Both men's and women's magnetic watches can gain time, lose time, or even stop suddenly.
What is the influence of magnetic fields on watches?
Watches are commonly affected by the magnetic fields we encounter every day. We generally associate magnetic fields with magnets, but dozens of everyday objects generate a magnetic force that can cause our watches to run slow. A mechanical watch retains a magnetic charge even after being removed from the magnetic source. This slight charge can cause the time to run fast or slow, and over time, can negatively impact the mechanism itself, leading to inaccuracies and malfunctions.
Exposing a watch to a magnetic force is very simple; some of the objects we use daily that magnetize our watches include mobile phones, speakers, bag clasps, hair dryers, electric razors, and so on. Generally, any magnetic source—that is, any object containing a magnet—will cause malfunctions. A magnetized watch is therefore a timepiece that no longer functions correctly.
Which watches can be magnetized?
Analog quartz watches use the power of magnetic force to drive stepper motors that move rotors. These motors are extremely small and can be easily affected by magnetism, which can damage the rotor. As a result, watches may stop or lose accuracy if exposed to magnetic fields. If your watch has been affected by a very strong magnetic force, we recommend having it demagnetized.
Spring-drive watches utilize the power generated by the mainspring, while the speed is controlled by a regulating mechanism. Once the rotor used in this regulating mechanism is affected by magnetism, it causes a gain or loss of time and impacts its accuracy.
Mechanical watches affected by magnetism remain magnetized even after being removed from the magnetic source.
This can result in a gain or loss of time and affect their accuracy. Therefore, we recommend having your magnetic watch demagnetized to improve its accuracy. As for digital watches, their mechanism is not affected by magnetic fields.
How do you demagnetize a watch?
Want to know if your watch is magnetically charged? It's very easy, just bring it close to an analog compass, if the compass arrow moves towards the position of your watch, it means that it has a small magnetic charge, which can be removed to improve its accuracy through a demagnetization process.
Normally, the area that absorbs the most charge is the balance spring. To demagnetize it, simply apply the force of an alternating external magnetic field, thus reducing the orientation of the individual magnets and eliminating the effect of magnetization on the mechanism. There is no minimum period for demagnetizing a watch; as soon as you notice it has accumulated charge, it should be demagnetized.
For the demagnetization of your watch, you can also entrust your watch to us; the Bollwerk Jewelry will take care of demagnetizing your watch in our watchmaking workshop.
What elements generate more electromagnetism?
Many elements in our environment generate small magnetic fields that can influence the watch's operation, but there are situations where the electromagnetism is stronger. Among these situations that generate large amounts of electromagnetism are when the timepiece is in contact with X-ray equipment, television antennas, radio and mobile phone stations, as well as industries based on electromagnetism and scientific research centers, where strong electromagnetic charges are required.
Besides man-made sources, there are natural areas that have strong electromagnetic charges, usually caused by the accumulation of thunderstorms.
Are there anti-magnetic watches?
The Rolex Milgauss is an antimagnetic watch linked to scientific progress, as it was created specifically for people working at CERN in Geneva, Europe's leading scientific institution. The movement created by Rolex is highly complex, yet extremely effective at preventing magnetic fields from penetrating the mechanism by charging the metallic components. The case interior features a shield made of ferromagnetic alloys, and the Rolex Milgauss houses the caliber 3131, developed entirely in-house and specially designed to avoid electromagnetic fields.
The key to this movement is that many of its components are made with paramagnetic materials; therefore, while other watches are affected by magnetic fields of 100 Gauss, this model can withstand loads of up to 1000 Gauss without any problem.
In addition to the Rolex Milgauss, many other manufacturers have developed watches with antimagnetic properties.
Bollwerk . offers a wide range of luxury watches, including anti-magnetic pieces for people working in environments with high magnetic field intensity
FAQ:
How can you tell if a watch is magnetized?
To determine if a watch is magnetized, place it near a compass. If it is magnetized, the compass needle will be misaligned.
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