Is Your Watch Magnetised?

Is Your Watch Magnetised? Signs, Solutions, and the Demagnetisation Process.

Has your trusty mechanical watch, once keeping accurate time, started behaving erratically? Perhaps it’s running suspiciously fast, or even stopping and starting intermittently? While there are many reasons a watch might lose its accuracy, one increasingly common culprit in our modern, technology-saturated world is magnetisation.

At W.E. Clark Watch Repairs, we often encounter watches suffering from this invisible fault. Understanding what magnetisation is, how it affects your timepiece, and crucially, how it can be resolved, is vital for any watch enthusiast.

What is Watch Magnetisation?

Mechanical watches rely on a delicate blend of gears, springs, and levers. The heart of this system, dictating its accuracy, is the balance wheel and hairspring assembly. The hairspring, a tiny, coiled spring, oscillates at a precise frequency, regulating the watch’s timekeeping. When this hairspring becomes magnetised, its coils can stick together, shortening its effective length. This causes the balance wheel to oscillate faster, leading to the watch running significantly fast – often by several minutes or even hours per day.

What causes this magnetisation? In today’s world, magnetic fields are everywhere. From the speakers in your phone and tablet to the magnetic clasps on bags, certain smart home devices, induction hobs, and even airport security scanners – strong magnetic fields are increasingly difficult to avoid. While some modern watches incorporate anti-magnetic materials (like silicon hairsprings), many traditional mechanical movements, particularly vintage pieces, remain susceptible.

Is Your Watch Magnetised?

The most tell-tale sign of a magnetised watch is a sudden and significant increase in its daily rate, often running several minutes fast. However, other symptoms can include:

• Intermittent stopping or hesitation – If the hairspring coils stick severely, the watch might stop altogether or exhibit inconsistent running.
• Difficulty setting the time or winding – Though less common, severe magnetisation can sometimes interfere with other movement components.

It’s important to distinguish magnetisation from other accuracy issues. A watch running consistently slow, or losing just a few seconds a day, is more likely to need a full service or regulation. A truly magnetised watch will exhibit a dramatic acceleration in its timekeeping, perhaps even despite the rest of the movement remaining in good condition.

The Simple Test You Can Do At Home

Before visiting a watchmaker, you can perform a quick, informal test. Gently pass a simple compass over your watch. If the compass needle reacts wildly, spinning or deflecting as the watch passes over it, then it’s highly probable your watch is magnetised.

Professional Demagnetisation

While home demagnetisers are available, we strongly recommend professional demagnetisation. Our workshops are equipped with specialist, high-grade demagnetisers that ensure the process is performed effectively and safely, without risk to the delicate internal components.

The process itself is straightforward and non-invasive:

1. Assessment: Our watchmaker will first confirm the magnetisation using professional equipment, which can also indicate the strength and location of the magnetic field.
2. Demagnetisation: The watch is passed through a strong alternating magnetic field, which is then slowly reduced. This process scrambles the magnetic domains within the affected components, effectively neutralising the magnetisation.
3. Testing: Post-demagnetisation, the watch’s rate is tested again on a timegrapher to confirm it has returned to its normal, accurate performance.

In most cases, demagnetisation is a quick and relatively inexpensive procedure that can restore your watch’s precision without the need for a full service. However, if the watch was already due for a service, or if other underlying issues are present, demagnetisation might only be a temporary fix. A full service would then address wear and tear, lubrication, and ensure long-term accuracy.

It’s important to note that demagnetising a watch is standard practice as part of a full service. You must never demagnetise a quartz watch!

Protecting Your Precious Timepiece

While complete avoidance of magnetic fields is almost impossible in modern life, you can take steps to minimise exposure:

• Keep your watch away from speakers, large magnets, and magnetic clasps on bags or phone cases.
• Be mindful when passing through security scanners, though most modern airport scanners use less powerful magnetic fields.

If your beloved mechanical watch is showing signs of erratic behaviour, don’t despair. Magnetisation is common, and thankfully, easily curable. Bring your watch to the experts at W.E. Clark Watch Repairs, and let us restore its harmony and precision, ensuring it continues to provide excellent service for years to come.