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Topic: Audio equipment and magnetic fields (Read 1553 times) previous topic - next topic
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Audio equipment and magnetic fields

I have a Movado mechanical watch from the 1950s that was recently serviced. It has had its problems after this service, although the watchmaker is very highly regarded in this area. The latest problem is that it has started to run very, very slowly--losing up to 10 mins per day. It has a high grade movement and should vary by less than ten seconds per day.

I took it back into the watchmaker and he told me that it has become magnetized. I cannot imagine how, except that I had been laying it on top of a cloth on top of one of my CD players (Pioneer CD recorder) when I was not wearing it. It is just a convenient flat surface. I have actually been keeping it there for a couple years now and have never had this problem before. However, I do trust this guy, and he did replace the mainspring, so perhaps it is of a different alloy ("low carbon" steel containing more iron?). Perhaps this is causing a problem when the CD player is playing?

So, the question is, how much of a magnetic field does (a non-portable, plug-in) CD player put out when in operation--enough to possibly endanger a mechanical watch?

Audio equipment and magnetic fields

Reply #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0WmGJKOfR0

I suspect these magnets had nothing to do with the watch but I guess it is not impossible. There's a simple way to test this though. Take a compass and place it on top of the CD player where the watch was. If it goes haywire [no longer points north] then indeed there is a strong mangnetic field. If it acts just as it would with any metal boxed component, like a receiver, then the magnets are deep enough inside that their fields won't alter your watch either.

Audio equipment and magnetic fields

Reply #2
Strange...

If this is a common problem, I'd expect the jeweler to have a degausser/demagnetizer and I'd expect that to take almost no time and maybe be a free service.    Bulk VHS erasers and degaussing coils used to be very common and I'd assume they'd work with a watch.

Audio equipment and magnetic fields

Reply #3
Strange...

If this is a common problem, I'd expect the jeweler to have a degausser/demagnetizer and I'd expect that to take almost no time and maybe be a free service.    Bulk VHS erasers and degaussing coils used to be very common and I'd assume they'd work with a watch.

I can't imagine any reputable jeweler not having having degaussing equipment. Mechanical watches used to get magnetized all the time. I've used a tape bulk eraser to "fix" several over the years.

Audio equipment and magnetic fields

Reply #4
Thanks for your comments. It is strange that this never happened before the watch was serviced.

Maybe this is what I need to convince my wife that I really need that new Rolex Milgauss! 

Audio equipment and magnetic fields

Reply #5
My own experience with that brand of watch would lead me to suspect poor quality and / or dishonest service.
Was that a 1 or a 0?