How do magnets affect automatic and mechanical watches? Watch and Learn #21 

I bought a Seiko 5 SNK809, which I'm super happy with. I've always used cheap $12 watches until I decided I would like something nicer and started researching and learning. I just remembered that I work with a magnet which is used with a crane to lift heavy dies (up to 400 lbs) at my job. I'm thinking to myself "well shit..."

A good Watch & Learn episode would be to discuss the time grapher; its function and use but more specifically talking about "what good watch performance looks like". I think that would be a good topic. Thanks Mark.

Excellent video Marc. It's probably the one I've found most informative. Really sheds light on keeping your mechanical watches away from magnets. Nicely done. 👍

Excellent. This is such a great series. Nice to have the engineering prospective.

"Hi, this is Mark from Long island watches". Classic. Great vid!

Welcome back!! Hope you had a good time. Nice vid and such helpful info!

very interesting mark thanks for taking the time to explain this phenomenon to us,👍

Mark, one of the features of your videos I like most is that you don't have an annoying intro :) This was very instructive again, thanks a bunch, I never knew how a demagnetizer works. Big thumbs up! Zs

Excellent educational video Mark.

Another great engineering/physics based video from Mr. Mark. Thank you. !

Great video. A very clear and informative.

Great information, thank you. So, approximately how far from a magnetic source like an alarm clock or let's say a Bluetooth speaker should the watch be? Sorry if the question is repeated, haven't read all the new comments on the thread below.

I am relatively new to this watch game and your channel has been a godsend for me. I also bought that Seiko military from you. I put it on a brown khaki nato and it is my beater for work. I work in construction and it has handled nicely so far.

Marc, this was a very informative video. I've always known about watches and magnetism. But to see it real time on on a timing machine really brings it home. Thank you for doing these great videos. Also I hope you enjoyed BaselWorld and that it worked the way you wanted. -Mark

Excellent Video, THANKS

a valuable information. Thanks

Another great video Mark, keep it up!

Amazing and informative!

good to see you back, hope you enjoy your bazelworld, once again a great informative video, keep going.

Very interesting. Thanks!

Fascinating. Question: if you keep you mechanical watch in a electric watch winder can this constant exposure to a magnetic field instill a magnetic in effect or inaccuracy in your watch. I have several watches (4) in a winder used occasionally. Have read criticisms about winders and some say unnecessarily stressing an movement. But in opposition a winder keeps lubricants from coagulating, ie less effective. Many thanks.

Perfect video!

Hey, I may be little late to the party but I still have a question. Firstly - great content, keep up the good work! I found especially helpful Your SNA411 bezel tutorial. I struggle to find any information on the internet of any examples on how strong 4800 A/m (60 gauss) magnet actually is. Do You have any real life examples on Your mind? Or the artificial one, just for the reference sake.

Hey Mark, I noticed u flashed a military Seiko style watch to begin the video.. I found this fitting because im a former Marine, and the month of May is kind of military-ish.. Meaning, Armed Forces Day is May 20th, and Memorial Day is May 29th.. Soooo my request to you is that you make a video of your top 5 military watches... If you really wanted to give me some love, use the Marathon USMC Pilot edition, I have that watch in my personal collection... Keep up the great vids, and Semper Fi

Thanks. Great info!

Great videos, probably the most informative and useful watch videos out there. I just made my first order ever (2 Bambinos) hopefully Canada customs doesn't hold on to them for too long.

Awesome video mark and cool Long Island symbol . Got my orient tinny beater and still ticking away from you guys . Thanks

Great! So what’s the next stage, in order to regulate it?

Cool vid thanks Marc :)

So what is a safe distance to put a watch next to a clock radio? cool video

Hi Marc, I travel quite excessively and find myself in and out of airports constantly. With that being said, I can't imagine the metal detectors and Xray machines are good for the pieces as I'm passing through security. Is a demagnetizer something you would suggest someone to own, or is it something that you would just have done when the watch is serviced?

Great video!, thanks for sharing!, Question: what about winding devices? they are all moved by electric motors, and like any electric machine they produced magnetic fields, right? can those devices magnetized a watch? Thank you very much!

What magnetic effect does a small military type wrist compass have on a mechanical watch?

Fascinating!

As many have said, 2 years ago, this is a very helpful video. Thanks Marc. What might have been even more useful is if you explained HOW you used the unit. But for those who watch carefully, it is evident. It's important to note that when magnetizing, Marc placed the watch inside the "machine", then pushed the button and held it down for a few seconds...then RELEASED the button while the watch was still in the machine. This is important. When demagnetizing, do not release the button while the watch is inside the machine. Release the button only after the watch has been pulled out of , and drawn away from the machine, slowly.

Thank you.

Hi everybody, I just bought a set of magnetic wristbands for my watches, and I just loved how light and comfortable are, much better than traditional bands. But I'm super scary about the damage they can induce to my automatic watches precision. Mainly I want to use them in my Seiko Sports collection. Any experience with these bands?

Hi Marc I saw other vids where they said to make sure the watch runs out of power and to a complete stop before you should use demagnetizer. I tried demagnitizing my watch while it was running. Is there a risk to damaging the watch that way?

Thanks Mark !

Another great video and perfect timing I just demagnetized my Anonimo last night was running over a minute per 24hours. so far running slow 4 seconds in about 12 hours. I used Lepsi to check for the magnetism do you know if it's reliable or am I better off using a compass?

great video! one think i would like to ask, how to know if your watch is running faster because it's magnetized?

Thank you, Bill Hader!

Hi Marc, Does metal detectors and xray machines affect automatic watches? The TSA insists that I put my watch in the machine and that it is safe.

Hi, Mark. I was reading the comments, because I am considering to buy a watch and I want it to keep the maximum accuracy. You said in a comment bellow that if we don't work in a specially electrified environment, we don't have to worry. But you also said that we have magnets in TV screens and even our laptop has magnets. ISO 6425 includes this protection up to 4800 A/m, which is not that much. I was thinking in a BALL, 80000 A/m, just to be in the safe side. I wonder if I am overreacting... Thanks in advence for your answer.

Good video!

Let's say you have a cheap-ish watch that runs -8s/day. Since magnets almost always speed the watch up a bit, would it be 'wise' to attempt a quick & dirty speed-up regulation with a small neodymium fridge magnet? You could bring it progressively closer to the watch for a couple seconds, measuring the effect each time using a fancy timegrapher or a smartphone app like WildSpectra. Better not to crack open the caseback if you don't have to.

Hi Mark, what I’d really like to know is how do speaker amps and guitar pickups effect magnetism? I have a 100W amp and a 50W amp in my small bedroom, where I store some watches in a watch box by my bed. Also on the bedside table I would charge my iPhone and have the watch box near the charger. So really, what I’m asking is although the watches aren’t in direct contact with the magnet, how strong are the magnetic fields in this instance? I haven’t noticed any seconds skipping or clear signs of magnetism, but is it a good idea to always keep watches as far as possible from chargers and amps/pickups? Many thanks

Great video! Could you give us some links recommending where to purchase the beats measuring machine and the de-magnetiser?

Great video showing that magnetization does affect the accuracy, but could you give any insight on why? Such as, what internals are affected by the magnetization to cause the change in accuracy?

Another informative video. Thanks. Have you now returned from Basel or was this previously recorded? If you have been to Basel, how was it?

Awesome!

What are the magnets that are strong enough to magnetize a watch? Can a hand bag magnet magnetize my watch when i use my hand that have the watch on to grab stuff inside my bag?

I bought a Chinese automatic a few weeks ago and it's running about +24/day, sometimes around +14. Don't know if it's magnetized or it's just not very well made. But I like it nonetheless.

1. how about modern omega cal with anti magnetic 15000 gauss? 2. can seiko spring drive affected by magnets field?

Thanks! So magnets only speed up watches and do not slow them down?

Thanks Marc, great video. Is it possible that a magnetized watch could run very slow? My Sumo used to run +3-5 S/d for some reason it had started running very slow -20-25s/d. I’m at a loss to understand. I take very good care of my watches?

Very informative. I did not know magnetism was cumulative. How much threat do you suppose a refrigerator is where one may have multiple magnets. I always think of that as I open my fridge door.

Can quartz watches get magnetized ? And if so can we demag them the same way ??

Bought a Swiss ETA watch with a magnet mesh bracelet, should I change the bracelet out ??

So can a quartz watch produce a magnetic field and magnetize a mechanical watch next to it?

I own a Vostok and I was curious and held a rare earth magnet to it for about two seconds. Watch stopped and I had to tap it to get it going again which was very scary. Do you think this has caused permanent damage to the watch? I don't know if you're still reading these comments but I would appreciate it if you could help

Can magnetism also make a watch run very slow? I bought a sarb033 that ran +1/3 seconds for the first year and is (rather suddenly) losing more than a minute per day. Can't find a straight answer online on if magnetism always means a faster rate. Great video, Devin

This is what I love to watch.

Timegrapher is confusion: Headliner indicates my watch at -3 yet the figure on the screen where the dots appear it says -5. Why aren't they the same? Is this telling me something I need to know?

Thank you for the video Mark! My question is this then: is it worth investing a bit more in a watch with magnetic field protection (I am looking at a Sinn for my next purchase) or just spend 20$ on a demagnetizer and demagnetize the watch every so often?

Thanks for the video. Quick question. When you demagnetize the watch, should the watch be completely powered down and unwound before demagnetizing? Or does it not matter if it's completely powered down or powered and running when you demagnetize? I think I've seen most people wait till the watch is completely powered down before demagnetizing, but just wanted to see what your experience and thoughts were on the demagnetizing process. Thanks.

Hi Mark,, I’m considering buying a new IPhone 12 but understood that there is a magnet in the back. Do I have to worry for my automatic watch?

Love these videos from bill haider

Hello. First, Thank you for your videos which are very interesting and helpful. I hope its alright, but I have a question about magnetizm I am using an app to find if the movement is magnetizm or not. But since the phone is very sensitive, it shows results, even on the TimeGrapher Microphone, whis is o.k, as all mics have a magnet. So, how do i know if the Mic is overmagnetize? When pointing at a watch, the needle will move, but how do i know if its too high? Is there a figure or number, in Gauss, which i can consider as "ok level", and only higher numbers are to be addressed as a problem? Thank you for your help and support. Gal

I've read reports that impotency is a side effect if you continuously operate the magnetiser ....

Hello Mark. What about quartz watches ? Do they magnetize? Can I use that demagnetizer machine for quartz watches? Thank you and I am sorry If I made some mistakes in my english.

test out how temperature affects a watches accuracy using the timegraph.

Why doesn't the beat rate increase after magnetization?

My citizen watches are prone to this. If I demagnatize them the watch hands move around the dial as I hold the button. Is this normal.

What are the negative consequences of demagnetizing a watch while it is running?

Why did u use a rolex omega or a high end watch

That was cool man. Is it true u can check to see if your watch is magnetized by running a compass over it??

What are the main daily machines that produce magnetic fields?just to know to avoid

Does it do any harm if the watch is still moving while demagnitize it?

Nice vids but I'm becoming paranoid...Is my watch winder or mobile phone a strong enough magnite to mess up my phone?

Hi im from philippines..is your timegrapher available in online..how much the value og that timegrapher.. thank you!!

Hi Mark, one question. I put my new SKX 007 on the table approximately 20 cm of my mobile phone (Lenovo). Can it cause magnetisation?

It seems to me if magnetism caused the spring to contract it would be pushing less. It would be contacted by the magnetism but that force world not be helping the spring unwind, it would be resisting the unwinding. Perhaps the magnetism works in opposition and forces the spring a bit out making its natural tension higher. That would be consistent with running fast. The other way is illogical. Imho

So I just bought a Seiko watch and on their own website is said that it has Magnetic resistance of 4800 A/m. How is something like that measured and what do those units means? And is 4800 A/m your standard resistance on a watch that was just put there as random fact or?

So... I am waiting for "how to regulate a watch?" that would be very interesting.

strange question. because parts are metal in watches and the parts are moving fluxing EM fields, can storing watches next to each other also cause fluctuations? Or is is just so small and negligible compared to the Earth's field?

Does this work on quartz watch? Can quartz watch get magnetised?

Should the watch be running when getting demagnetized? Does it make a difference?

Marc that beat error is crazy off-- you need to adjust the stud (not the +/- adjustment on the balance wheel)

I'm surprised you did not already have a timegrapher and had to go out a buy one. I've only been collecting automatic watches for two months and bought one a week ago. I can imagine a possible problem with customers of a jeweler knowing that a timegrapher was available to analyze the watch they were considering purchasing. If the readings were not perfect it would be harder to sell the watch. It would introduce a wild variable into the selling process.

I'm a bit confused. The Rolex milgauss, a watch specifically advertised for being anti magnetic withstands a field up to 1.000 Gauss, according to the official rolex website. Omegas in-house movements such as the 8500 and 8900 found in their planet ocean's are claimed to be anti magnetic to a field up to 15.000 Gauss, and the selling point of watches is not even their magnetic resistance. Am I missing something, maybe the Rolex has a higher rating and I just couldn't find it anywhere?

I did this with a cheap demagnetizer. It was running fast 25 seconds a day, now is running slow 8 seconds a day. Should I introduce a magnet again slightly to try and balance it out?!

Mark!? Anybody!? My watch got SUPER magnetized by a stack of like 12 rare-earth magnets. I tried the blue demagnetizer machine to no avail. I am running like +10 mins per HOUR (not per day). I think even adjusting the regulator won't help. Does anybody know what I can do?

I'm wondering, could being too close to a microwave oven magnetize a watch? I know there is a magnetron in older ones. I ask this, because I recently purchased a Seiko turtle, and the first day, it was running 20 seconds fast. The following day, after having been close to my running microwave, it started running 30 seconds slow, and has not changed since.

If we leave a magnetized watch away from any magnets for some days, won't it get demagnetized itself?

what is amplitude in the measuring device? and why is it in degrees?

Would a magnetometer at an airport security checkpoint or entering a government workspace impact the watch?

What happens if uacxidentally go into MRI scan with your smart watch?

Let me ask, I always heard that digital quartz watches are natural anti magnetic and Will not be affect by it at all, is this true?

A quartz watch can be magnetized? or only this happens with automatic watches?