Any watch lover should know how to demagnetize a watch like a boss! This would undoubtedly make Antoine Norbert de Patek or Abraham-Louis Breguet proud! In this article, you will learn three watch tips to quickly demagnetize your mechanical watch.
We have already talked about the effects of magnetism on a watch. This is probably the worse and most common thing that can happen to a watch. It will literally ruin the accuracy of your timepiece. If your watch runs fast, there is high chance of it being magnetized.
Here are three quick fixes that will help your watch recover its original accuracy, including one with an old TV.
The Rolex Milgauss was created to avoid the effect of magnetism on the accuracy
1. Demagnetize a watch : the magic tool
You should always keep your watch away any strong magnetic fields but having this watch demagnetizer to safely and quickly demagnetize your watch’s movement can be pretty useful and save you a visit to the customer service department. For approximately 10 dollars, this tool while remove any residual magnetism on your watch in just a few seconds.
You might not even know that your watch is slightly magnetized and exposing your watch to this tool will remove it without even having to open your watch. This has proven to be invaluable and even professional watchmakers are using it.
2. Demagnetize a watch : using an old TV
If you don’t have a tool such as the one above but still have an old CRT TV monitor, then you might have a solution! Those monitors have a degauss function that is used to remove the electrons causing a distorted image on the screen.
Actually, there even is a small degaussing each time you turn on the monitor but it usually isn’t strong enough. Therefore, you should go in the monitor’s menu and look for the actual degauss function and then select it (most TV monitors have this function), you will then hear a sort of “click” and the image will be reset.
Simply hold your watch on the screen while you’re doing this and it will benefit from the degaussing as well. This should be enough for removing the magnetization of your time piece. Obviously this would also work with a pocket watch. Please also note that old CRT monitors used with computers will also have that same function.
3. Demagnetize a watch : the good old watchmaker
If the above hasn’t work, then the best you can do to demagnetize a watch is to bring it to your watchmaker. Most watchmakers won’t charge you anything for that and will be able to demagnetize your watch using a tool such as the one we talked about.
This will be the occasion to try some new watches and above all build a relationship with your watchmaker. This is always a great thing to do. Who knows, maybe this well help you moving up on the waiting list of the grail watch you were dreaming of.
If you want to know if your watch is magnetized or not, a good start would be to measure its accuracy using the Toolwatch watch accuracy app. While you’re at it, you might also want to check our article on water resistance. Water and magnetism are probably the two things you want to keep at good distance from your watch.
Pro tip: The most affordable anti magnetic watch is the Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver Anti-Magnetic. It is also a diving watch, making it a very valid option for a new toolwatch on a budget.
See you soon for a next article to share our love for mechanical watches !