Rolexes becoming magnetised.
Discussion
Vipers said:
Googling and found this, may be of interest.
In a typical automatic watch this has to be done because multiple parts of the watch get magnetized. Rolex has fought this problem by the following:
Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
GUILLAUME — THE ROOTS OF ACCURACY Due to temperature changes, the elasticity of the hairspring actually varies depending on the ambient temperature. If temperature increases, a carbon steel hairspring (the type used prior to Guillaume) will lose its elasticity, resulting in a tendency for the watch to start to lose on its rate. A decrease in temperature will have the opposite effect. Cut, bimetallic compensation balances partially canceled out temperature error, but imperfectly; and in addition, carbon steel hairsprings are extremely prone to becoming magnetized. Guillaume’s invention of a form of nickel steel, known as Invar, resulted in the ability to create so called “self compensating” hairsprings, in which temperature error is almost completely eliminated, and the descendants of such hairsprings are still in use today.
A NEW ERA OF ACCURACY INTRODUCED BY ROLEX All that changed in the 1990s when Rolex discovered and patented a new alloy they named Parachrom that they would use to create hairsprings capable of unprecedented levels of performance. But what makes Parachrom superior to Invar hairsprings? For one, Invar hairsprings are easily susceptible to magnetic influence. Place your watch too close to a stereo speaker and it can easily become magnetized. The coils of the spring attract each other and no longer breathe regularly or concentrically, resulting in major loss of accuracy. Watches becoming magnetized are, to this day, one of the most prevalent service problems. While many manufactures make anti-magnetic watches with soft-iron inner cases, it is only Rolex that has decided to “treat the disease” and not simply alleviate the symptoms of magnetic influence on the hairspring.
The second marked superiority of Parachrom to Invar is its greater suppleness, resulting in hairsprings that are ten times more shock-resistant. The real-world application to a watch equipped with Rolex’s Parachrom hairspring is that you can go through life confident that your watch will not be affected by the vast majority of magnetic fields; that you can wear your Rolex for the most rugged sport without fear that shocks will cause loss of accuracy or, even worse, permanent damage.
Enjoy...:_)
Thanks Vipers.In a typical automatic watch this has to be done because multiple parts of the watch get magnetized. Rolex has fought this problem by the following:
Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
GUILLAUME — THE ROOTS OF ACCURACY Due to temperature changes, the elasticity of the hairspring actually varies depending on the ambient temperature. If temperature increases, a carbon steel hairspring (the type used prior to Guillaume) will lose its elasticity, resulting in a tendency for the watch to start to lose on its rate. A decrease in temperature will have the opposite effect. Cut, bimetallic compensation balances partially canceled out temperature error, but imperfectly; and in addition, carbon steel hairsprings are extremely prone to becoming magnetized. Guillaume’s invention of a form of nickel steel, known as Invar, resulted in the ability to create so called “self compensating” hairsprings, in which temperature error is almost completely eliminated, and the descendants of such hairsprings are still in use today.
A NEW ERA OF ACCURACY INTRODUCED BY ROLEX All that changed in the 1990s when Rolex discovered and patented a new alloy they named Parachrom that they would use to create hairsprings capable of unprecedented levels of performance. But what makes Parachrom superior to Invar hairsprings? For one, Invar hairsprings are easily susceptible to magnetic influence. Place your watch too close to a stereo speaker and it can easily become magnetized. The coils of the spring attract each other and no longer breathe regularly or concentrically, resulting in major loss of accuracy. Watches becoming magnetized are, to this day, one of the most prevalent service problems. While many manufactures make anti-magnetic watches with soft-iron inner cases, it is only Rolex that has decided to “treat the disease” and not simply alleviate the symptoms of magnetic influence on the hairspring.
The second marked superiority of Parachrom to Invar is its greater suppleness, resulting in hairsprings that are ten times more shock-resistant. The real-world application to a watch equipped with Rolex’s Parachrom hairspring is that you can go through life confident that your watch will not be affected by the vast majority of magnetic fields; that you can wear your Rolex for the most rugged sport without fear that shocks will cause loss of accuracy or, even worse, permanent damage.
Enjoy...:_)
I think this sentence is interesting: "Watches becoming magnetized are, to this day, one of the most prevalent service problems"
I wonder whether magnetism is a bigger problem than people realise but most people don't notice or care that their watches are not accurate. Or possibly, like my watches sometimes, their watches perform okay even when magnetised.*
Omega is starting to roll out anti-magnetic movements: https://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/omega-creat...
I've heard the comment, "pah, Omega is solving a problem that doesn't exist". However perhaps they are solving a problem that they are acutely aware does exist.
Variomatic said:
Magnetism can affect mechanical watches on (broadly) two levels.
The first, and most obvious, is a magentised hairspring. If the watch runs at all it'll tend to gain bigtime - of the order of hours a day - because the coils of the spring stick together, effectively shortening the spring by a full coil. Non-magnetic hairsprings protect against this and are the basis for "magnetism isn't a problem for modern watches" theory. That's true to the extent that you won't get a sudden runaway gain from magnetism with them.
But magnetism of other parts can also have a more subtle effect. Things like the keyless works (stem, hand setting and winding levers and gears) tend to be quite close to the balance wheel and are usually made of high carbon (and easily magnetised) steel.
If they do get magnetised then you have the (electrically conductive) balance wheel and hairspring moving in a fixed magnetic field. That's the basis of an eddy current brake, as used on everything from power tools to trains, and it will have an effect on the rate - an unpredictable effect, but an effect all the same.
It sounds very much as though I am experiencing the second variety.The first, and most obvious, is a magentised hairspring. If the watch runs at all it'll tend to gain bigtime - of the order of hours a day - because the coils of the spring stick together, effectively shortening the spring by a full coil. Non-magnetic hairsprings protect against this and are the basis for "magnetism isn't a problem for modern watches" theory. That's true to the extent that you won't get a sudden runaway gain from magnetism with them.
But magnetism of other parts can also have a more subtle effect. Things like the keyless works (stem, hand setting and winding levers and gears) tend to be quite close to the balance wheel and are usually made of high carbon (and easily magnetised) steel.
If they do get magnetised then you have the (electrically conductive) balance wheel and hairspring moving in a fixed magnetic field. That's the basis of an eddy current brake, as used on everything from power tools to trains, and it will have an effect on the rate - an unpredictable effect, but an effect all the same.
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