Are gold watches less susceptible to magnetism?

Are gold watches less susceptible to magnetism?

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Discussion

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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As per another thread. I have just bought a JLC Master Control in stainless and it is hugely susceptible to magnetism. Even my Logitech keyboard has it magnetised in minutes.

I am assuming the reason it suffers more than my sports watches is that it is quite slender and fine.

If I were to swap it out for a gold dress watch, would it be less likely to become magnetised?

David_M

370 posts

50 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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I cannot claim any real expertise here, but a few years ago I had to have an MRI and forgot to take my wedding ring off. I could feel it vibrating when the machine was operating, but only very slightly, whereas I think that a steel ring would have caused a real problem! *




[*] Mainly based on some old scenes in movies, James Bond and others

NDA

21,574 posts

225 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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Zio Di Roma said:
As per another thread. I have just bought a JLC Master Control in stainless and it is hugely susceptible to magnetism. Even my Logitech keyboard has it magnetised in minutes.

I am assuming the reason it suffers more than my sports watches is that it is quite slender and fine.

If I were to swap it out for a gold dress watch, would it be less likely to become magnetised?
Gold watches don't all have gold movements.... there will be many parts made of brass or steel. Some gold watches don't have any gold in the movements at all.

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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Zio Di Roma said:
If I were to swap it out for a gold dress watch, would it be less likely to become magnetised?
No. Not much in it but a gold watch is more likely to become magnetised than the same watch in steel. The steel watch case provides at least some shielding but the Gold watch case provides none.

NDA

21,574 posts

225 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
quotequote all
Hang On said:
The steel watch case provides at least some shielding but the Gold watch case provides none.
Interesting - I didn't know that....

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
quotequote all
Hang On said:
No. Not much in it but a gold watch is more likely to become magnetised than the same watch in steel. The steel watch case provides at least some shielding but the Gold watch case provides none.
Really? I am no metallurgist but I imagined that gold would be a form of shielding.

This isn’t just an excuse to upgrade to a Calatrava…

mikeveal

4,573 posts

250 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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Zio Di Roma said:
Really? I am no metallurgist but I imagined that gold would be a form of shielding.

This isn’t just an excuse to upgrade to a Calatrava…
A non moving, non magnetic material has no effect on a static magnetic field.

skilly1

2,702 posts

195 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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You need the Rolex Milgauss !

https://www.rolex.com/watches/milgauss.html

gregs656

10,880 posts

181 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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I am am amazed you are having this problem from a keyboard.

Gold case won't help as mentioned above.

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
quotequote all
gregs656 said:
I am am amazed you are having this problem from a keyboard.

Gold case won't help as mentioned above.
It gets magnetised if I even look at it for too long!

I demagged it this morning and put it in a watch roll in my briefcase, by lunchtime it was magnetised.

If I put a compass on my desk, and present the keyboard to it, there is significant deflection. So I can see how it may be to blame.

All of my watches become magnetised. But the JLC is in a league of its own.

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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I have spoken to the seller of the watch and they are happy to have it back, if I am unhappy.

However, will I experience the same problem with any other dress watch I buy? Whilst my Rolexes do all get magnetised, it is an occasional thing and they still work fairly well.

I might speak to a watch repairer locally tomorrow, to see what they think.

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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As far as I am aware, I can't say I have ever had this issue, with any watch, ever.

I'm guessing the telltale sign is a watch running noticeably fast or slow, as in a couple of minutes or more per day?

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
quotequote all
Lord Marylebone said:
As far as I am aware, I can't say I have ever had this issue, with any watch, ever.

I'm guessing the telltale sign is a watch running noticeably fast or slow, as in a couple of minutes or more per day?
No. None of mine run more than 10-20 seconds a day wrong when magnetised. All of them run well within COSC when not magnetised.

Test your mechanical watch with a compass, if you have one. Wait for the needle to become still and lower the watch over it. If the needle deflects noticeably it's magnetised.

I think magnetism is far more widespread than people think. Before anti-magnetic mainsprings, watches WOULD run very fast if magnetised. Nowadays, other components still become magnetised and cause less noticeable deviations. That may be a loss or a gain and often only a few seconds.

Every mechanical watch I have owned in recent years has become magnetised at some point. Some are worse than others. My Sub is fairly immune and then actually runs BETTER when magnetised. I had a Sea Dweller than magnetised easily and ran poorly.


Wills2

22,832 posts

175 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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skilly1 said:
You need the Rolex Milgauss !

https://www.rolex.com/watches/milgauss.html
A 1000? Pfft! Try 15000 gauss

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-gb/watches/seamast...

In fact I think all METAS certified Omegas are rated at 15000.



dudleybloke

19,824 posts

186 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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I've damaged a Citizen chrono by wearing it while working on a large linear motor.
Won't be making that mistake again!

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 22nd September 2021
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Zio Di Roma said:
Lord Marylebone said:
As far as I am aware, I can't say I have ever had this issue, with any watch, ever.

I'm guessing the telltale sign is a watch running noticeably fast or slow, as in a couple of minutes or more per day?
No. None of mine run more than 10-20 seconds a day wrong when magnetised. All of them run well within COSC when not magnetised.

Test your mechanical watch with a compass, if you have one. Wait for the needle to become still and lower the watch over it. If the needle deflects noticeably it's magnetised.

I think magnetism is far more widespread than people think. Before anti-magnetic mainsprings, watches WOULD run very fast if magnetised. Nowadays, other components still become magnetised and cause less noticeable deviations. That may be a loss or a gain and often only a few seconds.

Every mechanical watch I have owned in recent years has become magnetised at some point. Some are worse than others. My Sub is fairly immune and then actually runs BETTER when magnetised. I had a Sea Dweller than magnetised easily and ran poorly.
I’ll be honest, if any of my watches only lost/gained a few seconds per day then I wouldn’t notice there was a problem.

I don’t think any of them are particularly accurate from that perspective. Could be their age, could be a knock/bump they’ve had, maybe they need a service, maybe they are magnetised…. Who knows.

I just accept that part of the fun of owning a mechanical watch is that I will likely have to adjust the time once a week or so. If all my watches only lost or gained 1 minute ish a week then I would be pretty happy with that.

Equally I accept that other people may demand that their watches remain accurate constantly.

944 Man

1,743 posts

132 months

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
quotequote all
944 Man said:
I've got one of those. Used it at 08:00 yesterday. By 18:00 the watch had lost 5 seconds as was very magnetised.

I would add that the JLC Master Control is a watch that is sold on its "1000 hours" of attention to its finish and accuracy.

Zio Di Roma

Original Poster:

406 posts

32 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
quotequote all
Lord Marylebone said:
Zio Di Roma said:
Lord Marylebone said:
As far as I am aware, I can't say I have ever had this issue, with any watch, ever.

I'm guessing the telltale sign is a watch running noticeably fast or slow, as in a couple of minutes or more per day?
No. None of mine run more than 10-20 seconds a day wrong when magnetised. All of them run well within COSC when not magnetised.

Test your mechanical watch with a compass, if you have one. Wait for the needle to become still and lower the watch over it. If the needle deflects noticeably it's magnetised.

I think magnetism is far more widespread than people think. Before anti-magnetic mainsprings, watches WOULD run very fast if magnetised. Nowadays, other components still become magnetised and cause less noticeable deviations. That may be a loss or a gain and often only a few seconds.

Every mechanical watch I have owned in recent years has become magnetised at some point. Some are worse than others. My Sub is fairly immune and then actually runs BETTER when magnetised. I had a Sea Dweller than magnetised easily and ran poorly.
I’ll be honest, if any of my watches only lost/gained a few seconds per day then I wouldn’t notice there was a problem.

I don’t think any of them are particularly accurate from that perspective. Could be their age, could be a knock/bump they’ve had, maybe they need a service, maybe they are magnetised…. Who knows.

I just accept that part of the fun of owning a mechanical watch is that I will likely have to adjust the time once a week or so. If all my watches only lost or gained 1 minute ish a week then I would be pretty happy with that.

Equally I accept that other people may demand that their watches remain accurate constantly.
For entertainment, get a cheap compass and test them.


anonymous-user

54 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
quotequote all
Zio Di Roma said:
For entertainment, get a cheap compass and test them.
I may still have one in a drawer somewhere, left over from my 'orienteering' days at school biggrin