Embedded Files
It is hard to imagine today, but there was a time when magnetism hardly played any role in watchmaking. It wasn’t until the mass adoption of electricity that magnetic fields became an issue. Today, with all of our gadgets and devices, it has become a key priority in watchmaking and a topic worth exploring in some detail.
You are reading these very words on a device with a magnetic field of its own. And there are likely only a handful of inches between it and your watch. So yes, this topic is relevant to you as a watch lover. Let’s dive in!
HOROLOGY
Mechanical watches are demagnetized as part of the standard repair process. This is done before the watch is adjusted for accuracy.
tesla coil BY witchi
tesla coil BY witchi
Now, why does magnetism matter in mechanical timekeeping? The biggest problem is the hairspring. As you may know, the hairspring is the coil in the escapement that provides the back-and-forth swing of the balance wheel. Since it dictates the pace, it is arguably the most crucial part of mechanical timekeeping. The pace is determined by the length of the oscillating part of the spring.
These hairsprings are traditionally made of a metal alloy. If such metals become magnetized, the spring can partly or fully stick to itself. This would either freeze any movement, causing the watch to stop, or it would effectively shorten the spring, causing it to oscillate much faster than desired.
Luckily, this doesn’t actually damage the watch at all, and it can be easily fixed. However, your watch has been rendered useless until it is demagnetized,
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse