Watch demagnetizer

A mechanical watch gaining several minutes a day is most often magnetised. The hairspring, magnetised, sees its coils cling together: the oscillation shortens and the rate runs away. It is a common and reversible incident.

ELMA Antimag watch demagnetizer

The ELMA Antimag demagnetizer is a bench instrument. Present the watch, trigger it, then draw the watch slowly away: the decaying alternating field cancels the residual magnetism. It takes seconds and does not open the case.

Where a watch's magnetism comes from

From daily life. Speakers, magnetic bag and case closures, induction hobs, phone mounts, magnetic clasps: the sources have multiplied. None is dramatic, which is why the diagnosis usually comes late.

Recognising a magnetised watch

The sign is a sudden, steady gain, appearing overnight on a watch that had been stable. A watch losing time, or varying without pattern, is something else: that calls for a watchmaker before any instrument.

After demagnetising a watch

Tweezers and screwdrivers magnetise too, and re-magnetise the watch at the first intervention. Antimagnetic tweezers settle that. The rest of the tooling is under watchmaker tool kits.

Watch demagnetizer: frequently asked questions

How do I know if my watch is magnetised?

The sign is a clear, steady gain appearing overnight on a watch that had been stable. A watch losing time, or varying without pattern, is something else.

Can a watch be demagnetised without an instrument?

No. It takes a decaying alternating field. Moving the watch away from a magnet does not clear the hairspring's residual magnetism.

Does the watch have to be opened?

No. The watch stays closed, strap included. The instrument also treats a dismantled movement, a case or a tool.

What magnetises a watch?

Everyday proximity: speakers, induction hobs, microwave ovens, magnetic closures, phone mounts.