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  3. I’ve heard watches can get magnetized on a watch winder. Is that true?

I’ve heard watches can get magnetized on a watch winder. Is that true?

Magnetic interference can make some watches run fast, requiring a demagnetizer to correct them. Strong magnetic sources like stereo speakers pose the greatest risk, but laptops and other consumer electronics can also be detrimental to a watch’s accuracy with prolonged exposure.

We’ve measured the maximum magnetic flux density inside of our winders to be about 4 gausses at the bottom of the drum, the point nearest to the motor. This is equivalent to the same magnetism as a fluorescent lamp. There was no measurable magnetic flux at any position 10mm away from that maximum point.

A watch will become magnetized at about 60 gausses over 60-70 times that of the maximum found in WOLF watch winders.

Watch forums discuss in-home testing of magnetic fields by placing a compass inside the watch winder. Though the needle moves due to a very slight magnetic field, the magnetic field is only 1 gauss (0.1mT). This is inconsequential since the Earth has a constant magnetic flux density of 0.25 to 0.65 gauss. Using a compass to test for magnetic fields when it itself is being affected by the magnetic field of the Earth is not a valid testing instrument.

A WOLF winder would never magnetize your timepiece! You can’t always trust the world around you, but you can always trust a WOLF.

Watch this video for more information:

Updated on February 21, 2022

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