Magnetized watches

[larryccf]

I posted this in another forum, but thought it might help some here.

One of my watches, a Seiko Blue Sumo (SBDC033) was keeping beautiful time, +2 to +3 seconds per day, time over 17 days. THen all of a sudden it dropped to -12 to -14 seconds per day. WTH??

THen i remembered a thread about watches being magnetized and the effects - erratic stopping, extremely fast or slow time accuracy etc

After researching, i found there are free apps on Google Play Store (or apple's counter affair) that measure the gauss in the environment, as smart phones have a compass sensor that reads the magnetic field.

Downloaded one, and the meter went crazy when the phone was near the watch. But learned i didn't need to download any app - just open the Compass function and bring the phone near the watch.

Ordered one of those "blue box demagnetizers" from ebay - under $11 shipped, demagnetized it per instructions and it improved but not to what it was before. Demagnetized it again, this time twice and more slowly- first time with the case back down (after removing the bracelet), left it on the blue box for 5 seconds while holding the activation button on, then while still holding it "on", lifting the watch and slowly "floating" it away till it was about 12" above the blue box and turning the blue box off.

Then repeated the above, this time with the dial face down

After that, all was well - watch went back to +2 to +3 spd

I figured out, using the smartphone app, that my microwave was probably the culprit. Our's has a "speed convention" function, but it doesn't turn off the way it should. Which means i have to reach overtop of it (with my watch wrist hand) and unplug it for 5 seconds and plug it back in so the wife can select whatever function she wants (ie microwave, etc). THe transformer is right behind the control panel which is also directly underneath the receptacle where the microwave is plugged in - and that tranformer generates a hellacious magnetic field while it's powered.

hope that helps some