Magnetism, what can get magnetized?

[Nimettomana]

Hi all,

So my post is slightly related to the earlier thread, but wanted to ask. If I were to purchase a Rolex Datejust or an Oyster Perpetual, or then my favorite the GMT Master II, what kind of problems would I face with magnetism? All of them have the blue Parachrom hairspring, what other parts are ever likely to get magnetized?


BTW, who here would opine that the Oyster Perpetual, red grape would not be suitable for men?

Thanks a lot.

[Tools]

Worries about the hairspring being magnetized have not been valid for decades..

Other parts that affect timing could be the mainspring, pallet, escapement parts, and anything else that needs a more robust part that uses ferrous materials for tuffness..

[77T]

Problems getting magnetized exists a lot less than you think unless you work around dynamos or EMI sources.

One symptom of that problem would be a marked change in accuracy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sickened1]

Get a Milgauss? That's one I'm looking to add to my collection.. not because it's antimagnetic but because it's so damn good looking.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Nimettomana

BTW, who here would opine that the Oyster Perpetual, red grape would not be suitable for men?

Thanks a lot.

There is one thing I never want to worry about: Does my watch dial clash with my t-shirt, my jeans, or my shoes or boots?

Black dials prevent that kind of stress.

[Rashid.bk]

Magnetism shmagnetism.....all this talk of magnetism is I believe silly. In twenty years of owning mechanical watches I've had one magnetised twice and I believe it was from working around helos in the military doing a lot of things directly outside the helo while it was still in flight(they generate an enormous amount of static electricity).

Marketing is powerful, and all the talk of anti-magnetic movements and such has caused us to worry over something moreso irrelevant in daily life.

[travisb]

Never had a watch magnetized.
As for the grape OP, of course it's suitable for a man. Depends on your taste. I'd wear it.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Rashid.bk

Magnetism shmagnetism.....all this talk of magnetism is I believe silly. In twenty years of owning mechanical watches I've had one magnetised twice and I believe it was from working around helos in the military doing a lot of things directly outside the helo while it was still in flight(they generate an enormous amount of static electricity).

Marketing is powerful, and all the talk of anti-magnetic movements and such has caused us to worry over something moreso irrelevant in daily life.

Have to completely agree myself used to work with and around very powerful electro magnets that could lift over 25 tones.Yet never ever had any of my watches magnetised.Now I work use and repair powerful transceivers and RF amplifiers mainly for friends and other local HAMs.Now these give out a very powerful magnetic field, even our own body produce's a magnetic field.Yes its is possible to magnetise a watch if in contact with a very strong magnetic field .Today IMHO magnetisum in watches is often just a cop out for simple regulation.But if any watch that show systems of being magentised speeding up and not by just a couple of seconds possible minutes or more.Or running very very erratic then stopping and refuse start then its possible its magnetised.But its a very simple task to de-magnetise you can even do it yourself for very little money, or most any high street jeweler/watchmaker could do it while you wait magnetised humbug.


While in the Rolex marketing video it states the Parachrom is 10 time more shockproof, and anti-magnetic but what they don't state is to what.Most certainly not the Nivarox ones that they and most of the watch industry have used for the past 40 odd years.And in the magnetic test video where they hold a powerful magnet over the hairspring on open case on a watch.So if you don't wear your watch dial down with the case back off with a powerful magnet dangling near the hairspring.Then I would doubt in the real world that it would make little or no difference whatever the name of hairspring in the case.

Now Nivarox thats the name of the alloy used before the Rolex Parachrom which was introduced first in the Daytona in 2000 but it was more of a grey colour. Now its more of a pretty blue colour and colour always makes a product seem better.But ask yourself this if the Parachrom was so wonderful why did it take almost 10 years to introduce into the other Rolex range. Today the alloy Nivarox is mainly used in the watch/clock industry, but also in other micro-machine industries and in certain types of medical equipment and high precision surgical instruments. There are several variations of the Nivarox alloy depending upon the intended application. These alloys are stainless steel alloys with high concentrations of Cobalt (42-48%), Nickel (15-25%) and Chromium (16-22%). There are also small amounts of titanium and beryllium. Hairsprings made of this alloy are highly wear-resistant,and they are practically non-magnetic in normal wearing,and non-rusting and possess a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

Nivarox 1 through 5 is a series of grades of hairsprings with number 1 being the best quality. The most commonly encountered Nivarox hairsprings in the watch industry are grades 1 to 3. The alloy is unaffected by heat and normal every day ordinary magnetic fields. There is however, also the Anachron hairspring which is said to be of even higher quality than the Nivarox No 1 grade.Who knows perhaps that the grade that Rolex used over the past 40 odd years.


Fact specs from Nivarox Far.

[RollieVerde]

I've always thought that a company like Rolex would really take its time in testing before releasing a major part into production like a new hairspring. You can't really tell how a new material will hold up under use without using it exactly under the same load it will be under over a long period of time. True, you can increase the frequency of the load to try and extrapolate how the metal spring will hold up for years of use in a much shorter period of time, but it's still not the same. Then if you're making the spring yourself you have to perfect the mass-production process. I think they're just overly cautious, largely due to the fact that the spring has to be so perfect to do its job (and last) properly. This is why I think they are taking their time with silicon springs, as they want to make sure they'll last (and I believe the production process to insure perfect quality is much more difficult).

[padi56]

Originally Posted by RollieVerde

I've always thought that a company like Rolex would really take its time in testing before releasing a major part into production like a new hairspring. You can't really tell how a new material will hold up under use without using it exactly under the same load it will be under over a long period of time. True, you can increase the frequency of the load to try and extrapolate how the metal spring will hold up for years of use in a much shorter period of time, but it's still not the same. Then if you're making the spring yourself you have to perfect the mass-production process. I think they're just overly cautious, largely due to the fact that the spring has to be so perfect to do its job (and last) properly. This is why I think they are taking their time with silicon springs, as they want to make sure they'll last (and I believe the production process to insure perfect quality is much more difficult).

Well seeing that the parachrom hairspring was first introduced in 2000 its had 14 years of testing.And it sure has taken a long time to introduce it on the complete range of mens Rolex watches.The silicon hairsprings are more suited to the smaller movement hence only in the cal 2236 ladies models possible in the cal 2235 later.