Will washing machines damage Rolexes (with magnetism)?

[Tatertots]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to TRF but am finding the forum to be very helpful :). I was wondering if anyone wears his/her Rolex to laundry room (in apartments). I am slightly fearful that multiple washing machines and dryers in one room may generate magnetic field strong enough to damage watches. What do you guys think?

[sensui]

....you'll be fine....

[ELITEVIDEOGAMES]

George Jeffersons never got magnetized and neither will yours.

[dmash]

5* thread

[KrismanX]

Just to be safe, only wear Milgauss in laundry rooms.

[desertyank]

You should be fine, unless you feel the need to climb inside one of the running machines.......with your watch on

If in doubt, try a Milgaus...

[mjclark32]

It'll be fine

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by ELITEVIDEOGAMES

George Jeffersons never got magnetized and neither will yours.

Didn't George Jefferson operate a chain of dry cleaners?

Or is that particular concern (dry cleaning chemicals) going to be another "is it safe?" OP?

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Tatertots

Hi Everyone,

I am new to TRF but am finding the forum to be very helpful :). I was wondering if anyone wears his/her Rolex to laundry room (in apartments). I am slightly fearful that multiple washing machines and dryers in one room may generate magnetic field strong enough to damage watches. What do you guys think?

Imagine what that must do to the human body. Perhaps stay away from laundry rooms.

[brmeyers]

Interesting I had a big magnet accidentally got laid down RIGHT next to my watch roll (like 20,000 gauss) and they are all fine.
Hulk was the closest.
I checked the +/- and they all did not get affected.
But please don't try this at home...
(I am into magnetic and pulsed magnetic therapy for the human body - good stuff for the body, not so great for watches that can be magnetized).

BTW this is a LOT stronger magnetic flux than even the biggest electronic appliances put out.
You can buy magnetic field detection meters and you'll see it is next to nothing.
I have something called a trifield meter that measures magnetic and electric fields and the strength is low relatively speaking for almost all appliances.
MRI's use actual 1.5 Telsa static magnetics, so that is one appliance you may want to avoid unless you have a milgauss.

[ELITEVIDEOGAMES]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

Didn't George Jefferson operate a chain of dry cleaners?

Or is that particular concern (dry cleaning chemicals) going to be another "is it safe?" OP?

He did, good catch. I was trying to stretch it for a weak joke

[meganfox17]

Originally Posted by Tatertots

What do you guys think?

Beats me!What do YOU GUYS think?
Sometimes,you wished you had a METAS certified watch, right ?

Always a frequent topic of discussion in another forum.The most powerful washing machine in a laundry room could theorectically generate a magnetic field strength of 0.5 Gauss at 3 cm distance and 0.03 Gauss at 30 cm distance from a person.That's well below the 1 Gauss or 100 microTesla operating limit guidelines for the general public.You were mentioning about dryers.Lets take the strongest hair dryer for comparison sake and it's interesting to note that a hair dryer has one of the highest magnetic field strengths at close range, 2 Gauss at 3 cm but at 30 cm, it weakens considerably to 0.07 Gauss

So unless you plan to sleep on top of a washing machine dryer or leaning against it while waiting in the laundry room using hand(s)as pillow with your Rolex in direct contact with the appliance,it's actually really hard to get the watch magnetized...
So relax and chill out, with a Milgauss or one fitted with the blue Parachrom hairspring,then magnetism in a laundry room is 'beyond' impossible!

[Canefan1]

Originally Posted by meganfox17

Beats me!What do YOU GUYS think?
Sometimes,you wished you had a METAS certified watch, right ?

Always a frequent topic of discussion in another forum.The most powerful washing machine in a laundry room could theorectically generate a magnetic field strength of 0.5 Gauss at 3 cm distance and 0.03 Gauss at 30 cm distance from a person.That's well below the 1 Gauss or 100 microTesla operating limit guidelines for the general public.You were mentioning about dryers.Lets take the strongest hair dryer for comparison sake and it's interesting to note that a hair dryer has one of the highest magnetic field strengths at close range, 2 Gauss at 3 cm but at 30 cm, it weakens considerably to 0.07 Gauss

So unless you plan to sleep on top of a washing machine dryer or leaning against it while waiting in the laundry room using hand(s)as pillow with your Rolex in direct contact with the appliance,it's actually really hard to get the watch magnetized...
So relax and chill out, with a Milgauss or one fitted with the blue Parachrom hairspring,then magnetism in a laundry room is 'beyond' impossible!

If this is you in your avatar, you are very pretty.

[Chewbacca]

Where's Padi? His spidey sense usually goes off with these posts.

[HONDABBQ]

This is the only reason I bought my Milgauss

[dmash]

Originally Posted by HONDABBQ

This is the only reason I bought my Milgauss

To do laundry?

[HONDABBQ]

Originally Posted by dmash

To do laundry?

In case I was ever in a room with 1 or more washing machines.

[watchmework]

When I originally read the thread title I thought the OP was going to ask if it's safe to put his Rolex in a washing machine! I opened the thread thinking, well this will be interesting.

The result was much less climatic, you'll be fine OP.

[zengineer]

Just use no more than the medium spin cycle, fast spinning wash tubs are basically the equivalent on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Seriously, I'd be more worried about banging it on the opening when moving clothes into the dryer...thats how I've ding more watches than any other way.

[Tools]

Laundry rooms are fine..

I don't think that I would walk through a Vegas casino with it on though.. or wrap it in tin-foil first.. all those machines!!!!!

[GradyPhilpott]

Actually everyone here is wrong.

Laundry rooms are second only to CERN in terms of magnetic fields.

In fact, the first particle accelerators were formed by linking hundreds of washing machines together in a large circle to drive tubes filled with electrons to speeds approaching the speed of light, which for a time was very efficient, because the washing machines could also be used as centrifuges.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Tatertots

Hi Everyone,

I am new to TRF but am finding the forum to be very helpful :). I was wondering if anyone wears his/her Rolex to laundry room (in apartments). I am slightly fearful that multiple washing machines and dryers in one room may generate magnetic field strong enough to damage watches. What do you guys think?

Afraid you guys worry to much about your Rolex watches in general,First would doubt if anyone is in any extremely high magnetic field in any home situation. Except if a hospital patient when any form of scanning is done the rest will be shielded but you would not be able to wear a watch there. Now Rolex watches are made mainly from S.steel or precious metals and in conjunction with nickel, brass or beryllium, bronze or Glucydur balance wheels so they are very anti-magnetic to begin not sure if the screws used are ferrous metal.Sure the Nivourax hairsprings were very very very slightly magnetic but would have to come in contact with a strong magnetic field to fully magnetised,and according to Rolex the parachrom hairsprings are not magnetic.Although there are over things in movement that could get magnetised,IMHO magnetised is often used as a cop out for just simple regulation but to de-magnetise any watch is a very very very simple process to do.

Myself worked in the Steel industry for almost 30 years working with and around very powerful electro-magnets plus computers electric motors in control center. And I never ever had any problem with Rolex or any other mechanical watch I was wearing.Now I work with and repair high powered transceivers but owing to poor health thats now on stand by but they do put out a strong magnetic field again never had a problem with any Rolex oyster or any other mechanical watch.Even your own body puts out a magnetic field same for every electrical devise in your home.Now I would never put any mechanical watch directly on any powerful magnet thats common sense as everyone should know.

Today the Swiss standard test to be called anti-magnetic watches which most all Swiss watches are today, they have to pass a test including all Rolex.This is to withstand a strong magnetic field of 4800 Amps per meter,and to keeps on running with a maximum deviation of 15- 30 seconds per day.Now this test I am 100% sure that 98% of all watch wearers would never subject or come into contact with such a strong magnetic field.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Imagine what that must do to the human body. Perhaps stay away from laundry rooms.

[fishingbear]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Actually everyone here is wrong.

Laundry rooms are second only to CERN in terms of magnetic fields.

In fact, the first particle accelerators were formed by linking hundreds of washing machines together in a large circle to drive tubes filled with electrons to speeds approaching the speed of light, which for a time was very efficient, because the washing machines could also be used as centrifuges.

[mfer]

My sub went through a washing machine cycle and came out fine. I was fortunate that it was on a NATO and not the bracelet at the time. No damage. Stayed in the pocket.

[worldfamoussam]

LOL. No.

[904VT]

Originally Posted by KrismanX

Just to be safe, only wear Milgauss in laundry rooms.

I second a Milgauss is the preferred tool watch for magnetism caused by laundry mats

[Tatertots]

Thanks everyone for your insightful answers!

[cataby]

good lord no. don't listen to these people.

avoid any and all electric motors, power lines, compasses or even watch winders (which are really a lie, they are specifically sold by watch companies under the "guise" of being a watch winder when in reality they are a watch "magnetizer" which then causes the parts to magnetically "stick" together increasing the wear and tear and viola you need a watch overhaul).

heck I try to keep mine shielded from moon beams also, them buggers are far stronger than what people give them credit for.

serious business.....

[breitlings]

Originally Posted by dmash

To do laundry?

Laundromat Dweller