Alex, great series, and very well written, presented, shot and edited. No drama, no ego, just a treatise on watch making from many years of experience. Kudos!
I learned a lot from this. I’ve seen magnetized movements run fast, but didn’t understand why this happened when I couldn’t see any evidence of the hairspring coils sticking. Your explanation makes perfect sense. Also, it never occurred to me that magnetized parts might pick up steel bits during cleaning. And if those bits let go when the assembled and lubricated movement is demagnetized, this would be really bad. Once again, Alex, you’ve brought understanding and clarity to a subject that no one else ever talks about. Thank you!
Hello Sir, if you think about it when you’re washing off an old movement that has a lot of wear and tear, you’re washing or rinsing away all those metallic dust which goes in your solutions. It really just kind of makes sense that if your parts are magnetized, that those particles are going to be attracted to those magnetized parts, I think the last thing we all want on a freshly serviced watch is metallic dust mixing with oil.
Im a retired airline pilot and the amount of knowledge, attention to detail and patience necessary to be successful in the watchmaking field is just staggering. Bravo sir on your exceptional knowledge and level of detail in your videos. I aspire learn as much as I can and one day hope to be able to do this type of work.
In the big scheme of things, it fails to compare to the knowledge, attention to detail and patience, necessary to pilot a plane loaded with people, but thank you. As a retired pilot, you may appreciate the next video that I’m working on where I service a master navigation watch used during World War II the Hamilton 4992B . One of the greatest watches ever made .
As someone with a background in labs and lab science, I deeply appreciate how you tackle problems in your videos. I learn something, but I'm also learning the techniques of testing and finding the answers for myself.
Thank you for that. Your comment reminded me of the famous quote, "Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime." It's impossible to go over every aspect of watchmaking because there are so many variables. When things are not right after a service, testing is the key to troubleshooting. Sometimes when a fault occurs, simply removing a part and testing the movements function again can locate the problem. As an example, testing for clearance's and function in the escapement is routine in the watchmaking.
Another great topic, thanks Alex. These are the best watchmaking videos available by a long way. Clear, straight forward and full of great content. Anybody getting into watchmaking should watch these. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep the videos coming . 👍😀
Have been using the pegwood tool you demonstrated in a previous lesson with the diafix springs on the 7s26 barrel train bridge and cleaning the cap jewels as you showed. Those springs had been so incredibly frustrating to deal with. Not anymore. Just cleaned and oiled a bridge and suddenly realized how relatively simple it had become. Thanks Alex.
I can't even begin to express how rare and valuable your videos are. Very good explanations, and it all makes sense. And I really like that you're helping out those of us that don't or can't spend a fortune on these tools.
Another very enlightening video. I used to demagnetise after regulating and not until having watched this video I realised how obviously backwards that has been. I almost feel ashamed admitting it. Thank you very much! 🙂👍 (Unfortunately, the Lepsi app is no longer available so make sure you don’t uninstall it if you already have it.)
No matter how long you’ve been doing this, admitting that you’ve learned something new or a better technique is nothing to be ashamed of. What he tells me is that you are a true student of horology.
Thanks Alex, I used to adjust compasses on steel boats. Due to the magnetic flux lines of the earth, it causes the ship to act like a big bar magnet. These magnetic lines are comming through the boat at an angle of about 45 degrees at a latitude of 40 degrees north. If the boat is rotated in a circle, the magnetism will follow the north and south orientation of the earth. So, the boat changes polarity. I don't know if this is what is causing the residual magnetism you are seeing. It does effect all ferrous material. Just a thought.
I tried out your advice and checked my share of good old vintage watches with the Lepsi app. Two of them seemed magnetised, and they were the ones that gained more than one minute a day. I used the ‘little blue Chinese box’ that I recently purchased, and demagnetised them in seconds (pun intended). Thank you for sharing such important knowlodge. And all that you have given us so generously!
I'm so thankful for your videos. Watching them has significantly saved me money by knowing what tools I can buy the cheaper options of and will serve me well enough and which tools I need to bite the bullet on. My journey starts with about 20 tools I need to disassemble and reassemble for practice. I have also bought a cheap demagnetiser and used the money I saved to invest in the Weishi 1900. This should allow me to learn working movements and test and resolve fundamental issues outside of cleaning and oiling, like magnetised components, and overall learn the ins and outs of the various parts of my many test watches. Once I feel comfortable with this initial practice I am purchasing cleaning tools and I already have oil and oilers. I'm 44 years old and make a great living in tech. But I've been learning about watch servicing and would like to have not just a hobby, but potentially something I really enjoy doing that I can transition to because I will continue to tinker until I die. I think I got another 40 years of watching and I've taught myself how to learn so hopefully I can speed up the process by not wasting time or money and utilizing the knowledge from folks like you and maybe even going to school in a few years for watchmaking and taking it to the next level. What do you think. I'm healthy, my hands are steady and I rarely get this far into something that I don't want to continue. Can I make a retirement career out of this?
Oh also, my current job requires photo, video, audio, editing and creating content. So once I've got the basics to service a watch and I know that I'm going to fully commit, your videos on how you produce videos under telescopes and magnification are great so that I can start to put together a setup to better record and create content. But that's probably a year or so out. But I just wanted to let you know that the information you are giving is so helpful for those of us that want to take this seriously. I can only imagine not having a resource like yours
Could you transition to watch repair full-time, absolutely. I know several watchmakers, who retired and ended up going to watchmaking school and are now full-time watchmakers.
Good job. I use the Horotech model with the detect zone and it always agrees with the Lepsi app. If you don’t realize how many metal particles that are in your cleaning solution that will stick to a magnetized part, throw a rotor from an older quartz movement in the parts basket and see what you find.
Great stuff as usual!! I demag all thru the process of servicing… I’m a hobbyist and need all the help I can get… I use the app to test as well and I’m glad to see your research has proven it reliable😊 thanks for posting another great educational vid!
Alex. I'm following each of your video instruction segments far easier than I thought. Still struggling with relacing the jewels in base plate and balance. But hey, that's practice. I've demagnetised movements after casing. Now know where I should amend my system.
Without a doubt THE BEST information and presentation i have ever seen on the watch repair roundabout . I think of a question while watching the vid and BOOM he answeres it .
Great insight, thank you Alex. I do have a demagnetizer and use it routinely when i have assembled a watch and before regulating, but i never considered using before cleaning... your point about picking up metal particles makes perfect sense. The Lepsi app is a great idea, that will definitely go into my arsenal. To reinforce your point about the effects of "mild" magnetism, I immediately tested it on my "daily wear" watch. It is a 30 year old Tag Heuer Chronometer that i dont care too much if it gets beaten up with the normal everyday rough and tumble. It has a DU amplitude of about 260 and runs about 15s per day fast on the wrist. It hasnt been serviced in 10 years and I havent gotten around to it (more interesting projects on the bench) and I chalked it up to that. Sure enough, it showed up as magnetized. I zapped it with the demagnetizer and DU amplitude jumped up to 285 with a rate of +2s. I am very interested to see how the rate changes on my wrist. Thanks again.
Bingo again! Another timely video for me. I discovered with the app that all my movement holders but one were magnetized. Duh? And, my old demagnetizer is not fully working! I just ordered a new demag. Thank you!
This is why I love this. You might have been adding a small amount of magnetism without even knowing it. I love it. Thanks for confirming this was needed brother.
Alex thought you might like this - just purchased a new Ball Engineer 111, chronometer certified, GMT, 1000 gauss Watch. Arrived +7200 seconds per day. Yep +2 hours, it is magnetized but this is ridiculous. Sent back to Ball under warranty. Never come across this before.
Hi Alex, Thanks for another excellent educational video. Your support of the watch hobbyist by exploring the budget devices is appreciated. I use one of the "tunnel" type demagnetizers and a compass at this stage. At some point it would be great to have something like the Elma that can be relied on to be repeatable in its' effect. 👍
Absolutely awesome video. I have used this app before and it seems to be very reliable. Thank you for the detailed explanation. It helps amateur watch makers like me.
Hi Alex, I really appreciate all of the information you impart. I am a year deep into the restoration business of pre-1950 watches.....anyhoo, I have a question: When demagging a movement should the movement be running? I ask because more often than not the pieces I work on have not been running for 20, 30 or more years. After listening to your reasoning, I will be demagging all my movements, multiple times throughout the process going forward, but just wondering if there is any advantage to having the movement running to start with? Thanks in advance for your help, Wayne
Thank you Wayne. No you can do it either way and I do. Once after disassembly, prior to pre-cleaning the parts and again after assembly prior to letting the movement run for 24 hrs. So in one case it's not running and in the other it is.
Got ELIMAG 50years old and Wonderfull the best way is to magnetize and de magnetize watch and see the difference I once spent two days chasing a low magnetism issue ALLWAS DEMAGNETIZE before adjusting rate 🤪 Great Video Should be in every school lesson!
Thank you for doing all the experimentation to illustrate your teaching. Great stuff. Rather than the binary output of the Lepsi app, I prefer to see the numerical output, direct from the phone sensor. On Android I use "sensor test" app - no ads, no nonsense, just the magnetic field strength in micro teslas.
After stumbling across your channel a few weeks ago I simply had to sub , covering a lot of subjects & issues rarely done if at all by others & the domestic drill parts cleaning mod was great to see as I had thought of this prior to seeing this so subbing was inevitable , currently trying to get to the beginning of the series, even if that doesn't happen I'll still catch them at some point.. it's all good & its about time 👍
In your opinion, does it make a difference whether or not the movement is stopped when demagnetized? I've seen other people suggest either pulling the crown out to stop the movement or letting the power run out completely before demagnetizing. Thanks for the amazing content!
No it doesn’t. I do it both ways. What’s more important is that you do it multiple times during the course of a service. Are usually do it prior to cleaning parts and after assembly assembly.
The little blue ones are really hit and miss and they’re very finicky to work with. Because you use the magnetizer a lot, several times during a watch service, it really pays to have a reliable one. So the biggest advantage of the more expensive one is that it’s one button and it works every time. I am looking into the Chinese version of the Elma demagnetizer, which is quite a bit less expensive it all probably be doing a video on it when I get it.
First I want to say that I really appreciate the time and effort you put into all these videos and sharing your knowledge, you are a great a teacher! I also have a question. I really want to get into watch repair as a hobby and after seeing this video I realize the importance of magnetism. I have a metal sit to stand desk where the entire top is covered by a leather mat with a slighly magnetic layer embedded in the bottom so it stays put on the desk (It's a secretlab magnus pro). I don't know a lot about magnetism but seeing you magnetizing the movement in this video with a magnet... Is my desk is a major problem? Or is it easily fixable by just demagnetizing once the watches are away from this desk?
Desk is perfect, magpad it so much. I would swap the top for something with no magnets. Having to constantly worry about magnetism while working on watches is not a great system. Plenty of other options for a working surface on top of the metal desk.
Thanks Alex, that you put so much time and effort into this, so that we can now earn the knowledge of what you found out. Never heared of that Lepsi App before. // Lepsi is not available in the Apple App Store, at least not in Germany.
Assuming that there’s nothing mechanically wrong with it, most people who do not have luck with it I’m probably just not using it properly. Thank you brother.
I bought a remade Soviet Watch from one of the Dealers in Eastern Europe. Its supposed to be the Movement from a 60s Military Pocket watch mounted in a new wristwatch case with a repro Face. Its very quirky and handsome but ive had a reoccurring problem with Magnetism. Since it arrived, the watch becomes magnetised every few days to a week and runs crazy fast, like 12 mins an hour fast! After 3 trips to the city (some distance) to the Watchmaker in a month, i began to despair as the Watch was not particularly cheap. He told me its a copy of a Seiko and all looks fine. Once it's de-megnetised, it's typically gains 3 sec per day. Tolerable, anyway, the Watchmaker says the spring must be made of a metal that is prone to magnetism. As i live Off-Grid without any electrical appliances, i think it can only be my phone that is magnetising my watch. Which brings me to my question; using an app on a phone to detect magnetism, wouldnt that in itself magnetise the watch because you have to put the watch (or Movement) on the phone? I use a Tablet, a little bigger than a normal phone and i do all my internet browsing on it, so if im wearing my watch while holdjng the device, its going to be well within the range of the device's electromagnetic field. The Tablet may even emit a stronger EMF than a normal hand held phone. The only other cause that occurs to me is that i regularly drive under 220,000 volt HV Powerlines, which are at least 60 feet above. Is it possible that is magnetising my watch? I read they also emit a powerful EMF, but i think its more likely the Tablet is doing it. I haven't thought of any other explanation. BTW, i have a de- magnetiser on its way from China! Im no Watchmaker, just a fan of old Soviet Watches, but i think its something i could get very interested in. Your series looks excellent and ill be checking more of your videos out, thank you!
I suppose you could be picking up some magnetic fields from your tablet but I doubt you’re getting anything from the electrical lines overhead. By the way for living off the grid. I wish I could do that.
Wow, really enlightening video! I knew it was important to make sure watches were demagnetized, but falsely believed it was easy to detect to visual cues. I'm also quite relieved to know the little blue box demaggers work. I got one due to budgetary constraints more than anything else, but happy to know it really does work. Quick question on that for you: you just lift away like you show in the video one time? You don't need to rotate or anything?
Well it will probably depend on how magnetized it is. I tried demagnetizing a bench block with it and it would not do it but then neither would my Elma
Hello Alex, on many of your videos, you are talking about your "Master Class". How do I access it? If through Patreon, which level do I need? Keep up the good work, regards George
Good Morning George, Thanks for asking. Yes they are available through Patreon only. The most current lesson is available at all levels up until the next one is uploaded. Then it’s only available on the on the upper 2 levels where it is available when ever you want it. All the videos including the ones uploaded to TH-cam are also available with no ad’s
@@watchrepairtutorials Good afternoon Alex, Thank you for the swift reply. I'd better get my subscription in! Just one more question, do you have a list of topics that will be covered by your "Master Class" series?
@@georgehughes2183 the biggest hole in learning resources is associated with the escapement. This is where most people’s knowledge is lacking and where most non runners problems lie. So escapement videos for now
Hi alex. Thank you for your videos. I am one of the patrons of your patreon channel, which is highly recomended. I have a question about magnetizm I am using an app to find if the movement is magnetizm or not. But since the phone is very sensitive, it shows results, even on the TimeGrapher Microphone, whis is o.k, as all mics have a magnet. So, how do i know if the Mic is overmagnetize? When pointing at a watch, the needle will move, but how do i know if its too high? Is there a figure or number, in Gauss, which i can consider as "ok level", and only higher numbers are to be addressed as a problem? Thank you for your help and support. Gal
I don’t know if there is a number or standard for acceptable magnetism. This is one reason I demagnetize multiple times. Thank you for your support Gal. Great to have you in the community.
@@watchrepairtutorials Basically the same way as any other except it's round and you put the watch or tool in the center and pull it out slowly as you're pushing the button. Or you can just hold the tool in the center and push the button for a few seconds and then let off the button holding the tool still if you want to magnetize something. It works well for magnetizing and demagnetizing.
So i work in retail and we use these tools with neodymium magnets to remove security tags from things like clothing. Granted my watch doesnt get that close but should I not wear my watch at work then?
@@watchrepairtutorials so after wearing and working while being careful I've noticed it's actually kept good time with some variance to being faster or slower by a second or two, but I'm starting think unless it's right next to a magnet I'll be fine. Thanks for the advice!
Yeah my (eta 2824-2 ) watch started running 17 seconds fast all the sudden. I ordered a demagnetizer the ( premium chinese Ruihua 22002 ) ( it works great and tools jump when I degauss.) and a time grapher. It immediately started running normal again at between 1 second fast and 4 seconds slow. A couple days later it started running +7 seconds fast. Demagnetized it several times in different positions and it started running +1 to -3 seconds. I figured out it was caused by a MagSafe battery bank magnetizing my watch from 6” away. I thought it was far enough away from it but it was mildly magnetized and made a big effect. Just wondering if it’s possible to regulate an eta 2824-2 closer than 5 seconds? Or should I not bother? In flat position it runs about 4 seconds slow with 00 beat error. In the vertical position it runs 0 to 1 second fast with 0.3 beat error. I’m actually very impressed because this is a $500 Aquacy US micro brand 300M diver and it’s keeping great time but I’m curious if this is as close as it’s possible to get with this particular movement or if I can get it within a second or two of perfect?
The ETA 2824 comes in different grades in at $500 you probably don’t have the highest grade available. Honestly, I would just be happy with what you have, and not mess with it. In reality, movements can be improved, but it’s pretty high-level work, and that something you would be able to do without a complete understanding of how to escapement works.
Alex, thanks for explaining clearly the effects of magnetism on a mechanical watch. Question: must a movement be removed to be de-magnetized or can it remain in the casing? Also do modern watches suffer in the same way as older ones (other material used on springs etc.)? Again thanks for your easy listening voice! 👍Frank
Depending on the case and the amount of magnetism present, often times it can be left in the case. Modern movements have some alloys that are more resistant to magnetism, but they still have steel parts.
If you've ever taken physics, this phenomenon is known as Lenz's Law. In a nutshell, the coil of the hair spring acts like a solenoid, the movement of the magnetic field in the palate fork and hairspring induce a current in the coils of the hairspring. According to Lenz's Law, that induced current will oppose the change in the movement of the hairspring which is why the amplitude drops so dramatically.
Thank you for your perspective. I am definitely not trained in physics but I have learned a little about the physics in an oscillator so correct me if I am wrong. Magnetism can indeed affect a hairspring and cause a reduction in amplitude. When a hairspring becomes magnetized, it can stick to itself causing the frequency to increase and interferes with its ability to oscillate freely. In most cases this causes an increase in the rate since the frequency is higher. Although this is normally true, under the right conditions when a spring’s coils are touching each other due to compression or during movement, friction occurs between the coils. This friction acts as a resistive force, slowing down the motion of the spring. This can also lead to a loss in amplitude. The reference to Lenz's Law and the induction of current in the hairspring I believe is incorrect in this context. Unless I am mistaken, Lenz's Law refers to the principle that the direction of induced current in a conductor opposes the change in the magnetic field that caused it. However, in a watch hairspring, there is no significant current being induced because the hairspring is not a conductor designed to carry electric current in the way that a solenoid or electrical coil would.
Thanks again for such and excellent presentation. You cover a topic like nobody else and are hands down are the best at everything you cover. Regards, Jeffrey
Alex, since the rotor in a quartz watch IS magnetized, should you ever demagnetize a quartz watch? I'm not sure it would ever make sense to, since there is not the same level of mechanical elements in a quartz watch, but just curious.
The compass needle moving is the needle reacting to the influence of the steel movement parts on the magnetic field of the earth. During WWII they found that the soldier's steel helmet caused error in compass readings.
Do you have to remove the movement from the case to test, or can you test the movement inside of the case? Also… do those 30 dollar de magnetizers from Amazon work? They’re white, and made of plastic. With a hole in the center to put the watch through. In addition if you put a watch that doesn’t have any magnetism inside a de magnetizer, is there risk of damaging your watch’s performance? Thank you. Love this channel. Learning a lot. 👍🏼
Well, you could certainly test the watch movement for magnetism in the case but when demagnetizing, you’ll get better results with an inexpensive demagnetizer with the movement outside the case. I don’t know about those white demagnetizer you’re talking about as I’ve never used one but the $10 blue ones will work if they’re used correctly . Finally, if watch movement is not magnetized you can inadvertently magnetize it hurting it’s performance using an inexpensive demagnetizer, which is something that you don’t have to worry about with the more expensive ones.
Wow. Awesome content, leading of course to more questions. For instance, people wearing magnetic clasp bracelets, or a copper bracelet with magnets next to a watch. My dad's Tudor prince runs well fast, and I'm going to de mag it to see if he left it sitting on a speaker (almost certain he did) thanks for posting.
As you can imagine Keith, there are many ways, a watch can be demagnetized. And as you saw, even if it’s just a little bit, I can affect the way the watch runs
Just watched this one again Alex, as I do with most of your videos. Excellent explanation and really pleased to see you test a cheap alternative. I'm still building up my tool set and after the microscope the next thing I wanted was a timegrapher. However, after watching this video I realised that a timegrapher is a waste of time if the movement is not fully demagnetised. The wife is back at work today after the Christmas break and won't be able to monitor my deliveries, so tomorrow Mr Bezos' chaps will be delivering a Weishi 1900 and a demagnetiser. Thanks again for the great content and will be signing up as a patron in the next couple of days.
LOL. That is awesome. I find that it is easier to sneak in purchases around the holidays and birthdays as well. If a package comes you just tell them not to open it.🤣
Hi Alex! Can I use the Lepsi app on iPhones with a wireless charging/ magsafe function? Because they have a magnet in them, and I will make it worse, or use the compass?
Thank you for the quick ansver. Unfortunately, the Lepsi app has not been updated for four years. Since the Iphones got the strong magnets for the magsafe function., on the back to hold and charge the phone. Will conect the app developer and will see…
Quite interesting to see how the rate is affected by magnetism but nothing is seen at the hairspring coil. I will certainly be demagnetizing regularly now.
Hi Alex, I wondered if you would be able to point me in the right direction. I’ve been working on a vintage Waltham automatic that has an FHF 905 movement in it. After a complete disassembly, inspection and cleaning of all parts in the ultrasonic (both wash and 2 rinses using L&R fluids), minus the pallet fork and balance complete (attached to the balance cock) which were cleaned by soaking in Troop Balas One Dip, I reassembled the movement and lubricated, but it runs very poorly with low amplitude and very high rate. I noticed that the hair spring coils where sticking together so I re-cleaned the balance complete again. Having concluded (perhaps incorrectly) that the movement was magnetized, I ordered and finally took delivery of my new Elma Antimag, and demagnetized the movement, but the watch is still running badly. Over the last day, I must have demagnetized the movement and balance 20 times in all sorts of orientations as well as cleaning the hairspring half a dozen times (including changing the One Dip), but the coils still stick together, albeit not as badly as initially. What I’d like to know, is do you find the Elma Antimag reliable and in your experience is just a couple of demag uses sufficient to completely remove all magnetism from a movement and/or balance and hairspring? Additionally, is it possible that the hairspring has a contaminant that One Dip won’t remove and would you suggest trying to clean in something else? Thank you in advance and great video as always?
Yea, I don't think it's magnetized. Check the L&R and make sure that no water got in it. Look to see if there is in gelled solvent in there. Water and L&R don't get along. Maybe try some fresh L$R with a lid and see it that helps. Good luck! If that's not it, I would suspect there is something, possibly like silicon on the hairspring that's not coming off. Let me know
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks for the reply Alex. Just want to clarify, I cleaned the disassembled movement minus the pallet fork and balance complete with balance cock in L&R #111 followed by two rinses in #3. The excluded parts were soaked in One Dip. I was under the impression that I couldn’t clean the shellacked parts in #111 because it contains ~20% Naphtha which would dissolve/damage the shellac causing the stones to dislodge. My L&R solutions are not water contaminated (I’ve had that before and know what to look for), but given I haven’t cleaned the hairspring in it, I assume that’s not relevant? So am I correct that I should not be cleaning shellacked parts in L&R #111? If you’re confident that the hairspring is not magnetized as a result of my demagging it on an Elma Antimag numerous times, and we hypothesize that it has a contaminant on it causing it to stick together, what would suggest I use to clean it?
@@russellbiofish Naphtha is fine for shellacked parts. Its IPA that can cause problems. At this point it's hard to say what will clean it off the hairspring without knowing what it is one the hairspring. I would try to run it through the L& R wash once or twice and see if that makes any difference. If not you may have to resort to something stronger if the hairspring is indeed contaminated with something out of the ordinary, which it certainly appears to be.
I used that demagnetizer on my omega seamaster 300 co ax. Dosent seem to work :( what can i do? Unless that magnet is magnetized itself or that the compass is reacting to metal parts in the watch. Anyway, still runs fast
your watch has a silicone hairspray so I doubt that's what's causing it to run fast. How fast is it running and when was the last time it was serviced?
@@watchrepairtutorials its the cal 2500. When i got it back from service recently it was at 8 to 10 sec a day. A bit too much if you ask me. But not too bad although not within the standard of that movement. I might have been demagging it wrong tho. I see some people leave it on the demagger 5-10 sec then lifting it up, and i see some who have it slightly levetated for a few sec before lifting it up.
@@endre1996 yeah well definitely not Demag a demag issue. do you know there's quite a few variations of that movement and the early ones could be somewhat problematic. Have you contacted your watchmaker to see what they said?
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Thanks Alex, another great video! I have one of the £10 machines from China🤣. I will start using it like you suggest. Great tip re the Lepsi App, I’ll check that out! Many thanks. See you in the next one!
Fascinating. I learn so much from your video's. Thanks. I have one of those little blue boxes but just can't demagnetize completely my thin small tweezers, it always shows some magnetism with my gauss meter and attracts small springs. Ive tried pulling away slowly, quickly, different angles also rotating but it still leaves a tiny bit of magnetism. I have some slightly thicker anti magnetic ones i usually use. Interesting, incredible, fascinating videos.
The one thing I don’t know is how reliable they are overall. I am sure there is some QC issues. I would just verify that it’s working on your movements
"Theo tôi biết, ứng dụng tôi đã sử dụng trong video hiện không còn nữa. Tôi không biết ứng dụng nào khác, nhưng tôi chắc chắn là có một số ứng dụng khác vẫn có sẵn."
No. I am pretty sure they are made specifically for a particular balance wheel in a particular movement. Replacement hairsprings are also typically not available to purchase from part suppliers
@@watchrepairtutorials so what happens if you have ETA 2892-A2 where you want to replace the hairspring? that's it for the movement? in the bin? or do you buy another old movements for parts?
@@gioraus You replace the balance complete. The hairspring and balance wheel which have been matched together. You can not buy hairsprings for the movements by themselves.
@@watchrepairtutorials I see, thank you. For ETA 2892-A2, most watch maker would be able to replace balance wheel and matching hairspring, but can they get antimagnetic version? The reason I asked is if ETA 2892-A2 would ever be modified to a anti-magnetic version.
Great video Alex. Not sure if this is myth or fact, but I have been told cell phones are one of the primary sources of magnetism in mechanical watches these days. A mechanical watch near a cell phone that goes off may incur magnetism and develop run issues. Truth or Fiction?
During the trinity test of the first nuclear weapon, all the personal present had their watches fried by the electromagnetic pulse. There are magnets in the microphone, and a field off of the tester.
@@watchrepairtutorials Funny followup story: I replaced the winding stem on a friend's watch. Put it on the timegrapher after I was done just to see how well it was running. Little fast, beat error well
@@watchrepairtutorials I downloaded a Time grapher at the app store 🤣🤣 definitely not a cheap hobby my friend I got over $800 invested but I still got to buy a time graph because I don't think that one's really reliable from the app store and a microscope then I got to buy a bunch of Rolex movements and start learning I have trouble installing the hairspring and balance staff I think I broke like four of them 3135 Rolex caliber then one of my kids decided to take it all apart and don't know what they're doing and destroyed it pretty much so I'm going to start cheap on the cheap movements and take it from there I really love it a lot thanks to you I'm learning so much from you and I am a great fan are definitely up professional my 13-year-old son I turned them onto your videos and stuff and I told him you know you go to watch school and learn more when you get older and become a good watchmaker he likes that very much what's a watch that don't keep time a broken one
Alex, great series, and very well written, presented, shot and edited. No drama, no ego, just a treatise on watch making from many years of experience. Kudos!
Thank you Steve. I’m glad that’s the way it comes across.
I learned a lot from this. I’ve seen magnetized movements run fast, but didn’t understand why this happened when I couldn’t see any evidence of the hairspring coils sticking. Your explanation makes perfect sense. Also, it never occurred to me that magnetized parts might pick up steel bits during cleaning. And if those bits let go when the assembled and lubricated movement is demagnetized, this would be really bad. Once again, Alex, you’ve brought understanding and clarity to a subject that no one else ever talks about. Thank you!
Hello Sir,
if you think about it when you’re washing off an old movement that has a lot of wear and tear, you’re washing or rinsing away all those metallic dust which goes in your solutions. It really just kind of makes sense that if your parts are magnetized, that those particles are going to be attracted to those magnetized parts, I think the last thing we all want on a freshly serviced watch is metallic dust mixing with oil.
Im a retired airline pilot and the amount of knowledge, attention to detail and patience necessary to be successful in the watchmaking field is just staggering. Bravo sir on your exceptional knowledge and level of detail in your videos. I aspire learn as much as I can and one day hope to be able to do this type of work.
In the big scheme of things, it fails to compare to the knowledge, attention to detail and patience, necessary to pilot a plane loaded with people, but thank you.
As a retired pilot, you may appreciate the next video that I’m working on where I service a master navigation watch used during World War II the Hamilton 4992B .
One of the greatest watches ever made .
As someone with a background in labs and lab science, I deeply appreciate how you tackle problems in your videos. I learn something, but I'm also learning the techniques of testing and finding the answers for myself.
Thank you for that. Your comment reminded me of the famous quote, "Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime."
It's impossible to go over every aspect of watchmaking because there are so many variables.
When things are not right after a service, testing is the key to troubleshooting.
Sometimes when a fault occurs, simply removing a part and testing the movements function again can locate the problem.
As an example, testing for clearance's and function in the escapement is routine in the watchmaking.
Another great topic, thanks Alex. These are the best watchmaking videos available by a long way. Clear, straight forward and full of great content. Anybody getting into watchmaking should watch these. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep the videos coming . 👍😀
Thanks brother. The devil is in the details and I think this is tripping up a lot of people
Have been using the pegwood tool you demonstrated in a previous lesson with the diafix springs on the 7s26 barrel train bridge and cleaning the cap jewels as you showed. Those springs had been so incredibly frustrating to deal with. Not anymore. Just cleaned and oiled a bridge and suddenly realized how relatively simple it had become. Thanks Alex.
You know John, it’s all this little things that make a difference my man.
Thanks brother. This comment you made is why I do it.
I can't even begin to express how rare and valuable your videos are. Very good explanations, and it all makes sense. And I really like that you're helping out those of us that don't or can't spend a fortune on these tools.
You gotta start somewhere. Thanks brother
Another very enlightening video. I used to demagnetise after regulating and not until having watched this video I realised how obviously backwards that has been. I almost feel ashamed admitting it. Thank you very much! 🙂👍 (Unfortunately, the Lepsi app is no longer available so make sure you don’t uninstall it if you already have it.)
No matter how long you’ve been doing this, admitting that you’ve learned something new or a better technique is nothing to be ashamed of. What he tells me is that you are a true student of horology.
Thanks again Alex. Really interesting to understand this and the effect of even just a little magnetism.
And that’s really the point of the whole video. Small amounts.
Thanks Alex,
I used to adjust compasses on steel boats. Due to the magnetic flux lines of the earth, it causes the ship to act like a big bar magnet. These magnetic lines are comming through the boat at an angle of about 45 degrees at a latitude of 40 degrees north. If the boat is rotated in a circle, the magnetism will follow the north and south orientation of the earth. So, the boat changes polarity. I don't know if this is what is causing the residual magnetism you are seeing. It does effect all ferrous material. Just a thought.
Magnetism and watches can come from many places, including static, electricity, electronic devices, etc. the point is you don’t want it in your watch
I tried out your advice and checked my share of good old vintage watches with the Lepsi app. Two of them seemed magnetised, and they were the ones that gained more than one minute a day. I used the ‘little blue Chinese box’ that I recently purchased, and demagnetised them in seconds (pun intended). Thank you for sharing such important knowlodge. And all that you have given us so generously!
Thanks for sharing that Ronald.
I'm so thankful for your videos. Watching them has significantly saved me money by knowing what tools I can buy the cheaper options of and will serve me well enough and which tools I need to bite the bullet on. My journey starts with about 20 tools I need to disassemble and reassemble for practice. I have also bought a cheap demagnetiser and used the money I saved to invest in the Weishi 1900. This should allow me to learn working movements and test and resolve fundamental issues outside of cleaning and oiling, like magnetised components, and overall learn the ins and outs of the various parts of my many test watches. Once I feel comfortable with this initial practice I am purchasing cleaning tools and I already have oil and oilers. I'm 44 years old and make a great living in tech. But I've been learning about watch servicing and would like to have not just a hobby, but potentially something I really enjoy doing that I can transition to because I will continue to tinker until I die. I think I got another 40 years of watching and I've taught myself how to learn so hopefully I can speed up the process by not wasting time or money and utilizing the knowledge from folks like you and maybe even going to school in a few years for watchmaking and taking it to the next level. What do you think. I'm healthy, my hands are steady and I rarely get this far into something that I don't want to continue. Can I make a retirement career out of this?
Oh also, my current job requires photo, video, audio, editing and creating content. So once I've got the basics to service a watch and I know that I'm going to fully commit, your videos on how you produce videos under telescopes and magnification are great so that I can start to put together a setup to better record and create content. But that's probably a year or so out. But I just wanted to let you know that the information you are giving is so helpful for those of us that want to take this seriously. I can only imagine not having a resource like yours
Could you transition to watch repair full-time, absolutely. I know several watchmakers, who retired and ended up going to watchmaking school and are now full-time watchmakers.
Good job. I use the Horotech model with the detect zone and it always agrees with the Lepsi app. If you don’t realize how many metal particles that are in your cleaning solution that will stick to a magnetized part, throw a rotor from an older quartz movement in the parts basket and see what you find.
That’s awesome and also a very good idea
Great stuff as usual!! I demag all thru the process of servicing… I’m a hobbyist and need all the help I can get… I use the app to test as well and I’m glad to see your research has proven it reliable😊 thanks for posting another great educational vid!
That’s good to hear. I wanted to make sure that anyone not experienced with this was not missing it during the service.
Alex. I'm following each of your video instruction segments far easier than I thought. Still struggling with relacing the jewels in base plate and balance. But hey, that's practice. I've demagnetised movements after casing. Now know where I should amend my system.
Hey Ross, you’re right brother practice practice practice and before you know it, it’ll just click
Without a doubt THE BEST information and presentation i have ever seen on the watch repair roundabout . I think of a question while watching the vid and BOOM he answeres it .
Hope it helps in some way. Thanks brother
Great insight, thank you Alex. I do have a demagnetizer and use it routinely when i have assembled a watch and before regulating, but i never considered using before cleaning... your point about picking up metal particles makes perfect sense. The Lepsi app is a great idea, that will definitely go into my arsenal. To reinforce your point about the effects of "mild" magnetism, I immediately tested it on my "daily wear" watch. It is a 30 year old Tag Heuer Chronometer that i dont care too much if it gets beaten up with the normal everyday rough and tumble. It has a DU amplitude of about 260 and runs about 15s per day fast on the wrist. It hasnt been serviced in 10 years and I havent gotten around to it (more interesting projects on the bench) and I chalked it up to that. Sure enough, it showed up as magnetized. I zapped it with the demagnetizer and DU amplitude jumped up to 285 with a rate of +2s. I am very interested to see how the rate changes on my wrist. Thanks again.
Thanks for confirming my point to the video. It’s the small hidden magnetism that gets ya.
Bingo again! Another timely video for me. I discovered with the app that all my movement holders but one were magnetized. Duh? And, my old demagnetizer is not fully working! I just ordered a new demag. Thank you!
This is why I love this. You might have been adding a small amount of magnetism without even knowing it.
I love it. Thanks for confirming this was needed brother.
Fantastic video Alex. I was a victim of most of those misconceptions, and completely unaware of the “magnetic friction” concept.
I’m just trying to make sure that I cover all the basic stuff that could cause problems
Alex thought you might like this - just purchased a new Ball Engineer 111, chronometer certified, GMT, 1000 gauss Watch. Arrived +7200 seconds per day. Yep +2 hours, it is magnetized but this is ridiculous. Sent back to Ball under warranty. Never come across this before.
That’s crazy man. I wonder if it went through some kind of scanner, the magnetized it during customs
Hi Alex,
Thanks for another excellent educational video. Your support of the watch hobbyist by exploring the budget devices is appreciated. I use one of the "tunnel" type demagnetizers and a compass at this stage. At some point it would be great to have something like the Elma that can be relied on to be repeatable in its' effect.
👍
Well, depending one where you’re at tool wise there maybe more important things to get
Absolutely awesome video. I have used this app before and it seems to be very reliable. Thank you for the detailed explanation. It helps amateur watch makers like me.
Thank you as always
Hi Alex, I really appreciate all of the information you impart. I am a year deep into the restoration business of pre-1950 watches.....anyhoo, I have a question: When demagging a movement should the movement be running? I ask because more often than not the pieces I work on have not been running for 20, 30 or more years. After listening to your reasoning, I will be demagging all my movements, multiple times throughout the process going forward, but just wondering if there is any advantage to having the movement running to start with?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Wayne
Thank you Wayne.
No you can do it either way and I do.
Once after disassembly, prior to pre-cleaning the parts and again after assembly prior to letting the movement run for 24 hrs.
So in one case it's not running and in the other it is.
You sir ,I have the greatest respect for thank you and keep them coming please .
Thanks for the compliment Peter. I will surely keep ‘em coming
Greetings from snowy Athens - Greece. It's been a while since I watched your videos dear friend, your advice is always clear and detailed. Thanks!
Welcome back!
Got ELIMAG 50years old and Wonderfull the best way is to magnetize and de magnetize watch and see the difference I once spent two days chasing a low magnetism issue ALLWAS DEMAGNETIZE before adjusting rate 🤪 Great Video Should be in every school lesson!
Thanks for checking Amanda.
Thank you for doing all the experimentation to illustrate your teaching. Great stuff.
Rather than the binary output of the Lepsi app, I prefer to see the numerical output, direct from the phone sensor. On Android I use "sensor test" app - no ads, no nonsense, just the magnetic field strength in micro teslas.
You're very welcome and that’s a good tip. Thanks
After stumbling across your channel a few weeks ago I simply had to sub , covering a lot of subjects & issues rarely done if at all by others & the domestic drill parts cleaning mod was great to see as I had thought of this prior to seeing this so subbing was inevitable , currently trying to get to the beginning of the series, even if that doesn't happen I'll still catch them at some point.. it's all good & its about time 👍
That’s awesome Ted. I appreciate you being here with us. I’m
In your opinion, does it make a difference whether or not the movement is stopped when demagnetized? I've seen other people suggest either pulling the crown out to stop the movement or letting the power run out completely before demagnetizing. Thanks for the amazing content!
No it doesn’t. I do it both ways. What’s more important is that you do it multiple times during the course of a service. Are usually do it prior to cleaning parts and after assembly assembly.
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Alex, thanks for this video - since both demagnetizers work is there any advantage to the more expensive one? I think it’s now around $300😮
The little blue ones are really hit and miss and they’re very finicky to work with.
Because you use the magnetizer a lot, several times during a watch service, it really pays to have a reliable one.
So the biggest advantage of the more expensive one is that it’s one button and it works every time.
I am looking into the Chinese version of the Elma demagnetizer, which is quite a bit less expensive it all probably be doing a video on it when I get it.
Great videos, please keep making more. I have learned so much watching your videos. I just need to save up and buy the tools to get started.
Well, when you’re ready, I’ll be here for you. Thank you sir.
First I want to say that I really appreciate the time and effort you put into all these videos and sharing your knowledge, you are a great a teacher!
I also have a question. I really want to get into watch repair as a hobby and after seeing this video I realize the importance of magnetism. I have a metal sit to stand desk where the entire top is covered by a leather mat with a slighly magnetic layer embedded in the bottom so it stays put on the desk (It's a secretlab magnus pro).
I don't know a lot about magnetism but seeing you magnetizing the movement in this video with a magnet... Is my desk is a major problem? Or is it easily fixable by just demagnetizing once the watches are away from this desk?
Desk is perfect, magpad it so much. I would swap the top for something with no magnets.
Having to constantly worry about magnetism while working on watches is not a great system. Plenty of other options for a working surface on top of the metal desk.
Thanks Alex, that you put so much time and effort into this, so that we can now earn the knowledge of what you found out. Never heared of that Lepsi App before.
// Lepsi is not available in the Apple App Store, at least not in Germany.
I’m sure there’s some other ones that would be equivalent. Lepsi it’s just the one here in the states that you hear people talking about.
Thanks Alex. I have one of those little blue demaggers, and have had good luck with it.
Assuming that there’s nothing mechanically wrong with it, most people who do not have luck with it I’m probably just not using it properly. Thank you brother.
I bought a remade Soviet Watch from one of the Dealers in Eastern Europe. Its supposed to be the Movement from a 60s Military Pocket watch mounted in a new wristwatch case with a repro Face. Its very quirky and handsome but ive had a reoccurring problem with Magnetism. Since it arrived, the watch becomes magnetised every few days to a week and runs crazy fast, like 12 mins an hour fast! After 3 trips to the city (some distance) to the Watchmaker in a month, i began to despair as the Watch was not particularly cheap. He told me its a copy of a Seiko and all looks fine. Once it's de-megnetised, it's typically gains 3 sec per day. Tolerable, anyway, the Watchmaker says the spring must be made of a metal that is prone to magnetism. As i live Off-Grid without any electrical appliances, i think it can only be my phone that is magnetising my watch. Which brings me to my question; using an app on a phone to detect magnetism, wouldnt that in itself magnetise the watch because you have to put the watch (or Movement) on the phone?
I use a Tablet, a little bigger than a normal phone and i do all my internet browsing on it, so if im wearing my watch while holdjng the device, its going to be well within the range of the device's electromagnetic field. The Tablet may even emit a stronger EMF than a normal hand held phone.
The only other cause that occurs to me is that i regularly drive under 220,000 volt HV Powerlines, which are at least 60 feet above. Is it possible that is magnetising my watch? I read they also emit a powerful EMF, but i think its more likely the Tablet is doing it. I haven't thought of any other explanation.
BTW, i have a de- magnetiser on its way from China! Im no Watchmaker, just a fan of old Soviet Watches, but i think its something i could get very interested in.
Your series looks excellent and ill be checking more of your videos out, thank you!
I suppose you could be picking up some magnetic fields from your tablet but I doubt you’re getting anything from the electrical lines overhead.
By the way for living off the grid. I wish I could do that.
Wow, really enlightening video! I knew it was important to make sure watches were demagnetized, but falsely believed it was easy to detect to visual cues. I'm also quite relieved to know the little blue box demaggers work. I got one due to budgetary constraints more than anything else, but happy to know it really does work. Quick question on that for you: you just lift away like you show in the video one time? You don't need to rotate or anything?
Well it will probably depend on how magnetized it is. I tried demagnetizing a bench block with it and it would not do it but then neither would my Elma
Hello Alex, on many of your videos, you are talking about your "Master Class". How do I access it? If through Patreon, which level do I need? Keep up the good work, regards George
Good Morning George,
Thanks for asking. Yes they are available through Patreon only. The most current lesson is available at all levels up until the next one is uploaded. Then it’s only available on the on the upper 2 levels where it is available when ever you want it.
All the videos including the ones uploaded to TH-cam are also available with no ad’s
@@watchrepairtutorials Good afternoon Alex, Thank you for the swift reply. I'd better get my subscription in! Just one more question, do you have a list of topics that will be covered by your "Master Class" series?
@@georgehughes2183 the biggest hole in learning resources is associated with the escapement. This is where most people’s knowledge is lacking and where most non runners problems lie.
So escapement videos for now
Thanks Alex, love the tip on the lepsi app, plan to check it out. Plan to get the small blue demagnetizer in the future.
Glad it was helpful but I’ve heard the Lepsi app is no more. 😔
@@watchrepairtutorials Sad to hear, common for apps to drop out.
Hi alex. Thank you for your videos. I am one of the patrons of your patreon channel, which is highly recomended.
I have a question about magnetizm
I am using an app to find if the movement is magnetizm or not. But since the phone is very sensitive, it shows results, even on the TimeGrapher Microphone, whis is o.k, as all mics have a magnet.
So, how do i know if the Mic is overmagnetize?
When pointing at a watch, the needle will move, but how do i know if its too high?
Is there a figure or number, in Gauss, which i can consider as "ok level", and only higher numbers are to be addressed as a problem?
Thank you for your help and support.
Gal
I don’t know if there is a number or standard for acceptable magnetism. This is one reason I demagnetize multiple times. Thank you for your support Gal. Great to have you in the community.
@@watchrepairtutorials alex, where can i find your Reddit account?
@@ziloom11 it’s private so you have to give me your user name and I will invite you in
Alex, I looked for the Lepsi app your using and was not able to find it in the app store. Do you have a link for the one you have?
Here ya go. apps.apple.com/us/app/lepsi-watch-magnetism/id1080183882
@@watchrepairtutorials ok, I see why I couldn't find it, it's an apple app, I use android. Shoot!
Thank you so much! These are key instructions to understand for me as a beginner
You're very welcome!
Thanks, Alex. I use a vintage South Bend demagnetizer.
Nice. How does it work?
@@watchrepairtutorials Basically the same way as any other except it's round and you put the watch or tool in the center and pull it out slowly as you're pushing the button. Or you can just hold the tool in the center and push the button for a few seconds and then let off the button holding the tool still if you want to magnetize something. It works well for magnetizing and demagnetizing.
So i work in retail and we use these tools with neodymium magnets to remove security tags from things like clothing. Granted my watch doesnt get that close but should I not wear my watch at work then?
Unless it’s already affecting your watch, wear it.
@@watchrepairtutorials so after wearing and working while being careful I've noticed it's actually kept good time with some variance to being faster or slower by a second or two, but I'm starting think unless it's right next to a magnet I'll be fine. Thanks for the advice!
Yeah my (eta 2824-2 ) watch started running 17 seconds fast all the sudden. I ordered a demagnetizer the ( premium chinese Ruihua 22002 ) ( it works great and tools jump when I degauss.) and a time grapher. It immediately started running normal again at between 1 second fast and 4 seconds slow. A couple days later it started running +7 seconds fast. Demagnetized it several times in different positions and it started running +1 to -3 seconds. I figured out it was caused by a MagSafe battery bank magnetizing my watch from 6” away. I thought it was far enough away from it but it was mildly magnetized and made a big effect. Just wondering if it’s possible to regulate an eta 2824-2 closer than 5 seconds? Or should I not bother? In flat position it runs about 4 seconds slow with 00 beat error. In the vertical position it runs 0 to 1 second fast with 0.3 beat error.
I’m actually very impressed because this is a $500 Aquacy US micro brand 300M diver and it’s keeping great time but I’m curious if this is as close as it’s possible to get with this particular movement or if I can get it within a second or two of perfect?
The ETA 2824 comes in different grades in at $500 you probably don’t have the highest grade available. Honestly, I would just be happy with what you have, and not mess with it.
In reality, movements can be improved, but it’s pretty high-level work, and that something you would be able to do without a complete understanding of how to escapement works.
@@watchrepairtutorials appreciated 👍👍
Alex, thanks for explaining clearly the effects of magnetism on a mechanical watch. Question: must a movement be removed to be de-magnetized or can it remain in the casing? Also do modern watches suffer in the same way as older ones (other material used on springs etc.)? Again thanks for your easy listening voice! 👍Frank
Depending on the case and the amount of magnetism present, often times it can be left in the case. Modern movements have some alloys that are more resistant to magnetism, but they still have steel parts.
If you've ever taken physics, this phenomenon is known as Lenz's Law.
In a nutshell, the coil of the hair spring acts like a solenoid, the movement of the magnetic field in the palate fork and hairspring induce a current in the coils of the hairspring. According to Lenz's Law, that induced current will oppose the change in the movement of the hairspring which is why the amplitude drops so dramatically.
Thank you for your perspective. I am definitely not trained in physics but I have learned a little about the physics in an oscillator so correct me if I am wrong.
Magnetism can indeed affect a hairspring and cause a reduction in amplitude. When a hairspring becomes magnetized, it can stick to itself causing the frequency to increase and interferes with its ability to oscillate freely. In most cases this causes an increase in the rate since the frequency is higher.
Although this is normally true, under the right conditions when a spring’s coils are touching each other due to compression or during movement, friction occurs between the coils. This friction acts as a resistive force, slowing down the motion of the spring. This can also lead to a loss in amplitude.
The reference to Lenz's Law and the induction of current in the hairspring I believe is incorrect in this context. Unless I am mistaken, Lenz's Law refers to the principle that the direction of induced current in a conductor opposes the change in the magnetic field that caused it.
However, in a watch hairspring, there is no significant current being induced because the hairspring is not a conductor designed to carry electric current in the way that a solenoid or electrical coil would.
Thanks again for such and excellent presentation. You cover a topic like nobody else and are hands down are the best at everything you cover. Regards, Jeffrey
Wow, thank you Jeffrey. I'm glad they are making sense
Alex, since the rotor in a quartz watch IS magnetized, should you ever demagnetize a quartz watch? I'm not sure it would ever make sense to, since there is not the same level of mechanical elements in a quartz watch, but just curious.
Correct. Don’t do it
The compass needle moving is the needle reacting to the influence of the steel movement parts on the magnetic field of the earth. During WWII they found that the soldier's steel helmet caused error in compass readings.
I pointed that out, but when heavily magnetized it will move more erratically.
Do you have to remove the movement from the case to test, or can you test the movement inside of the case? Also… do those 30 dollar de magnetizers from Amazon work? They’re white, and made of plastic. With a hole in the center to put the watch through. In addition if you put a watch that doesn’t have any magnetism inside a de magnetizer, is there risk of damaging your watch’s performance? Thank you. Love this channel. Learning a lot. 👍🏼
Well, you could certainly test the watch movement for magnetism in the case but when demagnetizing, you’ll get better results with an inexpensive demagnetizer with the movement outside the case.
I don’t know about those white demagnetizer you’re talking about as I’ve never used one but the $10 blue ones will work if they’re used correctly . Finally, if watch movement is not magnetized you can inadvertently magnetize it hurting it’s performance using an inexpensive demagnetizer, which is something that you don’t have to worry about with the more expensive ones.
@@watchrepairtutorials thank you! 🙏
Wow. Awesome content, leading of course to more questions. For instance, people wearing magnetic clasp bracelets, or a copper bracelet with magnets next to a watch. My dad's Tudor prince runs well fast, and I'm going to de mag it to see if he left it sitting on a speaker (almost certain he did) thanks for posting.
As you can imagine Keith, there are many ways, a watch can be demagnetized. And as you saw, even if it’s just a little bit, I can affect the way the watch runs
Just watched this one again Alex, as I do with most of your videos. Excellent explanation and really pleased to see you test a cheap alternative. I'm still building up my tool set and after the microscope the next thing I wanted was a timegrapher. However, after watching this video I realised that a timegrapher is a waste of time if the movement is not fully demagnetised. The wife is back at work today after the Christmas break and won't be able to monitor my deliveries, so tomorrow Mr Bezos' chaps will be delivering a Weishi 1900 and a demagnetiser. Thanks again for the great content and will be signing up as a patron in the next couple of days.
LOL. That is awesome. I find that it is easier to sneak in purchases around the holidays and birthdays as well. If a package comes you just tell them not to open it.🤣
@@watchrepairtutorials Didn't think of that one. She always wanted a staking set for Valentines.
@@thegrumpymuso5418 stop, you're killing me🤣
Hi Alex!
Can I use the Lepsi app on iPhones with a wireless charging/ magsafe function? Because they have a magnet in them, and I will make it worse, or use the compass?
I’m not sure Attila, that might be a question for Lepsi. If you dig into it a little further, I would love to hear what the answer is.
Thank you for the quick ansver. Unfortunately, the Lepsi app has not been updated for four years. Since the Iphones got the strong magnets for the magsafe function., on the back to hold and charge the phone. Will conect the app developer and will see…
If I do it multiple times, will it have any effect on my watch?
It as long as you are not re-magnetizing it.
Gracias maestro. Great video, awesome explanations.
So nice of you Carlos. Thanks Buddy
Quite interesting to see how the rate is affected by magnetism but nothing is seen at the hairspring coil. I will certainly be demagnetizing regularly now.
I really like your scientific approach to watchmaking.
In watchmaking everything matters. Hopefully this will close a gap for the ones who don’t know about this.
Hi Alex, I wondered if you would be able to point me in the right direction. I’ve been working on a vintage Waltham automatic that has an FHF 905 movement in it. After a complete disassembly, inspection and cleaning of all parts in the ultrasonic (both wash and 2 rinses using L&R fluids), minus the pallet fork and balance complete (attached to the balance cock) which were cleaned by soaking in Troop Balas One Dip, I reassembled the movement and lubricated, but it runs very poorly with low amplitude and very high rate. I noticed that the hair spring coils where sticking together so I re-cleaned the balance complete again. Having concluded (perhaps incorrectly) that the movement was magnetized, I ordered and finally took delivery of my new Elma Antimag, and demagnetized the movement, but the watch is still running badly. Over the last day, I must have demagnetized the movement and balance 20 times in all sorts of orientations as well as cleaning the hairspring half a dozen times (including changing the One Dip), but the coils still stick together, albeit not as badly as initially. What I’d like to know, is do you find the Elma Antimag reliable and in your experience is just a couple of demag uses sufficient to completely remove all magnetism from a movement and/or balance and hairspring? Additionally, is it possible that the hairspring has a contaminant that One Dip won’t remove and would you suggest trying to clean in something else? Thank you in advance and great video as always?
Yea, I don't think it's magnetized. Check the L&R and make sure that no water got in it. Look to see if there is in gelled solvent in there. Water and L&R don't get along. Maybe try some fresh L$R with a lid and see it that helps.
Good luck!
If that's not it, I would suspect there is something, possibly like silicon on the hairspring that's not coming off.
Let me know
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks for the reply Alex. Just want to clarify, I cleaned the disassembled movement minus the pallet fork and balance complete with balance cock in L&R #111 followed by two rinses in #3. The excluded parts were soaked in One Dip. I was under the impression that I couldn’t clean the shellacked parts in #111 because it contains ~20% Naphtha which would dissolve/damage the shellac causing the stones to dislodge. My L&R solutions are not water contaminated (I’ve had that before and know what to look for), but given I haven’t cleaned the hairspring in it, I assume that’s not relevant? So am I correct that I should not be cleaning shellacked parts in L&R #111? If you’re confident that the hairspring is not magnetized as a result of my demagging it on an Elma Antimag numerous times, and we hypothesize that it has a contaminant on it causing it to stick together, what would suggest I use to clean it?
@@russellbiofish Naphtha is fine for shellacked parts. Its IPA that can cause problems. At this point it's hard to say what will clean it off the hairspring without knowing what it is one the hairspring. I would try to run it through the L& R wash once or twice and see if that makes any difference. If not you may have to resort to something stronger if the hairspring is indeed contaminated with something out of the ordinary, which it certainly appears to be.
@@thewatchsmith2773 OK I must have misunderstood. Can they also go thru #3 rinse? I’ll check the MSDS to be sure of the contents.
It’s ~75 Mineral Spirits Regular (C6H6 < 0.1%), (Stoddard Solvent) and ~25% Naphtha.
Any updated alternative to Lepsi?
Not that I know of, but if you find something, let us know
your channel is a true gem!! thanls a lot Sir!!
Most welcome!
Great thanks again for sharing with us your knowhow!
My pleasure Vesselin. Thank for being here with us.
Another great video. Thank you Alex!
Thank you, Mr. Barker
Thank you for all the videos you have done. I've learned a lot. Class act. Great teacher.
Thanks Darryll
GOOD VIDEO,,,THANKS ALEX
Good to see you here again, my friend
Top video Alex. With the money I save by learning from your video's, I just became a Patreon 😁(Oh, and I'm improving my skills also)
Thanks brother. I glad you are getting some value out of the videos
Check out My Patreon Page for exclusive Master Class Videos.
www.patreon.com/user?u=76581077
Really good explanation, makes more sense now.
Hey Andrew,
Good deal man. Hope it helps
Thank you Alex
You are welcome Wayne
Can you dmag with the movement in the case?
Depends on the demagnetizer and case. I know the high-end ones will. The blue one, I haven’t tried
Wooooo, thanks for the tip on the Lepsi app!!
What’s up my man. See, I have a little bit for everybody.😊
Thank you. This video is very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
I used that demagnetizer on my omega seamaster 300 co ax. Dosent seem to work :( what can i do? Unless that magnet is magnetized itself or that the compass is reacting to metal parts in the watch. Anyway, still runs fast
your watch has a silicone hairspray so I doubt that's what's causing it to run fast. How fast is it running and when was the last time it was serviced?
@@watchrepairtutorials its the cal 2500. When i got it back from service recently it was at 8 to 10 sec a day. A bit too much if you ask me. But not too bad although not within the standard of that movement. I might have been demagging it wrong tho. I see some people leave it on the demagger 5-10 sec then lifting it up, and i see some who have it slightly levetated for a few sec before lifting it up.
@@endre1996 yeah well definitely not Demag a demag issue.
do you know there's quite a few variations of that movement and the early ones could be somewhat problematic.
Have you contacted your watchmaker to see what they said?
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Thank you 🙏
You’re welcome!
Thanks Alex
Thanks again 🤙
Thanks Alex, another great video! I have one of the £10 machines from China🤣. I will start using it like you suggest. Great tip re the Lepsi App, I’ll check that out! Many thanks. See you in the next one!
There you go Boyd. Nice to see you again
Fascinating. I learn so much from your video's. Thanks. I have one of those little blue boxes but just can't demagnetize completely my thin small tweezers, it always shows some magnetism with my gauss meter and attracts small springs. Ive tried pulling away slowly, quickly, different angles also rotating but it still leaves a tiny bit of magnetism. I have some slightly thicker anti magnetic ones i usually use. Interesting, incredible, fascinating videos.
The one thing I don’t know is how reliable they are overall. I am sure there is some QC issues. I would just verify that it’s working on your movements
Ive just tried it again, and this time did the handle end and also in the middle.. success Thanks.
I have a minor criticism here, I would change: "is it over kill? no." I would prefer "F NO!", LOL. All joking aside, truly excellent video, thank you.
Yea, that’s what I thought in my mind, but I have to be a little more, careful what I say. Thanks James
North to South Alex is best 👌
Thanks Stuart. You the man.
I love this kind of stuff! 👍
So, do I brother, so do I
is it possible for magnetism to affect a movement to +8 seconds from +2?
Absolutely
Tôi muốn xin tên phần mềm test từ tính trên điện thoại. Xin cảm ơn.
"Theo tôi biết, ứng dụng tôi đã sử dụng trong video hiện không còn nữa. Tôi không biết ứng dụng nào khác, nhưng tôi chắc chắn là có một số ứng dụng khác vẫn có sẵn."
Lol, thank you for answering the question I had on my mind watching that, did I waste 10 bucks on my little blue box! Enlightening as usual 👍🏻
You are so welcome Martin.
Can you change original hairspring to a silicon and antimagnetic hairspring?
No. I am pretty sure they are made specifically for a particular balance wheel in a particular movement. Replacement hairsprings are also typically not available to purchase from part suppliers
@@watchrepairtutorials so what happens if you have ETA 2892-A2 where you want to replace the hairspring? that's it for the movement? in the bin? or do you buy another old movements for parts?
@@gioraus You replace the balance complete. The hairspring and balance wheel which have been matched together. You can not buy hairsprings for the movements by themselves.
@@watchrepairtutorials I see, thank you. For ETA 2892-A2, most watch maker would be able to replace balance wheel and matching hairspring, but can they get antimagnetic version? The reason I asked is if ETA 2892-A2 would ever be modified to a anti-magnetic version.
@@gioraus Not until ETA makes them available.
You're the bosssss!
Can you tell my wife that?😉
Great video Alex. Not sure if this is myth or fact, but I have been told cell phones are one of the primary sources of magnetism in mechanical watches these days. A mechanical watch near a cell phone that goes off may incur magnetism and develop run issues. Truth or Fiction?
Yep all true as far as I know as well as induction cooktops
Another great video. I really hope your channel takes off soon
Thanks Ben. We’re growing slow but steady.
Too bad that Pepsi is not available anymore :-( . Thank you for the video!
Lepsi - Pepsi and Coke are alive.
No worries!
During the trinity test of the first nuclear weapon, all the personal present had their watches fried by the electromagnetic pulse. There are magnets in the microphone, and a field off of the tester.
Why wasn't I notified? I have to do detective work to watch this channel.
You didn’t get notified ?
I’ll look into it.
Sorry about that.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you, Alex, much appreciated.
The more I learn about magnetism the more I realize it's been dogging me a lot longer and worse than I ever thought.
Well, I hope this video helps
@@watchrepairtutorials sure does!
@@watchrepairtutorials Funny followup story: I replaced the winding stem on a friend's watch. Put it on the timegrapher after I was done just to see how well it was running. Little fast, beat error well
Save me $120 I just downloaded a Time grapher
What did you get
@@watchrepairtutorials I downloaded a Time grapher at the app store 🤣🤣 definitely not a cheap hobby my friend I got over $800 invested but I still got to buy a time graph because I don't think that one's really reliable from the app store and a microscope then I got to buy a bunch of Rolex movements and start learning I have trouble installing the hairspring and balance staff I think I broke like four of them 3135 Rolex caliber then one of my kids decided to take it all apart and don't know what they're doing and destroyed it pretty much so I'm going to start cheap on the cheap movements and take it from there I really love it a lot thanks to you I'm learning so much from you and I am a great fan are definitely up professional my 13-year-old son I turned them onto your videos and stuff and I told him you know you go to watch school and learn more when you get older and become a good watchmaker he likes that very much what's a watch that don't keep time a broken one
@@donnyalvarez7 thank you for the kind words my friend.
Yep I would start with the ST36 which is what I am using in the first videos.
Alex
Ok will do I got that dg2813 is as a nightmare 😂 it gave me hell it's that a eta that st36
New to your channel now that I'm interested in watchmaking. Great videos - really informative.
Thank you Ken. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a question.