The magnet destroyed my watch!

[Sust]

Dammit, I have a seiko kinetic watch that I've had since high school and now it's not working anymore.
I work at the NIH here in the DC area and I wore it into the 3 tesla mri machine accidentally. I was such a fool. I thought it was invincible...
I guess it's about time anyways...
Anyone know who makes a good titanium watch that doesnt require me to change the battery?

BTW, for those who are hard up for money and are in the DC area, you can always sign up for studies here at the NIH. The more "invasive" they get, the more you get paid.
Search for studies

And the new audi s4 specs are out too.
audiworld

I've gotten way off topic.

 

[fr]

I've had a Seiko Kinetic since high school too!

 

[Sust]

Really? How's yours holding up?

Mine has the clear back and I can see the pendulum rotate ordinarily but now it's not turning anymore!
Lesson learned: Watches and high magnetic fields do not mix.

 

[pillage2001]

I think Seiko are the only ones that have Kinetic technology in their watches. Unless you're looking at Rolex or whatever high end branded watches, you would have to go with the Seiko. I own a Kinetic which I boguht 2 years ago and loving it till today. I've got a Tag heuer for my 21st Bday too.

 

[Cyberian]

OK, I'll be the dumbass - how does a magnetic field screw up a watch?

 

[Moonbeam]

Demagnitize it. You can hit it hard with a hammer, for example.

 

[Sust]

Heh, I'm not quite so sure what the problem with the watch is anymore.

I know that magnetic fields do a good job of destroying things like hard drives and RAM, but I dont have any of that in my watch.
The only thing I can think of is maybe it somehow messed up the capacitors in my watch. It might possibly have even loosened/torn something loose from the inside of the watch.
For those who arent into physics, 1 Tesla = 10000 gauss and the earth's magnetic field is about half a gauss(I think).
I guess I should be happy the magnet didnt rip my watch off and get stuck there.

 

[ChefJoe]

Lol. As a chemist who's used to working with NMRs (chemistry version of a MRI): HA Ha!

 

[JimmyEatWorld]

Originally posted by: pillage2001
I think Seiko are the only ones that have Kinetic technology in their watches. Unless you're looking at Rolex or whatever high end branded watches, you would have to go with the Seiko. I own a Kinetic which I boguht 2 years ago and loving it till today. I've got a Tag heuer for my 21st Bday too.

Actually, Swatch had kinetic technology in their watches before Seiko, and I had one, still have it actually. Got it when I was in elementary school - circa 1991. still works like a champ, just looks to goofy for me to wear most of the time.

 

[pillage2001]

Originally posted by: JimmyEatWorld

Originally posted by: pillage2001
I think Seiko are the only ones that have Kinetic technology in their watches. Unless you're looking at Rolex or whatever high end branded watches, you would have to go with the Seiko. I own a Kinetic which I boguht 2 years ago and loving it till today. I've got a Tag heuer for my 21st Bday too.

Actually, Swatch had kinetic technology in their watches before Seiko, and I had one, still have it actually. Got it when I was in elementary school - circa 1991. still works like a champ, just looks to goofy for me to wear most of the time.

I was looking for a seiko alternative but couldn't find a swatch kinetic one. Oh well.. Seiko Kinetics are real nice watches.

 

[fr]

Mine is less than 3 years old and still going strong. Is yours still under warranty?

Citizen and Pulsar also make kinetic watches.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Have you tried a degausser?

 

[Sust]

Does anyone care at all about the clinical studies database or the S4?

As an example of invasiveness, I found a study which would pay you to look down your bronchial tubes.
One person who's done it says it was very uncomfortable, but after that 700 dollar check arrived in her mailbox she said it was all worth it.

I'll also take recommendations on other watches. So far, my only criteria is:
1)no battery
2)semi-dressy
3)titanium

 

[toant103]

Originally posted by: Sust
Dammit, I have a seiko kinetic watch that I've had since high school and now it's not working anymore.
I work at the NIH here in the DC area and I wore it into the 3 tesla mri machine accidentally. I was such a fool. I thought it was invincible...
I guess it's about time anyways...
Anyone know who makes a good titanium watch that doesnt require me to change the battery?

BTW, for those who are hard up for money and are in the DC area, you can always sign up for studies here at the NIH. The more "invasive" they get, the more you get paid.
Search for studies

And the new audi s4 specs are out too.
audiworld

I've gotten way off topic.

Seiko kinetic auto relay.

Or those Citizen ecodrive

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Demagnitize it. You can hit it hard with a hammer, for example.

I don't know much about 'kinetic' watches, but what gets demagnetized?
I don't think conventional watches have any magnets in them.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: Moonbeam Demagnitize it. You can hit it hard with a hammer, for example.

I don't know much about 'kinetic' watches, but what gets demagnetized? I don't think conventional watches have any magnets in them.

Any metal that "feels" magnetism can become magnetized itself when exposed to a field of sufficient strength. Each atom of iron for example acts as a tiny magnet, but the net magnetism in a steel bar is zero, because the spins are in random directions. A strong magnetic field causes groups of atoms to align, forming what are known as domains. It is the sum of all these domains that are responsible for that steel bar becoming a magnet. Now tiny parts in a watch can become magnetized, and stick together. That's bad.

Hitting a magnet of any type caused the domains to break up, the atoms going back to a more random state. Hence Moonbeams suggestion.

An alternating electrical field also randomizes the atoms, and this is the principle behind degaussers.

Heating a metal to what is known as the Curie point, does the job too. Sufficient heat jostles the atoms enough to break down the domains.

That answer your question?

 

[Moonbeam]

It should, Hay. Now he knows he can use a blow torch too. I was going to suggest he tape it to his monitor, if he has a CRT so he could degauss it when he turned the monitor on, but I hate thinking about degaussing. I wish there were more Gausses in the world.