The Breitling Watch Source Forums

hairspring.

I've been reading recently about Rolex's new Parachrom hairspring that is resistant to magnetism. Conventional hairsprings are made of an iron-nickel-chromium alloy whereas the Parachrom hairspring is made out of an niobium-zirconium-oxygen alloy that resists magnetism altogether. This differs from the other method on the market to prevent magnetism which is by enclosing the movement within a second, soft iron inner case (IWC I think).

Apparently they launched this at last year's baselworld. It's the 1st I've heard of it but think it's a great idea. No doubt some of you are familiar with this technology, any ideas if and/or other watchmakers are looking at something similar. It's such a common problem (especially with me at the moment )

Either way it's great stuff

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"

There are a lot of new technologies around non magnetic / anti magnetic hairsprings. Ulysse Nardin has been doing a lot of work using silicon, and Rolex is just taking a slightly different approach. There are a lot of watches with 'anti magnetic' balance springs, but that doesn't mean that they can't be magnetised, it just means that they are resistant enough to meet the ISO standard to be called anti magnetic.

Good (and not surprising) that Rolex aren't the only ones investing in anti-magnetic technology. Thanks for clarifying

Interesting about the ISO standards. What does that mean exactly? If it meets standards what it can't be magnetised by a television or mobile phone but not say an MRI machine???

Do you think it's something they'll eradicate in the not too distant future Roff?

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"

It's ISO 764, but all that says is that the watch has to resist a magnetic field of 4,800 amperes / metre (we'll need someone smarter than me to put that into real world terms) and still be accurate to + / - 30 seconds a day.

Because shielding the movement in an iron core only works for big, heavy watches the long term solution has to be in non magnetic materials for hairsprings (balance springs). The problem is that has proved difficult - all the materials like Nivarox, Glycdur and Elinvar are really reduced sensitiveity to magnetism, not truly anti magnetic. Silicon and Parachrom show more promise, but it's going to be a decade or more before they become mainstream.

Rolex came out with the Milgaus in the 1950's. It was designed specially for those who work around high level of electricity. They wrapped the core to reduce magnetic problems. IWC incorporated the same feature in one of its models. Funny thing with Rolex is they reincarnated the same protection that they had dropped with the Milgaus and designed it into the Oysterquartz models. Tutima from Germany designs magnetic protection into their models. A number of firms have or are doing the 'anti-magnetic' thing. However it is a problem that very few watch wearers have to worry about and if it gets magnetized your watch maker can clear it in about 5 seconds.

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I only do that which I choose to do, when I choose to do it.

I think it's around the strength of a horseshoe magnet (5,200 A/m). A computer monitor generates around 0.7 A/m whereas an MRI machine is between 795,775 and 1'193,662 A/m.

So, I guess the lesson is: Just don't get your watch into the MRI.

Did that with a Hamilton once. Yikes! Was able to be repaired, but not regulated.

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Chronomat, Steel/Gold, MOP Dial, 2-tone band (2008)
Super Avenger Black Baton Dial (2009)
Bentley B04 GMT Silver Dial (2013)
Avenger Blacksteel Baton Dial (2014)

So soon...
http://www.omegawatches.com/spirit/watc ... nce-spring

Not really - there have been silicon mainsprings in watches for several years, my comment was that it would take a decade or more before they become mainstream and I stand by that - silicon mainsprings still account for only a very small percentage of Swiss hairsprings.