When I read this question I was immediatly interested, as I had heard
of this before. A family member of mine has always had this problem,
and he said once a while back that he was told by a doctor that some
people have very strong magnetism in their bodies, which makes a watch
quit working over time. Sometimes it can be a year, sometimes days.
So, I went and started to research this, being that I thought I might
have a head start on this question. I however, found mixed results.
First of all, it was very clear to me that magnetisim does affect a
watch as seen here in the excerpt....
"Avoiding Magnetism
Avoid exposing an analog quartz watch to magnetism. An analog quartz
crystal watch may sometimes temporarily stop working or show a time
gain or loss if it comes in close contact with a magnetic health
appliance, such as a magnetic necklace or bracelet. It may also be
affected by the magnetic part of a household electrical appliance that
generates strong magnetism. If the magnet in the appliance interferes
with the magnet in the watch's microminiature step motor, the watch
malfunctions.
In general, a digital quartz watch is resistant to magnetism, but a
combination watch is easily affected by magnetism at its analog
section."
http://www.jcpenney.net/guide/jewelry/care/watches.htm
There are other people who have been told the same thing, that their
body magnetism affects their watches...
I was able to find a few instances of this online as seen here...
"My body chemistry stops watches! I had no idea it might be related to
my narco... In college if I wore a watch, it would stop working
withing two weeks. I started wearing a watch on a necklace penant so
it wasn't right next to my skin. My mom suggested recently (about 3
years ago) that I could put a circular band-aid on the back of my
watch, and it works! I have had the same watch now for 2 years! The
band-aid is one of those new waterproof ones, so the material is
thicker, and has like a rubber feel to it."
http://www.sleepnet.com/narco6/messages/102.html
I've heard of putting something on the back of the watch and band to
decrease the contact between it and your body, or, a lot of people
just get a pocket/pendant watch to eliminate so much body contact.
But, then, on the flip side, I came across this article....
"So what's wrong when a watch doesn't run when worn? The problem is
the watch, not the person. More often than not, the watch is worn in
an environment for which it wasn't designed. For instance, a dress
style watch is often not protected sufficiently against dust or
moisture. Some watches designed to withstand brief contact with water
are subjected to prolonged submersion in a hot tub or pool. In
addition, many watches encounter problems because their seals and
gaskets aren't replaced periodically."
"A third problem found with watches not running while on the wrist –
but still operating off the wrist – is the workmanship and ability of
the repair person. It's not unusual for a repair person, even today,
to site "mysterious body magnetism/electricity" as an excuse for his
or her inability to service a timepiece. This excuse has been recorded
in horological literature since the 18th century."
"(Jeff Cody responds: "I have always been hesitant to tell customers
it's unlikely they are to blame for unexplained stoppages, especially
when they insist they've caused other electronic equipment to fail. We
always stress that we stand behind 'unidentified' watch failures. We
also are careful to explain to each customer what he or she can expect
from the watch.")"
http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/1999/jul99/0799te2.html
So, I guess what I can tell you is this...try putting a backing on the
watch, and see if it being off her skin helps, for some it does, for
some it does not. I can't give you a total answer. Being as that some
say it's a reality them magnetisim affects watches, and some say it's
myth. The other thing you could do would be to contact the watchmaker
and see if they've had any other complaints about that...
If she works in a job where she comes into contact with a magnetic
field or electromagnetic field it might be best for her not to wear
her watch there.
You could also talk to your family doctor and see if they had any
answers for you. I hope this sheds some light onto the subject, and
gives you a solution to your problem.
If you need anything else, feel free to request a claification of my
answer, and if you liked it :) make sure to rate it :)
Nenna-GA |
