People worry about overwinding. The quieter killers are magnetism, heat, and water, and they usually happen while the watch is “put away safely.”
- Magnetism. Speakers, phone cases with magnets, tablet covers, magnetic clasps, and some tool racks will magnetize a hairspring. The coils stick, the rate runs fast, and the watch seems possessed. A demagnetizer fixes many cases; leaving it on the Bluetooth speaker does not.
- Heat. A dashboard, a sunny window, or an attic in July cooks oil and can lift a crystal or a dial finish. Mechanical watches want a closet, not a car.
- Moisture. A bathroom ledge or a damp basement rusts steel parts and spots a dial from the inside. Pocket watches are not “water resistant” in the modern sense. If you wore one in rain, dry the case and do not put it in a sealed plastic bag while it is still wet — that traps condensation on the movement.
- Shock. A watch loose in a drawer with coins will take hits the pocket never gave it. A single pouch or a watch box is enough.
If a watch suddenly runs minutes fast after sitting near electronics, say so when you send it for service. Magnetism is a short conversation. Rust from a steamy room is a longer one.
A simple home test for magnetism is imperfect, but a compass needle that twitches near the watch is a clue. So is a watch that suddenly runs very fast after sitting on a laptop. Demagnetizing is quick when that is the only problem. It does not fix rust or a dry train, which is why “it ran fast so I demagnetized it” is not a complete service history.
Storage that works is boring: a dry drawer, one pouch each, away from the stove and the bathroom. If you want the watch on a shelf for display, keep it out of south-facing sun and wind it on a calendar, not whenever you remember at a party. The bench can repair a lot. It cannot un-bake a dial.
Have a pocket watch that needs attention? The Good Old Times offers
free, no-fee service estimates (no charge if you decide not to proceed), local drop-off in
Mississauga by appointment, and Canada-wide service by mail — every repair backed by a
3-month warranty. Get a free estimate →
Also browse: fully serviced watches for sale ·
pocket watch guides (Collector’s Corner).