Magnetized watch trying to get help from local watchmaker

[Leifhaus]

My PAM 112 got magnetized after my gig when I carried my bass amp speaker to the car. My wife noticed that I was running about a half hour fast, so the next day I went to the local watch repair and had the repair apprentice stick the watch on their degausser. Unfortunately the watch was still running fast. I may go back and ask the senior watchmaker to try again, but being a rep it could be a problem. One of the employees said that if it's heavily magnetized, he'll have to open it up and get in close to the works with the degausser. So before I do that I went to another guy who said that the watch would need to be cleaned as well because the spring is rubbing against each other and is "creating tiny metal fragments" and that it would cost over $100. I listened politely and left. I knew he didn't know what he was talking about, plus he didn't even have a demagnetizer, he was going to send it out, 1 week minimum. He also mentioned the demagnetizer that goes "boom", which is the really strong one, which from what I've read is not good for a watch.

Long story short. I don't know if I can get any service from anyone local due to the watch being a rep and so I'm considering buying a degausser. Hopefully it's not necessary to open the back and do some special degaussing close to the mainspring. Having a display back I can see how the spring is tight and touching.

Here's a couple I've found if anyone wants to comment on them or my story above. I don't want to spend a lot on a degausser because I hope to be more careful in future and not have this happen again. Thanks.

ebay.

I've added the title to search in case the links don't work:

Wristwatch Demagnitizer NEW and Easy to use! $29.99

http://tinyurl.com/yvjsr9 (if the long one doesn't work)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=010

Watchmarker Screwdriver Demagnetizer Tool. $16.99

http://tinyurl.com/yrd94t

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=015

DEMAGNETIZER FOR WATCH REPAIR WATCH SUPPLY / TOOL. $18.95

http://tinyurl.com/yvnh65

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=021

[RWG Technical]

Find a different watchmaker...your being taken for a ride...

Modern movements have hairsprings that are NON-Magnetic...so your problem has nothing to do with magnetisme.

It sounds like your hairspring is touching a couple of coils, fix involves removing the cap jewel, the balance and c0ck, immersing them in one-dip, drying it off, and reassembling it again.

Total time, less than 15 minutes...

RG

[Leifhaus]

Thanks The Zigmeister, when I looked at it under a microscope that's what I saw, the hairspring touching the coils, or touching each other? I'll bring it to the other shop tomorrow, with your information. If he questions the brand, I'll just tell him I don't know brands, he may not even know the brand. He'll see that it's a genuine movement. Either way, I'm not enjoying my ladies size 40mm, 1665 watch in the interim.

[hiker01]

Thanks The Zigmeister, when I looked at it under a microscope that's what I saw, the hairspring touching the coils, or touching each other? I'll bring it to the other shop tomorrow, with your information. If he questions the brand, I'll just tell him I don't know brands, he may not even know the brand. He'll see that it's a genuine movement. Either way, I'm not enjoying my ladies size 40mm, 1665 watch in the interim.

Buy another 44MM PAM!

[Leifhaus]

Buy another 44MM PAM!

I probably will. Well the watch fixed itself, probably banged it and the spring relaxed. When I brought it to the shop, the watchmaker put it on his EKG machine and it's running fine now. He didn't even look at the brand name or even the dial. I'm going to miss him when he retires any day now. It's going to be a real loss for our region and me.