Magnetism and automatic watches: the absolute importance of protection

Mechanical horology is an art of the infinitesimally small, a perpetual quest for balance and regularity. For an automatic watch to divide time with chronometric precision, its beating heart—the regulating organ—relies on components of extreme fineness. However, in our modern environment, these masterpieces of micro-mechanics are confronted with an invisible, omnipresent, and formidable threat: magnetic fields.

There was a time when this issue only concerned engineers or professionals working in highly specific environments. Today, magnetism has invaded our daily lives. Smartphones, loudspeakers, tablets, magnetic bag clasps, and laptop computers generate radiation capable of seriously disrupting the rate of your timepieces.

How does magnetism actually affect the inner workings of your watch? Why has placing your timepiece on a nightstand next to your phone become a risky gesture? Discover why protection against the magnetism of an automatic watch is now the number one security criterion, and how a high-end case must transform into a true shield for your calibers.

The invisible threat: The impact on the heart of the movement

To understand a watch's vulnerability to magnetism, one must look at its most delicate organ: the hairspring (or spiral). This metal hair, often coiled upon itself, "breathes" by contracting and expanding several times per second. It is coupled with the balance wheel to dictate the precise rhythm of the movement. Historically, and still predominantly today, these hairsprings (as well as other escapement parts) are manufactured from ferromagnetic alloys.

When a watch is exposed to a magnetic field, even a weak but prolonged one, these metallic components become magnetized. The coils of the hairspring, instead of breathing freely, end up attracting and "sticking" to each other under the effect of magnetization. The result is immediate: the effective length of the hairspring is shortened, which drastically accelerates the oscillations of the balance wheel. The watch then begins to gain time spectacularly, sometimes gaining several minutes a day, or even stops completely if the magnetic field is too powerful.

The major problem with magnetism for an automatic watch is that this alteration is silent. The owner simply notices a sudden and inexplicable loss of precision. Although an intervention by a master watchmaker (demagnetization) can resolve the issue, it is a constraint that any collector prefers to avoid. Prevention then becomes the only true line of defense.

Prevention and isolation: The crucial role of the storage case

Faced with the proliferation of magnetic sources in our contemporary interiors, the concept of horological storage takes on a new dimension. It is no longer conceivable to let a Haute Horlogerie piece rest on a desk, in immediate proximity to a screen or a charging phone. The case, whether a collection box or an adaptive time preservation system, must no longer settle for being a beautiful wooden box; it must act as an anti-magnetic safe.

Unfortunately, the noble materials traditionally used in tabletterie, such as precious wood, traditional leather, or glass, offer strictly no barrier against magnetic waves. Magnetic fields pass through these materials with disconcerting ease.

For a case to offer genuine security, it must imperatively integrate an invisible shield within its very structure. The goal is to create a magnetic "Faraday cage," capable of capturing external radiation and deflecting it so that it never reaches the heart of the compartment where the watches rest. This is a major engineering challenge that requires the integration of advanced materials beneath the object's luxurious finishes.

The excellence of the Maison LAC shield: The use of Permalloy

Aware that true horological preservation tolerates no compromise, Maison LAC has made magnetic isolation one of the pillars of its conservation architecture. Rather than using standard alloys, our choice fell on integrating Permalloy at the core of our structures.

Permalloy is a specific nickel-iron alloy, renowned for its exceptional magnetic permeability. Used in cutting-edge fields requiring absolute isolation, this material possesses the unique ability to "capture" environmental magnetic field lines to channel them inside its own matter, thus preventing them from crossing into the case.

Inserted completely invisibly between the precious wood exterior and the interior leathers, the Permalloy shielding transforms our boxes into unbreachable sanctuaries. This technical approach, silent and concealed beneath artisanal excellence, protects the most sensitive calibers. You can thus place your case in any environment, confident that the chronometric precision of your watches is preserved from any modern interference.

Magnetism and the automatic watch are fundamentally incompatible. In a world where waves and magnetic fields are omnipresent, passive protection is no longer enough. A modern luxury case has a duty to offer cutting-edge technological isolation. By equipping its creations with an anti-magnetic shield made of Permalloy, Maison LAC allies the timeless beauty of art tabletterie with inflexible scientific rigor. Offering your watches an environment preserved from any magnetic disturbance is not a simple collector's luxury; it is the essential condition for their mechanical heart to continue beating the exact measure of time, year after year.

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