Anyone working with or near magnets will have been made aware of the many health and safety warnings regarding magnets. One warning has always been that you must keep magnets away from your wristwatch as well as any computers, credit cards, or phones.
It is possible for the very small components of mechanical wristwatches to become magnetised when placed in close proximity to very strong magnetic fields if these parts are made from ferrous materials.
If these mechanical parts become magnetised, they will begin to attract to each other and the inside of the case which can cause the watch to run fast or slow or possibly cease working entirely.
However, many modern watches are now made from ‘non-magnetic’ materials and therefore are resistant to fairly weak magnetic fields, but to be safe you should keep all watches away from very strong magnetic fields.
If your watch does become magnetised we recommend taking it to a watch repair shop who should be able to demagnitise it and return it to its correct and original operation.
If you do work near magnets and were unsure of the effects on your wristwatch, then be sure to check out How a magnet can affect your smartphone.