Did my Watch Get "Cooked"?

[LadyFi]

Last night, sometime after 11pm I was feeling a bit peckish so decided to have a baked potato.  Popped it in the microwave for 10 minutes.  Wasn't quite ready so as I went to put it on for another few minutes the microwave went dead.  All the panel lights and the interior light went out.  Oh well, I've had it for a number of years.  Ate the potato anyway even if parts were still a bit undercooked.  After a couple of minutes the microwave lights all came on again.  I tried a cup of water in it and it seems to be working OK.

Later on, about 3am I glanced at my watch - and noticed it had stopped at 1125pm.  This watch has kept perfect time since I got it early March and never stopped.

Feeling rather sad that my watch had given up the ghost, I performed CPR on it in an attempt to get it's little heart beating again.  Nada.  Nothing.  So, increasing the Joules (i.e. shaking it harder and slapping the side of it against the palm of my hand) I saw the balance wheel move.  Gave it another good shake and it's little heart sprang back into life.

I'm wondering if my microwave had a leak that stopped the watch.  Any ideas on this?  Happy to say my watch is running perfectly normally again.  Very strange but I don't think it was coincidence that the microwave and the watch stopped working at the same time.

[HectorLooi]

Highly unlikely. If the microwave level was high enough to damage a mechanical watch, it would have cause burn injuries to your hand.

[LadyFi]

10 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Highly unlikely. If the microwave level was high enough to damage a mechanical watch, it would have cause burn injuries to your hand.

Going to check the microwave for leaks anyway as it is quite old.  Meanwhile, my watch is ticking away happily on my wrist.

Perhaps it's just coincidence that they both stopped working at the same time.

[HectorLooi]

I think microwaves would probably do more damage to the electronics of a quartz watch rather than to a mechanical watch. The only thing in a mechanical watch that would react to microwaves would probably be the lubricants and the shellac of the pallet fork. But as it is shielded by the metal of the watch case, it would be highly unlikely.

I haven't seen a microwave leakage detector being sold for almost 30 years. Do you happen to have one?

[Paul80]

For years I worked as a field service engineer, servicing kitchen Appliances in those days it was standard practice (It was for the firm I worked for) to do a Microwave leak test whenever we worked on a microwave (we did both domestic and industrial) and in all that time working with getting on for a thousand microwave ovens, I only ever saw two that registered a leak, one had a cracked door choke which only lust failed the test and one had a large slit burned through the back grill, that one failed big time.

If you put your watch in the oven then it will do two things, one is boil the oil off, the other is to ark across and air gap between the metal parts.

I doubt with even a leaking microwave it would do anything to a watch outside of the cavity.

Remember to  fail the test the oven had to produce more than 5 mW/cm2 at approximately 2 inches (5 cm) from the oven surface, how much does your mobile phone output and that's next to your head most of the time.

It was said that a simple test for leakage was to put your mobile in the oven, close the door (DON'T TURN THE OVEN ON SILLY) And then try to call you phone with another phone, if it rings there may be some leakage, don't know for sure if that works as we didn't have mobile phones in those days or the ones we had were too big to fit inside a microwave

Paul

Edited April 17, 2022 by Paul80

[LadyFi]

2 hours ago, Paul80 said:

For years I worked as a field service engineer, servicing kitchen Appliances in those days it was standard practice (It was for the firm I worked for) to do a Microwave leak test whenever we worked on a microwave (we did both domestic and industrial) and in all that time working with getting on for a thousand microwave ovens, I only ever saw two that registered a leak, one had a cracked door choke which only lust failed the test and one had a large slit burned through the back grill, that one failed big time.

If you put your watch in the oven then it will do two things, one is boil the oil off, the other is to ark across and air gap between the metal parts.

I doubt with even a leaking microwave it would do anything to a watch outside of the cavity.

Remember to  fail the test the oven had to produce more than 5 mW/cm2 at approximately 2 inches (5 cm) from the oven surface, how much does your mobile phone output and that's next to your head most of the time.

It was said that a simple test for leakage was to put your mobile in the oven, close the door (DON'T TURN THE OVEN ON SILLY) And then try to call you phone with another phone, if it rings there may be some leakage, don't know for sure if that works as we didn't have mobile phones in those days or the ones we had were too big to fit inside a microwave

Paul

Putting a watch in the micro is a definite no-no.  I've heard of the mobile phone test and did try it a few years ago.  At that time the mobile didn't ring so no leakages.  I'm not too sure if it doesn't leak now though so might try the mobile test again.  I did use the microwave earlier tonight to bake another potato and it cut out again just on 10 minutes.  Seems to be overheating as it was very hot on top and after a few minutes reset itself.  I wasn't wearing my watch as I'd just washed some dishes and it was sitting on the table a good distance from the microwave.

When the watch stopped I noticed the hairspring was coiled round the pivot really tightly (it's a skeleton watch) and, as said in my previous comment, a few good shakes and it started working again.  Watch hasn't stopped since and is keeping great time.

Coincidence maybe that the microwave and the watched both stopped working at the same time. On a spooky note, my ex-husband (my son's father) passed away 3 weeks ago...

[Paul80]

Just a thought, there are two huge very powerful magnets in the magnetron, never checked so don't know if the magmatism makes it through the case but that would affect your watch if it's was.  Will check mine later with the magmatism app on my phone and report back with my findings.

Re your microwave cutting out, might be something like the fan not working or the vent holes at the back have become blocked, check the back to make sure they are clean.

Or it could be the ghost of your ex-husband playing games

Edited April 18, 2022 by Paul80

[Paul80]

Just check our microwave with the Gauss meter app and it's giving a huge reading even when held 5 or 6 inches away from the case side.

Given that I would not go anywhere near the microwave with a mechanical watch, good job I am not allowed in the Ladies workshop in our house

[LadyFi]

12 hours ago, Paul80 said:

Given that I would not go anywhere near the microwave with a mechanical watch, good job I am not allowed in the Ladies workshop in our house

Ha!  That's your excuse and you're sticking to it

Not long tried another baked potato and the same thing happened again.  Set the timer for 10 minutes.  It beeped, I opened the door and the whole thing went dead again.  All the vents are clear so I think old age has caught up with it - it is 10 years old and was a cheap one from Lidl - only cost £35 at the time so I've had my money's worth.  Again it was also very hot on the top - you couldn't hold your hand on it so I think it is a bit of a fire hazard and time to consign it to the scrap heap.

My watch is still doing fine.

 

[Paul80]

Probably just the fan motor running slow with age, if it had just stopped you would hear the difference in the sound the oven makes.

Low cost ones are just not worth repairing these days, even 20 years ago when I worked on them we mainly only did insurance work as the cost of major parts was often more than the microwave cost new, we often just bought a new oven just to strip for spares as it was cheaper than buying some parts, even at trade prices.

Glad I am not in that business any more.