Timegrapher Apps

[andyals]

Hi All.

I've just started to use a timegrapher app.

I know it's no substitute for a real timegrapher but great fun nonetheless 

My question is will it magnatise my watch?

[mbwatch]

  On 4/13/2025 at 10:48 PM, andyals said:

My question is will it magnatise my watch?

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No. The only way I would be worried about magnetizing your watch is if you used an application on a laptop computer rather than a phone, and the laptop contained an old spinning hard disk rather than solid state, and you laid the watch on the body of the computer because that's where the microphone happened to be. But I think you are totally in the clear to use a phone app.

Phones may have a few very small, weakly magnetic components but it is large and powerful magnets you need to be cautious of. That said, even if you did manage to magnetize a watch it is easy with an inexpensive tool to demagnetize it. Demagnetization is a standard checklist item when completing most  mechanical watch repairs.

[fellerts]

Modern iPhones with MagSafe have fairly strong magnets on the back. I guess it’s conceivable that you could magnetise a movement with your iPhone. 

[Nucejoe]

 Strong magnets in my Samsung tablet too. 

 Dispalys nice lines when Adjusted king Seiko and Seiko Lordmatic is on, then a movement  of same calib is shows dots all over the place. 

 Should try repeating a watch on , to see if the field noticeably  affect the escapement .

 

[JohnR725]

usually all these nifty electronic devices have speakers. Typically speakers have magnets and because they really tiny speakers they typically have really strong magnets to make up for the period

then how bad is the magnet situation I went googling and this link was interesting

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/cell-phones/magnets-cell-phones-and-smart-watches-may-affect-pacemakers-and-other-implanted-medical-devices

 

  On 4/13/2025 at 10:48 PM, andyals said:

timegrapher but great fun nonetheless 

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one of the problems with using apps is the lack of a proper pick up of your watch. Because it doesn't have the right type of a pickup it's instead listing for audio it sometimes does not interpret things correctly. Then fun is not what happens when people bring the results to the discussion group and think their watches having a problem when maybe in real life it is not. In other words it's not fun to diagnose a nonexistent problem.

[LittleWatchShop]

I have a Weishi 1000 and 1900 and about 8 Vibrografs of various models.  Two are fully functioning and the rest are in the queue for repair S O M E D A Y  maybe.

Anyway, I have both a watch and clock timer app on my android.  While I have not done a scientific analysis of accuracy, my "sense" is that they work fine. 

My go-to tool is the Weishi since it gives me AMPLITUDE and the opportunity set LIFT ANGLE in one degree increments.  It is important to get a PRECISE measure of amplitude with accuracy on the order of 10s of PPM while using the EXACT LIFT ANGLE.

 

  On 4/14/2025 at 7:26 PM, JohnR725 said:

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/cell-phones/magnets-cell-phones-and-smart-watches-may-affect-pacemakers-and-other-implanted-medical-devices

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I designed the first implantable AV amplifier/filter using switched-capacitor circuit technology operating in the subthreshold region  back in 1981. I am confident that my chip would have gone nuts with my Samsung phone snuggled up next to it.  Technology has come a long way since then, but if I had a pacemaker, I would keep my phone away from it.  Having said that, my mom who had a pacemaker, carried her cell phone in a pouch around her neck (pacemaker implanted in the front of her shoulder) and that did not kill her.

Edited April 14 by LittleWatchShop