02:00 AM Aug. 29, 2003 PT
Like a deflector shield protecting the Starship Enterprise from its enemies, a new watch promises to shield the body from "electronic pollution" from cell phones and other gadgets.
The Philip Stein Teslar watch contains a chip that works with the battery and coil to create a frequency that neutralizes the electromagnetic fields emanating from devices like cell phones, computers and radios, according to the company.
Research links electromagnetic fields with several health problems like headache, fatigue and memory loss, the company said. Those who wear the quartz watch allegedly sleep better, experience less stress and have improved concentration and more energy, it claims.
"It shields the body from these electromagnetic fields, and then the body can be more effective in taking care of itself and its immune system with those unwanted fields thrown off," explained Ilonka Harezi, head of research for Teslar Inside, which manufactures the watch. "With us sticking cell phones to our heads, we need that protection," Harezi said.
But others say the company's claims are a bunch of bunk.
"There is not a chance in the world that (these types of devices) will do anything but lighten your wallet," said John Moulder, a professor of radiation oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who said he's seen a slew of products that claim to do the same thing, including radio-frequency-proof lingerie.
Harezi first developed the Teslar chip in 1986 to help people with extreme sensitivity to electricity, from televisions to vacuum cleaners. She said the "environmentally handicapped" people who wore the watch were able to resume their lives.
"All these years it just sold by word of mouth," Harezi said, who approached the Philip Stein company to manufacture the watch. "Now we feel with cell phones, the appliances and computers that are out there, that this is a compounding problem and everyone should have the Teslar watch."
The watches are currently available at Bloomingdale's New York and Royal Jewelers in Massachusetts. Prices range from $600 for the basic to $2,000 for a diamond-encrusted model.
Critics dismiss the company's claims as ridiculous.
Electromagnetic fields' effect on humans has been studied for many years, and there is no evidence of any harm, said John Farley, professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"As long as you're not inside a microwave oven, you'll be fine," Farley said.
The Federal Trade Commission has recently cracked down on four companies that sold devices to protect people from electromagnetic waves from cell phones, alleging false advertising. All of the cases have settled.
"We're not aware of any scientific evidence that supports these claims," said Barbara Anthony, regional director of the Northeast office of the FTC. "Consumers should be highly skeptical. Don't fall prey to the come-ons that are used to market these products."
"I can't comment on this particular product -- in this case, a watch -- because I'm not familiar with it, but I think the FTC has made an example out of these companies who are preying on the unfounded fears of consumers," said Travis Larson, a spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.
Others believe the watch is more than just snake oil.
Celebrities like Madonna, Sharon Osbourne and Barbara Walters are fans of the timepiece, People magazine reported.
Several players on the Oakland Raiders football team and a handful of elite track and field athletes training for the Olympics also wear the watch.
Randy Huntington, sports science coordinator for USA Track and Field, first saw an ad for the Philip Stein watch in SkyMall magazine on an airplane. The company donated a few watches, and Huntington and about 10 of his athletes now wear the watches.
Huntington said the athletes are more energized during workouts, and those who were anxious or depressed have been calmed.
"As far as I'm concerned, we've got a little training edge," he said.
"I was kind of skeptical," said Ty Sevin, one of the top javelin throwers in the United States.
After wearing it for several weeks, Sevin never takes it off and said, "I have no doubt about it being able to increase my performance."
Lewis Gack, chief financial officer of United Liquors, a wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, said that he hasn't noticed a difference in his mood or well-being since wearing the watch, but he gets a lot of compliments on it for its aesthetics.
"It's trying to restore the natural electric balance of your body with the Earth," said Gack, who received the watch as a birthday gift from his wife. "I can't say that this has made me more calm than I was a month ago."
"Maybe I should go stand under a power line or the Hoover Dam and try it out," he joked.