A method for recognizing a magnetic object includes holding the object immobile in front of an array of N (where N is >five) tri-axial magnetometers (Mij) linked with no degree of freedom. There is a fixed distance between two consecutive magnetometers less than the maximum separation between the magnetic parts of the magnetic object furthest away from one another. The method includes measuring by each magnetometer a vector bi,m of which each coordinate represents the value of the magnetic field projected onto a respective measurement axis of the magnetometer, and a union of vectors bi,m forming a measured magnetic signature Sm, where the index “i” is an identifier of the magnetometer. The method includes computing of a deviation E between the magnetic signature Sm and a prerecorded magnetic signature SRef of a known magnetic object. The method includes comparing E to a predetermined threshold and recognizing the magnetic object.