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Last year I bought two units of the thin automatic Seagull mov.t (same in size to ETA 2982), directly from them in their HK office. I brought with me a timegrapher, both pieces were spot on 0 s/d with less than 5 s/d positional variance. No need to say I was impressed, and they were pleased too. However, this mov.t is not cheap, actually the comparable Japan-made Miyota cost much less. And I know that even if they swear is not so, they do grade production, e.g. if uou get one in a cheap Chinese watch that will be of the lowest grade, no lubrication, assembled in a rush, little chances that it will perform like a Japanese or Swiss one.

Industrial supply houses, such as MSC, sell drill rod. It is stocked in hundreds of different diameters. The most popular types of steel are "O" (oil hardening), "W" (water hardening), and "A" (air hardening). The water hardening rod is the least expensive and is generally used in applications where deformation due to heat treating is not an issue. Ironically this is the most common steel for watch staffs. This is probably due to the choice of material available at the time watches were first made and succeeding watch makers stayed with the tradition. Oil hardening rod is generally used for end mill cutters, reamers, drill bits etc. and cost more than the water hardening steel. Air hardening steel has the least amount of deformation, is the easiest to heat treat, and is the most expensive. It is used in applications where size and geometric deformation is a critical issue such as stamping dies. Of the three types I listed any of them can be and are used to make watch staffs. david

I just ran across this YouTube video by a German Watchmaker named Philclock. Since he is in Germany the lathe is called a VECTOR but it is actually the same lathe as the Sincere.

just hold the drill with your hand

The watch is certainly old and should look it, yes? It is a matter of preference, but I would try to clean the original insert as best possible and use that. J

The prehardened and tempered "blue steel" from watch supply houses is generally water hardening tool steel. The cost for a 6 foot length of the unhardened material in a similar diameter is only a few dollars. Six feet should be more than a lifetime supply for most watchmakers. david

good show. indexing and cutting (hobing). vin

I would keep as is, the (lovely) aged dial will not look right with a brand new insert.

Mark has done a video on replacing a crystal fitted with a tension ring (armoured crystal)

I would keep as is. Service and clean as good as you can. Maybe i would try to get the hands to look a little better. But you will never get that to look as good as new anyway. probably worth more if you keep as is. That is my opinion

Pity it doesn’t show the indexing and how it operates. Still thanks.

Ok, my jewelling reamers have a marked size in 10ths of a mm, measured size is 0.01-0.015 under, for a pressure fit Jewel diameter is marked as 200 (2.00mm), micrometer measures 2.000mm (vernier scale for 0 is on the top of the micrometer barrel, but spot on 0) Tom

There is usually a Hattori movement that is the same as the seiko movement. Have you checked if the 7123 movement works . Maybe the parts from that would work in a 7223?

I have a watch with a mid priced seagull movement in (costing around £40 odd pounds I think) The finish looks very good with geneve patterning. The positional variations are not to the standard of Eta or even the humble Seiko 7s26. But if you are regulating to an individual person as opposed to a general setting, it shouldn't be an issue. Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk

I cannot give estimates only advice. Your clock is what is known as a Longcase White Dial Clock with moon phase to give its correct name, also known as a grandfather clock. It dates from around the 1800’s up to around 1830, certainly not any later. It has an arch for the calendar and second hand. As I cannot see the movement, but I am sure, it is an 8-day movement with strike and it strikes on a bell. The case to me looks like it is mahogany and it has a good proportioned trunk (it hasn’t been cut down) What has happened to your clock will deprecate the value. Many clocks do not have their original key. 3 finials missing, these go astray more then I care to remember, they can be replaced but there is nothing like having the original. The missing key on the other hand could cause big problems. You need to find a reputable case maker, you never know he or she might have a key that fits, if not he or she must be able to replace the lock with a perfect one in size and it most not alter the fitting in any way.

Manually winding an automatic should be of no detriment to the watch at all if it has had regular servicing. Any vintage auto could develop problems from not being serviced and manually winding, If the automatic gears have seized due to old oil hardening or no oil at all causing the rotor to spin as you manually wind putting strain on the gearing. With autos I usually wind to the point of getting it running just a few turns of the crown then wear it as normal there should be no need to wind it fully via the crown.

When using your pivot file make sure, you leave a straight edge right in the corner not a rounded one. If you do this will cause poor fitting and the pivot might bind in the hole.