Microbrand and Seiko NH35 movement

[desuty]

My watch was manufactured by a micro brand, that uses Seiko's NH35 movement. The watch had a hard 4-5ft fall on marble floor and it's been losing upwards of 2-3 minutes per day ever since. Now I've the option to ship this watch back to manufacturer under warranty, but since their service center is located overseas, the nightmare of letting this watch through customs forth-and-back has made me narrow down my choices to following options,

1. Either drop this micro brand watch at an authorized Seiko service center and hope that they would be able to fix this watch

2. Or drop this watch off at an independent watchmaker, with no access to authorized Seiko parts

Now I know you would recommend me to swap movement of this watch with a new NH35 movement - it's bit cumbersome since imports are flaky, given the pandemic, and besides cost of a new movement would not only void warranty on this watch but also wouldn't justify cost of this watch itself (considering import duties levied upon getting it shipped from China/Japan/Malaysia). 

I spoke to an independent watchmaker over phone and he seems to have indicated that there might be a "possibility" os something to do with balance spring. I'm a novice mechanical watch user - I have one question - should I turn in my watch to an independent watchmaker, knowing that they don't have access to authentic Seiko parts? Any other insights would be much appreciated as well ... and thanks for reading it so far along!

Edited January 11, 2021 by desuty

[desuty]

edit: I hear rumblings of two flat surfaces bashing together when I move my left wrist here-and-there with watch strapped on. It's like the sound of metal balls making sound with walls of a tight container they are confined into, if that makes any sense!

[Nucejoe]

1 hour ago, desuty said:

I spoke to an independent watchmaker over phone and he seems to have indicated that there might be a "possibility" os something to do with balance spring.

Ballance spring sound normally would have an "ing" to it. spring sounds like spring musical instruements.

Usually the regulating arm moves by shocks of a drop.

48 minutes ago, desuty said:

edit: I hear rumblings of two flat surfaces bashing together when I move my left wrist here-and-there with watch strapped on. 

Possibly damaged rotor bearing, sounds like rotor is rubbing on parts underneath it.

Do you have any plan to learn watch repair?

Welcome to the forum.

 

[JohnR725]

Out of curiosity where in the world you live?

I have a link below the Seiko watch as you call it is Seiko but it's their OEM division. That means basically all kinds of material houses can sell the movement. It also means the cost of the movement is cheap enough that you typically It may be cheaper just to replace the movement than try to service it or even find parts.

Watches really do not do well when dropped. They are shock protected but there's a limit of how far that can go. Usually what happens is the regulating components can move around. The other thing that can happen but typically this would speed up the watch is they hairspring will jump out of the regulator pins and things kinda get bunched together whether or not supposed to be.

If you're not worried about the warranty any competent watchmaker should be able to take the back off and tell you what's wrong with the watch.

15 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Possibly damaged rotor bearing, sounds like rotor is rubbing on parts underneath it.

Depending upon how the watch hit like the side of the case on the hard marble it's possible to break the rotor mechanism. This is back to the only way an assessment can be done is somebody needs to take the back off and look at the watch. It's possible that you've relocated the regulator arms and damaged the automatic weight. Which we really can't tell by guessing what the sound sounds like.

https://www.timemodule.com/en/product-and-download.php?list=1

 

[jdm]

4 hours ago, desuty said:

The watch had a hard 4-5ft fall on marble floor and it's been losing upwards of 2-3 minutes per day ever since. Now I've the option to ship this watch back to manufacturer under warranty

Sorry, the watch was dropped but the expectation is that it would be repaired under warranty? Hmmm...

Quote

1. Either drop this micro brand watch at an authorized Seiko service center and hope that they would be able to fix this watch

They won't fix anything not branded Seiko and sometime not even that.

Quote

2. Or drop this watch off at an independent watchmaker, with no access to authorized Seiko parts

Seiko does not limit parts access. Grand Seiko does, but that is another story.
Your SII mechanism, as explained above, uses the same parts as Seiko.

Quote

wouldn't justify cost of this watch itself (considering import duties levied upon getting it shipped from China/Japan/Malaysia). 

Your country post taxes every low value package from China? Mine doesn't, maybe because too many come in everyday. 

However your best option is to bring the watch to a shop which has a timegrapher, or invest in buying one, about 110USD. That will tell if regulation is enough or thjere is something majorly wrong. If the latter case then the best approach is indeed to buy a new NH mov.t for about USD26 inc. shipping. Replacing it is a quite simple job with about $20 tools, or you can give it to a local store.
You can then easily resell the machine and the "broken" mov.t if so you wish.
 

[watchweasol]

To give you an idea of what you are looking at I have attached the NH3 series manual for your interest.

6810_seiko nh3 series part sheet (1).pdf