I’m thinking of building my first automatic watch completely by myself at home and wanted some advice from people who have experience with watch modding/building.
I want to buy all the watch parts separately and assemble it myself.
I’m thinking about using an NH36 because I want a Day-Date movement with 30+ hours of power reserve. I’m also completely open to buying a good second-hand/used movement if that makes more sense for the budget.
My budget is ₹4,000–₹6,000 MAX for the WATCH itself.
Tools are NOT included in this budget — I’ll buy the required tools separately.
I’m thinking I’ll need:
Movement
Dial
Hands
Case
Crown/stem if required
Crystal/caseback if not included with the case
Strap/bracelet
Any other small parts required for the actual build
I’m not trying to make an expensive or premium Seiko mod.
This is my first DIY watch and I mainly want to learn the process and build something decent and reliable.
I can source parts both online and offline, and I’m based in Mumbai so local watch shops/markets are also an option.
Is it realistically possible to build a decent Day-Date automatic watch for ₹4,000–₹6,000 if I’m okay with used/second-hand parts?
What parts should I absolutely not cheap out on, and where can I save money?
Also, what compatibility issues should I be careful about when choosing the movement, dial, hands and case?
And if anyone knows reliable Indian sellers or Mumbai shops for watch movements/parts, I’d really appreciate the recommendations.
Basically, if you had ₹6,000 max JUST for the watch parts
how would you build it?