Vintage case tubes and washers are somewhat generic items. I have
wasted spent much of the day looking for such items.
what
@JimInOz remarks on applies more to the modern watches. It is an irritating issue. Then again too many people are wanting to game the system. Even trusted heritage department employees. In some ways I am guilty of this myself putting together a 2577 rat-watch out of my junk and other ebay parts. In my case I could have bought a complete one for less that the cost of the parts (some of which I have had over 30 years.)
There are movements afoot to call for right to repair access to such things. It does get frustrating that one has to resort to online auctions. where they either sell used worn out parts or split the packages up and greedy sell the items one at a time. The old materials houses are sitting on decades of stuff (pre 2015 or so) yet there is no real way for them to sort through it. The thing is if the houses can not get the parts the customers want, then they might as well simply close their doors and landfill the junk no one wants.
Watchmaking has always been highly competitive. Curiously when one looks at the history of trades and tariffs. Luxury items like clocks and watches are high on the list. Just after booze, tea and coffee. This makes watches as a method of moving wealth an easy target for regulation.
Capitalism was about building a better product than your neighbor, and letting them starve. Monopolyisim is about destroying your neighbors business and putting them in jail. Communism is about stealing your neighbors business, and giving them your leftover food. Somehow like it or not we are stuck with the -isims. They all have good and bad things and for the most part are much the same and all fall under the term Socialism.
To fix this you really need to write your elected representative (Or bribe your local fixer.) to get "Right to repair" laws passed.
