Drop-in resolution
Seiko NH35 (TMI NH35A) vs Seiko 6R15: do they swap?
Whether the Seiko NH35 (TMI NH35A) and Seiko 6R15 share a case, and what changes if you move between them.
Close in diameter, not a drop-in. The Seiko NH35 (TMI NH35A) (27.40 mm x 5.32 mm) and Seiko 6R15 (27.40 mm x 5.25 mm) are near in size but differ in height, dial feet or layout, so moving between them means a new dial, hands and often a case adjustment.
The Seiko NH35 (TMI NH35A) is the default modding and microbrand automatic, hacking and hand-winding at low cost. The Seiko 6R15 is the predecessor of the 6R35, a date automatic in earlier Prospex and Presage models.
They differ in height (5.32 mm vs 5.25 mm). Larger than the Swiss core at 27.40 mm, so it will not drop into a case cut for a 25.60 mm ETA. It is the unbranded version of the Seiko 4R35 and shares that caliber's footprint and stem.
Matching diameter and height is necessary but not sufficient. A donor is only a true drop-in when the dial-foot positions, hand-hole sizes, stem length and calendar layout also match. Two movements can share a case and still need a new dial, re-broached hands or a cut-to-length stem.