Clock spring maybe too tight? Or has oil or lubricant on it?
Does the needle have friction on it? When you move it by hand and release it, it should have the elegance of a butterfly and move swiftly but gracefully to home and even bounce a bit with speed as it drops to the 0 peg.
The good news is the magnet poles can always be fixed
Maybe time for larger magnets and a video of what it’s doing
-s
