The permanent magnet within the gauge.
Seriously. Get one. Bring it near the CRT. The image will distort. Take it away, the image will, gradually, repair itself. This can suprise people. I saw a friend with a screwed up computer monitor. I pointed out, their large speakers were too close, and would eventually permanently damage the CRT display. They moved them apart right away, they hadn't known the reason why the display was affected.
But you can test it, for yourself, as much as you need to, until you understand.