The Watch Snob Clarifies A Few Things For Readers

JLC

“Next time you glance at your Sinn while you’re driving your Camry to work, think about the Zenith annual calendar chronograph you could be wearing.“

The Watch Snob is in.

What Do Watch Ratings Mean?

Dear Snob,I was recently looking at watches at Sotheby’s and noticed some watches were referred to as“fine,” “very fine” or “rare.” What do these terms mean? How important are they to value?

To those who regularly participate in auctions of art, jewelry, timepieces or even (I’m told) comic books, these terms will be familiar. But, sadly, for most people, the closest they will get to an auction is bidding for slightly used hand tools on eBay, which is a veritable Wild West when it comes to quality ratings. To simplify the typical ratings used to grade wristwatches at auction, the terms, “fine,” “very fine” and “rare” directly correlate to how much money you can expect to part with.

A “fine” grade typically means a watch that shows some wear, scratches, oxidised hands or dial but is still in good condition and not abused, whereas a “very fine” watch is one that is as close to pristine as can be expected for a vintage timepiece. I hope “rare” speaks for itself, at least for native English-speaking readers. Some auction houses will even use “very rare” in special cases, and, if the appraisers are feeling particularly hyperbolic, I’ve seen “exceptionally rare” and “exceedingly important” used to describe certain unique pieces, which, of course, translates into hammer prices approaching the GDP of small countries.

The takeaway from these grading systems is that, despite the intentions of the auction houses to appear objective, they are, in the end, selling watches. Grading a wristwatch and assigning terminology to every hairline scratch, chipped crystal or limited-edition timepiece approaches a black art. Having said that, maintaining some standards of decorum is a noble pursuit, and these grades give a modicum of justification when husbands arrive home with an old watch for which they have paid tens of thousands of dollars.

Which Respectable Watch Equals Three Middling Ones?

Hi Snob,

Let me start by saying that this is not another “Which $2,000 watch should I buy” question. I actually don’t even have a question at all. Instead I just wanted to thank you for a granting me a certain level of horological enlightenment. Two years ago, I was beginning to be interested in the world of fine timepieces, and I wasn’t really sure where to start. I talked to a few people that I knew and I ended up buying a Tissot quartz chronograph. I thought it was great… And then I discovered your column.

I read and tried to absorb everything I could related to brand heritage, merits of certain movements and the best choices for people across all income levels. I am a man of somewhat meager means; however, over the past couple years, I think I have amassed a somewhat respectable collection of pieces highlighted by a Sinn 556, two NOMOS (a Club Automat and Tangente Datum) and a Grand Seiko Automatic. My choices have been and will continue to be highly influenced by your guidance and teachings, and for this I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for helping me avoid eternal damnation to the never-ending depths of Watch Knobbiness. Keep up the good work. Rest assured I’ll be reading.

Thank you for being an oasis in what is typically an otherwise horribly discouraging hour every week. For every letter like yours, there are dozens, nay, hundreds, of the other sort. I sometimes wonder if the unwashed masses even bother to read past columns before sending me the same question written 500 different ways. Needless to say, most of those questions never see the light of day.

While I congratulate you on your respectable, if safe, collection, may I point out that for the price of what you paid for that brace of watches, you could be wearing one piece that could really gain my admiration. I know some people prefer a variety of middling timepieces to one truly exceptional one, but next time you glance at your Sinn while you’re driving to work, think about the Zenith annual calendar chronograph you could be wearing. Keep reading.

As the closest person to a time lord here on Earth, what watch do you think The Doctor from BBC’s long-running Doctor Who series would wear?  As a fictional time lord from Gallifrey, The Doctor might go for a classic JLC Reverso or a Master Calendar, or perhaps a Patek perpetual calendar, to keep track of his time hopping. What would you recommend for him?

First of all, your assumption that I waste my free time watching the same populist drivel as you do offends me. Secondly, speculating about the timepiece choice of a fictional character is an utter folly that I would not deign to spend a second longer on than I do responding to such inanity. Do yourself a favour and get out in the sunlight for a change. It might do you some good.