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NOS . . . What Does It Really Mean ? ? ?
In Response To: Buy the seller, not the watch !!! ()

The questions that you pose have also been a source of puzzlement (and entertainment) for me. The first so-called NOS watch that I bought was a 1153 Carrera. When my watchmaker opened it, he reported that it had two watchmaker marks, from previous service jobs. So doubtful that the "NOS" description meant anything at all for this watch.

My first encounter with the term came from my days of owning a 1971 de Tomaso Pantera. You could find NOS parts for this car, and you pretty much knew what it meant. An "NOS" part or instrument meant that it was still in the box, and had never been installed in a car. Of course, with car parts, it is pretty easy to tell the difference between the NOS oil filter and the one that has just been used for a couple of days . . . with watches, it is much more difficult to see whether there may have been just a little bit of use / wear.

My own definition for an NOS watch would be that the watch has never been worn (except maybe to try it on, in the dealer showrooom). It may have been shipped from the factory to the dealer, and then moved from one dealer to the other, and even been bought and sold a few times, but when it goes onto the wrist of a buyer, then I would suggest that it loses the NOS status.

It's interesting that we see so many watches called "NOS", but never called "near NOS". We do see some "near mint" pieces, but rarely are they called "mint". All this seems to be a bit of a jumble when we are mixing adjectives from the worlds of coins, car parts and watches.

Abel has given us the best advice -- you are buying the seller, as much as the watch.

Just for fun, the wikipedia entry on New Old Stock is shown below.

Jeff

From wikipedia:

    New old stock (abbreviated NOS) are old parts for obsolete equipment that have never been sold at retail.

    The term refers to merchandise being offered for sale which was manufactured long ago but that has never been used. Such merchandise may not be produced anymore, and the new old stock may represent the only market source of a particular item at the present time.

    Although not an officially recognized accounting term, it is in common use in the auction and retail industries. For example, owners of antique vehicles seek NOS parts from specialized vendors that are needed to keep their automobiles, motorcycles, or trucks operational or in factory-original condition. eBay uses the term on their auction website.

    Another example is a business catering to vacuum tube enthusiasts that defines NOS as, any stocked item which is either A: out of production; B: discontinued from the current line of product; C: has been sitting on a stockroom or warehouse shelf for some time; or D: any combination of the above.

    While damage to the original packaging is common, damage to its contents is generally not acceptable in determining if an item is NOS, as it should be presentable in the same form as when new.

    Some people refer to such merchandise as new obsolete stock to further indicate that the parts have not been manufactured for several years. This describes parts that are used in obsolete equipment or the like.

    Other people refer to new original stock meaning that they are original equipment parts that remained in inventory for a use that never came. Automobile dealers and parts companies often sell such slow moving stock at a discount. Other specialty parts vendors then market these NOS parts that may either decline or increase in value depending on their type and desirability.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: Hello Rich,

: You touch a very interesting topic here.

: My experience is that most of the sellers around (not all ofcourse)
: have pretty low standards and use the word NOS very fast.

: I have one golden rule I always try to follow...when buying a
: valuable watch always go for quality and not cheap pricing.

: Buy the seller, not the watch!! It's all about honesty and
: confidence.

: Cheers,
: Abel.

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