At the begining of 2010, I decided that I would create a section of OnTheDash that could serve as something between a "blog" and a series of "FAQ"s. Some five months later, I have only posted a couple of items there, but tonight I decided to gather some ideas from a previous discussion that we had a few months ago, about thr various definitions of "New Old Stock" and "Mint", and post them in this section of OnTheDash.

Accordingly, you can view some thoughts about the meaning of "NOS" and "Mint" here -- http://www.onthedash.com/thoughts.shtml#NOSandMint.

I have also "pasted" these thoughts below.

All this was based on a discussion here, in October 2010. Chime in with any new ideas or "war stories".

Jeff

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Definitions of “New Old Stock” and “Mint”
(posted June 5, 2010)

I have recently received an interesting e-mail message, posing the question of exactly what is – and what is not – this elusive “New Old Stock” that we hear so much about. Drawing on a previous discussion on our Chronocentric vintage Heuer discussion forum, I responded with my definition of a "New Old Stock" and "Mint".

Realizing that opinions (and values) may vary considerably, let me put forth my definitions of “NOS” and “Mint”, as they relate to vintage watches. Under my definition, a watch could be described as “New Old Stock” if:

1. the watch is comprised of the parts with which it was originally manufactured, with no replacement of any parts, and
2. the watch has never been worn, except for a customer to try it on, in the dealer showroom, or for the owner to try it on, without wearing it for an extended period.

Related to all this is the definition of a watch as being in “Mint” condition. It is important to note that, whereas “NOS” refers to whether or not a watch has been worn, “Mint” refers to the physical condition of a watch (without regard to whether or not it has been worn). Under my definition, a watch could be described as being in “Mint” condition if:

1. the watch is comprised of the parts with which it was originally manufactured, with no replacement of any parts, and
2. the watch is in the same physical condition as when it left the factory, with no refinishing, reluming or restoration.

According to these definitions of “NOS” and “Mint”:

• Ownership does not Affect NOS Status. A New Old Stock watch may have moved from one dealer to the other, or even from one owner to another, and so it may have been bought and sold a few times . . . changes in ownership do not effect a watch’s status as being “NOS”.
• Trying it on Versus Wearing the Watch. A New Old Stock may have been for someone to “try it on”, but when it is worn for anything more than this sort of test, then it loses its NOS status. In other words, when an owner or dealer straps it on his wrist and walks out the door, the watch is no longer a “new” watch.
• Servicing does not Affect Status. After sitting on the retailer's shelf for a long time (or in the owner’s drawer), the watch may require servicing in order to run well (fresh oil, etc.). My view is that the watch would still qualify as NOS, even after this servicing, so long as no parts are replaced during this servicing. For example, if lume on the dial was re-touched or replaced, or if the gasket was replaced, it would not be NOS.
• Assembled from NOS Parts or “Put Together” NOS. A watch may be assembled (i.e., “put together”) from new, never used parts, in which case the watch could be described as newly or recently “assembled from New Old Stock parts". The key here is that the watch has been assembled by someone other than the watch factory, and usually many years after the original era of the watch; this should be noted in any description of the watch. Most collectors would also require that the parts be from the original era of the watch, rather than “service” parts produced for the manufacturer some years later.
• ”Mint” is Different.The description of a watch as being in “mint” condition is entirely different from describing it as “New Old Stock”. The description of a watch as being in “mint” condition is a description of the watch’s physical condition (i.e., that the watch is in the same condition as when it left the factory). So the watch may have been worn, and if it remains in perfect condition after being worn, it can be described as “mint”; but once it is worn, it as not NOS. So we do see watches that are in “mint” condition, but not NOS.
• ”Restored” or “Refinished” is not “Mint”. Just as we have the category of “assembled from NOS parts” (as described above), we can have a watch that has been worn, and has shown signs of this wear (for example, nicks and scratches on the case), but has been refinished / restored so that it appears to be in original condition. This watch should not be described as being in “mint condition”, as it is not the way that it left the factory (or as it left the “mint”, if it were a coin). Such a watch could be described as “restored to mint condition” or “refinished to mint condition”. A watch can have gotten some dirt or dust on it, and had this removed, without affecting its status as being in “mint” condition after this gentle cleaning.

Perhaps the key to all this is that different collectors and dealers may use the terms “NOS” and “Mint” in different ways, and that transactions in vintage watches will be more successful if the buyer and seller go beyond one-word descriptions of vintage watches and communicate clearly about the condition and history of a watch.