Discussion of the terms NOS and Mint....or Minty...is a frequent occurrence in my world...the pocket watch world. It leads to many heated discussions and probably even fist fights. These terms are very over used on eBay, the auction world and in every market. Anybody who believes this terminology in an online ad or who trusts an anonymous online seller who uses these terms should have his or her head examined.

There are very few NOS or Mint vintage watches. "New Old Stock", to me, means a watch in all of its original packaging....perhaps with the seals split...with all of its tags and manuals and other accompaniments....which is just as it would have been in stock at a dealer.....before it was ever sold. "Mint" is different. A mint watch does not need to have all of its accompaniments but it needs to be pristine, with no signs of use and no scratches....at all...and no signs of even the most minor accidental wear. Coin dealers/collectors understand this.

For me there is very little flexibility about this, as in the coin world. I never trust these terms in ads. I have been collecting and buying and selling for 35 years plus. I have owned thousands of watches. A couple of them have been really NOS or Mint. These are really special watches and they don't exist in great numbers.

JohnCote