Glossary · Collecting

Object ID documentation

A standardised identification record for a cultural object.

Explanation

ICOM's Object ID standard combines photographs and a short description with nine information categories: object type, materials and techniques, measurements, inscriptions and markings, distinguishing features, title, subject, date or period, and maker. It is intended to assist identification and recovery, including after theft. For a watch, distinguish movement numbers from case numbers and record unknown authorship honestly. Keep the documentation securely; it is not a certificate of authenticity, ownership, market value or mechanical condition.

Diagram

Schematic: case construction. General arrangement only: identification records must describe the actual object and distinguish unexamined components.

Photographic reference

Daniel Quare clock-watch, ca. 1690 — Met 17.190.1496a, b — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917, Public domain — Met API isPublicDomain flag. Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue

A front view of Quare's clock-watch identifies the exterior of Met 17.190.1496a, b but does not document hidden surfaces.

Cross-references

Nearby collecting terms

Movement serial number: A number stamped on the movement by its maker.
New old stock (NOS): Unused original parts or watches from period stock.
Original box and papers: Period packaging and documentation supplied with a watch.
Original condition: The state of an object as it left the maker, with no later alteration, replacement or refinishing.
Original dial: A dial believed to retain its factory finish.