Collector's tools
Condition Grading Guide
Condition grades are shorthand, and shorthand hides disagreement. This guide compares what each term typically implies component by component, explains why sellers use these words differently, and offers a worksheet for writing an honest description instead of relying on a single word. Nothing here makes a value claim.
Comparison
What each grade typically implies
| Term | Case | Dial | Hands | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mint | No visible wear; sharp edges and engine turning intact | No hairlines, no fading, original finish throughout | Original finish, no re-blueing or pitting | As-new appearance; used inconsistently to also mean 'expertly restored to look new' |
| Excellent | Light handling marks only, no dents or repairs | Trivial imperfections only, legible and unrepainted | Original, minor wear consistent with age | Clean, running well, no obvious replaced parts |
| Very good | Visible wear consistent with genuine age and use | Minor hairlines or foxing; still clearly original | Original, some finish loss possible | Functional; small honest signs of servicing |
| Good | Noticeable wear, perhaps a minor dent or repaired lug | Visible wear, hairlines, possibly small chips | May include a plausible period replacement | Runs but likely needs service; some replaced parts possible |
| Fair | Significant wear, dents, or replaced glass/crystal | Notable damage, staining or partial loss of print | Mismatched or incorrect-period hands possible | May not run reliably; parts missing or substituted |
| Poor | Structural damage, missing parts, heavy corrosion | Major loss, cracking, or missing sections | Missing or clearly wrong replacements | Incomplete or non-functional; requires major intervention |
| Restored | Refinished or repaired with the work disclosed | Cleaned or conserved with the method disclosed | Replaced or re-blued, disclosed | Serviced or repaired, disclosed with date and scope |
| Over-restored | Original engine turning, hallmarks or sharp edges softened by polishing | Fully repainted, often with incorrect fonts or layout | Replaced with modern reproductions of the wrong finish | Parts refinished beyond what originality would show, or non-period parts fitted |
| Original | All original components, undisturbed since manufacture | Factory finish, no repainting or refinishing | Factory-fitted hands of the correct type | No parts substitution; consistent numbering and finishing |
| Partially original | Case original but one or more elements (crystal, crown, pins) replaced | Original dial with a later refinish of a single area, or vice versa | One hand replaced, others original | Mostly original with a documented replacement part (e.g. mainspring, staff) |
| Modified | Deliberately altered — re-shaped, engraved later, or re-purposed | Re-lettered, re-signed, or refashioned from another dial | Changed intentionally, often to a different style | Adapted, re-jewelled beyond original spec, or fitted to a different case type |
None of these terms is standardised across the trade, and none implies a value. They describe physical condition and originality only.
Why words differ
Auction houses, dealers and collectors don't agree
Auction houses
Catalogue language is written to satisfy legal description requirements and house style guides, which vary between firms. "Excellent condition" in one catalogue essay may map to "very good" in another's stricter internal scale.
Dealers
Retail listings are marketing copy as much as description, so grading language can skew optimistic. Two dealers describing the identical fault may choose very different words for it.
Collectors
Specialist collector communities often use stricter, more technical vocabulary focused on originality (matching numbers, unpolished cases, untouched dials) rather than cosmetic condition alone.
Because a single word can mean different things depending on who wrote it, a component-by-component description is more useful than any one grade — which is the purpose of the worksheet below.
Worksheet
Describe condition component by component
Component-by-component description worksheet
Describe each component separately rather than assigning a single overall grade. This worksheet runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
Generated description
Fill in the fields above to build a plain-text description here.