How does a pocket watch receive a star rating

Hi,How does a pocket watch receive a star rating and is this the only rating system there is.Thanks RJB.

[Kent]

Hi rjbeck:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

A pocket watch receives a star rating when somebody declares it to be so. If enough people respect that person's opinion, the rating may actually come to mean something.

However, defining a star in vague terms, such as "Rare" (which is so over-used on a popular auction website as to be totally meaningless) or "Sparse," without actually providing a specific quantity, results in a system that is useless.

Also, beware of rarity expressed in terms of known surviving examples. Although this may be meaningful to experts in discussing the limited production of watches that have been highly researched over decades, it cannot be widely applied to watches that nobody has really been keeping track of. For example, there may be only a handful of known surviving examples of a 23-jewel, 16-size, Eaton Interocean grade pocket watch. However, the small number of people actually looking for these, over so small of a period (about eight years), may simply mean that we just haven't seen the majority all yet.

[terry hall]

In many instances the star rating appears arbitrary....

For instance...

Hamilton 992E... it has one star..

By definition in the 2007 Shugart... page 102

"uncommmon - 2500"....

Hamilton allocated over 60,000 serial numbers for this grade...

I believe I have observed and recorded examples in most of the serial number block....

So tell me .... where did the 2500 come from?

And there are many more examples that go the other way... like Kent mentioned above....


.

Thanks alot,You guy's have a great website.RJB

[rschussel]

I would like to offer a slighly different view.

While there are problems with the star rating system in Shugarts Price Guide it is often very helpful. In the 12 size section of the book I have had to fix inaccuracies that often existed due to Railroad Collectors/dealers providing 12 size input . At one time the 12size South Bend Studebaker had a star even though it was showing up on ebay once a week.As more knowledgable 12 size collectors became involved problems such as this one was resolved.


Yes there are still problems such as the thin size Hampdens having a star. In addition even though higher grade watches often had low production they were more likely to have been kept/put away.

Yes the rating can be manipulated. There are dealers and collectors who want to jack the prices up and try to game the system. Conversely and a more difficult problem are those who don't want to share their knowledge.
Yes it costing me more today because I shared this knowledge. I would bet that the 12 size section of the Price Guide is a better reflection of production than other size watches.

Bob Schussel

[terry hall]

Bob,

your view is not as different than you think...

look at the example I gave versus the 12 size studebaker you give...

many have offered suggested 'corrections' for the past few years... but it seems to be very difficult to instill a change, even with documentation... confusing listings, models whose existance is 'doubtful' at best, etc...

i personally do not actively research/collect 12 size watches, but do appreciate the efforts of those that do. if you were able to instill changes, ....

I agree some things can be manipulated... or there is the appearance of this by subsequent actions in the market...


main thing... use it as a guide... not a 'bible'...