How about a list of unusual phrases used to discribe a watch listed in an auction. The one that really gets me is "Invisible Hairlines". Is that like an invisible dent in the fender of your car? If it's invisible how do you see it?

Anyone have some others they would like to add?

Steve

One of my favorites is "not running overwound"

"MINTY" Is it peppermint or spearmint?

"I can wind it but it does not set the time so I am selling as-is". Many times that's a good sign so long as the don't try to open it with a cold chisel!

The round knob on the top spins but nothing moves...so I'm selling 'as is'....

"Railroad pocket watch" with a 7-jewel movement.

I'm waiting to see this one:

"Once owned by the original owner!"

Roger

My favorite is, Mint condition for it's age....

That idiotic term "Minty" irritates me so badly that I usually write the seller to tell them that it's not a word. Waste of time, right?

I don't have a catchy phrase, but I hate the ones where they have to write a 4 page history, of every watch ever made, before they say it's an old watch! AND THAT'S IT!!!

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I like it when someone gives a total description of a watch, and then they say, they did not have time to check it for accuracy.
Brian C.

How about "Not running needs batteries". I even saw one Ebay auction that a jeweler was putting on for a keywind watch,where he stated "This watch was cleaned,serviced,and adjusted,by our watchmaker,and SHOULD run,but we do not have a key to wind it,so it is being sold as is". I wonder how they "adjusted" it without it running.

Let's not forget the sellers who announce their NAWCC membership, but fail to put the size of the watch anywhere in the listing.

I saw this one just last night; "Runs great, but the mainspring is broken...." duh...!

Sorta like those two blondes found frozen in the local drive-in movie....they stoped in to see "Closed for the Winter"....

I agree with Cecil, the term "overwound" not running.That has to be the all-time stupidest one yet, but it's used all the time!

How about "The GUTS really look neat but we couldn't make the wheels keep turnin".

How bout the ones who are selling grandfathers watch....

Along with overwound...overbanked.

"I wound it and it runs but I don't have a key for it." (Probably used their trusty little pliers )

Just for fun, I did an Ebay search using "grandfathers pocketwatch". Amazingly, I found the mother load of grandfathers watches. Literally. One can never tell, but I sometimes have a sneeky feeling that the seller may be counting on a buyers human inclination towards wanting to get something for nothing. I would have at least copied what I could read off the dial. Nice touch with "bid on these as if they were junk"

http://cgi.ebay.com/Grandpas-P...7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

I am personally fond of the 'haunted watches' that are sold on a regular basis on ebay. THAT'S the best sales pitch for a watch that I've ever seen, and it always seems to work!

Here's a REAL duzy!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Haunted-po...7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Or this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-HA...7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

That last one is a real head scratcher. I bet Gruen didn't know they had so much going for (or against) a watch when they made it!
Regards! Mark

Hey Mark, on the first one, the very first line reads:
"Due to a high number of unpaid winning bidders, I have had to increase my automatic bidding requirements and restrictions"

D'you suppose his 'Haunted Watch' auctions are attracting a lot of 'Phantom' bidders

Ok .... I'll go crawl quietly back under my stone again

John

It's interesting how many sellers include photos that are out of focus, or use a number of pictures that are only a fragment of the watch because they don't really want you to see what the entire watch looks like. Of course that could backfire on them if they don't really know what they have. And it's always interesting to see the swiss fakes that people try to sell as high grade railroad watches, perpetuating the ruse after these many years.

My only regret is that I didn't think of that. Also,I don't know if it would actually be considered a haunting,but my conscience would sure bother me,if I tried a sales pitch like that.

Doesn't seem to bother many, Cecil, as there's always at least 2 or 3 auctions up at any given time with these 'haunted' watches....and SOMEONE has to be buying them to keep them doing that!

Regards! Mark

I don't understand how someone could submit this....Is it a watch or a stain in the carpet?

Steve

"This watch has minor problems which easily can be fixed" !!

or even better:

"After oiling it will run great"

Gerald

"I think it has a broken spring, you can wind it all day and nothing happens."

Hey Steve. They can vacume it up, slap some postage on it, and send it off.

Here is one I just came across:

"the watch is not running but the movement all works."

Steve

I saw this today.

The watch is being sold as is: It’s a very worthwhile project watch that’s running in the face up position as I write. Face down it runs and stops. It comes with a period key.

Here is the picture. Neat trick,running like this.

The balance assembly wasn't simply removed,it was torn from the hairspring anchor,which is still on the watch.

Civil War serial number. Watch may have some good parts.
Brian C.