The Rad Score
One number, one to five, describing the physical condition of a watch. Lower is better. It is read from close photographs against a fixed rubric, with the case, bracelet, dial, crystal and bezel graded separately and the reasons written out in plain language.
Collectors have always graded condition. They have almost never graded it the same way twice. The Rad Score exists so that two pieces in two different cases, owned by two people who have never met, are described against the same standard.
Five grades
Presents as it left the manufacture. Factory finishing unbroken — brushing continuous, polished bevels uninterrupted. Protective film may be present. No contact marks under angled light.
Worn sparingly and carefully. Edges and bevels remain crisp. At most a small number of superficial marks visible only under direct light. No dents, no polishing, no correction work.
Regularly worn and well kept. Light swirling on polished surfaces, hairlines on the bracelet, expected clasp wear. Original finishing geometry intact; no damage, no loss of definition.
Honest, visible wear. Softened edges, scattered contact marks, possible light dings or crystal scratches. Everything functions and presents correctly, but the case tells its history plainly.
Heavy or careless wear, or evidence of correction: over-polishing, mismatched finishing, deep marks, damage to the crystal, dial or bezel. Serviceable, but condition materially affects value.
The value factor is what the grade contributes to a valuation: the reference baseline for that model, multiplied by condition, multiplied by completeness.
Box and papers
A full set is worth measurably more than the same watch alone. The Vault applies a second, smaller multiplier for what came with it.
Six photographs
A grade is only as good as what it can see. These six frames produce a reliable read; fewer than three and the Vault will tell you the confidence is low rather than guess.
Square to the crystal, diffuse light, no flash. This is the reference frame for everything else.
Light across the surface rather than into it. Raking light is the only way swirl, hairlines and softened bevels become visible.
Close, from above and from the side. Over-polishing shows here before anywhere else.
Held open. Stretch, edge wear and clasp scratching carry real weight in the grade.
Angled so a light source reflects off it. Scratches that vanish head-on appear immediately.
Also where the serial usually lives on modern pieces. Screwdriver marks tell a service story.
Limits, stated plainly.
A photograph cannot confirm that a dial is original, that a movement matches the case, or that a watch is genuine. Anything questionable is raised as an observation, never as a verdict.
Valuations in the Vault are estimates from a maintained reference table adjusted for condition and completeness. An insurer or a court wants an independent appraisal, and you should get one.
Timekeeping, amplitude, water resistance and movement condition cannot be read from the outside. Only a watchmaker can tell you those.
You can override any grade the Vault produces. Your number is what the record keeps — the analysis stays alongside it so anyone reading can see both.