How does one break into the confusing, esoteric world of watch nerdery? Our column, “How to Be a Watch Guy,” aims to answer all your new watch guy questions, and help you navigate the always exciting — but sometimes intimidating, complicated and pricey — world of watches.
If terms like “NWA,” “GADA,” and “Fauxtina” leave you scratching your head, you’re not yet a full-blown “WIS.” What the hell does that mean? Don’t worry, you’ll soon be fluent in watch slang with the help of this handy reference guide.
For those new to the scene, the watch enthusiast community is welcoming (Editor’s Note: Is it, though?), but might sometimes feel like a foreign country complete with an associated linguistic barrier. The language of watches is vast and colorful, incorporating historical knowledge, technical terms, nicknames of Seiko and Rolex models, hashtags, acronyms and memes … even reference numbers of specific Rolex and Patek Philippe watches enunciated with relish by nerdy collectors.
Below is a glossary of basic terms that can loosely be called slang and which are mostly specific to watches, and especially the online watch communities of Instagram, Reddit and older forums. Arm yourself with a few of these and tackle your next watch meetup with confidence.
The Secret Language of Watch Enthusiasts
Action: Used to describe how satisfying it is to use a watch's bezel. If the movement is crisp and satisfying, then it's considered good action.
Example: The bezel on the Black Bay Fifty-Eight has the best action I've ever experienced.
AD: Abbreviation of “authorized dealer.” Authorized dealers have an official relationship with watch brands which allows them to offer manufacturer warrantees, but also entails certain limitations such as restrictions on pricing. Used in contrast to the many other options available to modern consumers for acquiring watches.
Example: My local AD got its Rolex license pulled for discounting older models down 15%.
Batman: Refers to a blue and black bezel on a GMT watch, specifically the Rolex GMT-Master II on an Oyster bracelet. The same watch on a Jubilee bracelet is referred to as a Batgirl. Similar use and origin as the more popular Pepsi further down.
Example: I prefer the Batman GMT to the Pepsi ’cause I like to think of myself as a superhero.
Beater: Any watch you don’t need to worry about getting scratched, damaged or even destroyed. Usually contrasted with more expensive watches that are pampered and saved for more formal and less rigorous situations.
Example: I can't belive you treat your Grand Seiko Snowflake as your beater, that thing is my grail.
Box and Papers: Denotes that a watch for sale includes the original box, sales receipt, warranty card and any service records. Interchangeable with the term "Full Set."
Example: I got an absolute steal on a Longines Legend Diver with box and papers.
Catch and Release: A watch that someone purchased intending to keep but ended up "not connecting" with, so they've listed it for sale.
Example: I really wanted to love the new Monta Skyquest but I just didn't connect with it, so it's a catch and release for me.
Correct: Denotes a watch, typically vintage or pre-owned, whose parts aren’t necessarily all from that exact example, but that all come from the exact same reference.
Example: Tim freaked out when he found out the handset on his Memovox was from a later reference and not correct for the E855.
Cyclops: A small, bubble-like magnifier some watchmakers (most notably Rolex) place on the crystal over the date window. A controversial design element, but one appreciated by presbyopics.
Example: Your old Sea-Dweller Double Red is cool and all, but I prefer the cyclops on my Sub.
Daily Driver: The reliable watch one wears every day.
Example: I save my Royal Oak for special occasions, my daily driver is a G-SHOCK.
Desk Diver: A dive watch not used for actual diving and instead worn by an office worker.
Example: Unfortunately I've got a bunch of desk diving marks on the clasp of my Doxa.
Destro: A watch for left-handed people and meant to be worn on the right wrist, with the crown on the left side.
Example: I can't decide if I should do the standard or destro crown on my Serica.
Fashion watch: Refers to watches with a primary function as a fashion accessory that are aimed at the general consumer rather than the enthusiast. Often the term is derogatorily applied to inexpensive watches by brands that don’t primarily make watches, or with a history of making other items, especially apparel. Typically quartz-powered and available to purchase in shopping malls and department stores.
Example: Walking past all those cheap fashion watches at the mall just makes me sad.
Fauxtina: Portmanteau of “faux” and “patina.” A weathered, aged or vintage look that’s been created artificially and intentionally applied to a product. Most often applied to lume.
Example: Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think the fauxtina on the NTTD Seamaster looks dope.
Flecto: Popular on Instagram, this word describes a beautiful reflection of light captured on a watch's crystal in a photograph.
Example: Great flecto in that shot of your Speedy!
Flipper: A person who buys watches specifically to resell them, ideally for profit. Can also be used to describe someone who frequently buys and resells watches either at cost or at a loss to feed their habit.
Example: What can I say, I'm a serial flipper.
Frankenwatch: A “Frankenstein watch.” In reference to second-hand and vintage watches, a watch that has been repaired or modified using parts not from the original watch — or even the original manufacturer — usually devaluing it in comparison to an all-original or even an all-“correct” (see above) example.
Example: It looked like such a cool find, but then it turned out to be a Frankenwatch when I opened up the case back.
GADA: Acronym meaning "Go Anywhere Do Anything." This term is used to describe watches that are versatile enough to wear in virtually any situation, meaning they're well-sized and comfortable, highly water-resistant, durable and have looks that are acceptable in both casual and dressy situations.
Example: I think the Aqua Terra is the best GADA watch out there.
Ghost(ed) Bezel: A once-dark bezel that has faded to gray and lost definition. Considered desirable.
Example: I can't wait 'til my bezel is ghosted in another 30 years.
Grail: The one watch an enthusiast would purchase if money were no object; an ultimate object of desire. Derived from "Holy Grail," this term is typically reserved for watches that are exceedingly expensive and/or unobtainable, though some will use the term more casually.
Example: An A-series Royal Oak is Jim’s grail, but he’s gonna have to settle for a G-SHOCK since he’s only 17.
Hammy: A Hamilton watch.
Example: I always wear my Murph to Denny's so I can get my Moons over my Hammy ... get it?
Homage Watch: A watch clearly designed to look like another watch but without copying the logo and branding. There is some controversy with the term, with some using it to describe watches loosely inspired by other (usually more expensive) watches and others using it to describe watches that are essentially clones of more famous watches but with their own unique branding that prevents them from being replicas.
Example: IF I were going to buy a Rolex homage, I'd obviously go Steinhart over Invicta.
In-house: Describes something — most often a movement — produced by the brand that sells it rather than something that’s sourced from an outside supplier. A premium is put on in-house movements, but there is debate over whether they are overvalued.
Example: Why are you worried about it having an in-house movement — did Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” have an in-house movement?
Lume: Abbreviation of “luminous” or “luminescent paint.” Refers to glow-in-the-dark material used to illuminate watch hands and indices for low-light legibility.
Example: The lume on your SKX is so bright I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.
Microbrand: A small, independent watch brand. Sometimes operated by one or a handful of people, these brands design their own watches and work with various partners to manufacture the watches on their behalf.
Example: I think the big Swiss brands could learn a thing about lume from microbrands.
Mod: The act of modifying a watch by adding third-party parts such as a new crystal, dial or bezel. Can be done by a third-party modder or on one's own as a project.
Example: I don't care, my Seiko 5 mod will always be my favorite watch.
NOS: Abbreviation of “new-old-stock.” Describes vintage or out-of-production watches that were never sold and remained as inventory in their original, unworn condition. Also applies to watch components.
Example: The watch may be 50 years old, but it’s NOS, so it's basically like I traveled back in time to buy it.
NWA: Acronym meaning "New Watch Alert" and often appearing as a hashtag. It's used to show off one's latest purchase, often via a wrist shot.
Example: Tissot PRX just landed, loving it so far! #NWA
Panda: A chronograph with a white dial with black registers that gives it the look of a panda. Reverse panda is used to describe the inverse.
Example: Did you see the new Baltic panda chronos? Straight fire.
Paneristi: Collectors of Panerai watches.
Example: Sylvester Stallone knows that he can call upon the Paneristi if he ever gets into a serious fix.
Patina: An aged, weathered look that results from an aging or exposed material. In watches, it can refer to luminous paint that has turned yellow with time (sometimes called "creamy" lume), a dial or hands that have changed color, or a bronze watch that has oxidized.
Example: That creamy patina on those puffy indices? Oof.
Pepsi: Usually “Pepsi bezel.” Similar use and origin to Batman above. The 24-hour bezel of a GMT watch that’s colored half-red, half-blue to signify daytime and nighttime hours. Originating with the Rolex GMT-Master but now also used to refer to any such colorway. (A Coke bezel is black and red.)
Example: Those old aluminum Pepsi bezels looks sick when they’re faded — the new ceramic ones will never look that cool.
Play: A reference to how much a watch bezel moves while locked into place. Ideally, a bezel should have little to no play.
Example: The bezel had pretty good action, but there was quite a bit of play.
Quartz crisis: An event beginning in the 1970s in which new technology nearly destroyed the traditional mechanical watch industry and indeed killed many prominent brands. The technology uses quartz crystals for timekeeping and batteries for power, resulting in mass-produced watches that are inexpensive but more accurate than mechanical watches. While a “crisis” for the watch industry, it can also be called the “quartz revolution.”
Example: Man, after the Quartz Crisis killed that brand, it should’ve stayed dead.
Real Watch: Used by those new to the hobby to mark their transition from a normal human to a watch enthusiast. The definition of a "real watch" (also: "serious watch" or "big boy watch") varies from person to person, but it generally implies a watch that is 1) mechanical, 2) from a respected brand and 3) costs more than a couple hundred dollars.
Example: Just picked up a Sinn 104 as my first real watch! How'd I do?
Rollie: A Rolex watch.
Example: I never wear my Rollie when traveling, that's just asking for trouble.
Service: The act of having a watch's movement repaired, cleaned and regulated by a professional.
Example: I just had my Seamaster serviced by Omega and it's like new again.
Shoes: A slang term for a watch strap.
Example: Just got some new shoes for my Seiko, really digging the look.
Sexpile: A bunch of highly desirable watches, grouped together usually on a table, generally so that their owners can take a picture of them. (No, really.)
Example: There I was, staring at a sexpile of other people’s vintage Pateks and wondering where I’d gone wrong in life.
Sharp: Describes a case that maintains its original, well-defined angles rather than those that have been dulled due to polishing.
Example: I was able to locate my Rollie among a sexpile of nearly identical watches because it was the only one that was unpolished and still sharp.
SOTC: Acronym meaning "State Of The Collection," usually accompanied by a photo of one's entire watch collection.
Example: My current SOTC is made up of two Seikos, a Hamilton, a G-SHOCK and my Speedy.
Strap Monster: A watch with a versatile design that looks good with a wide variety of straps.
Example: The Khaki Field is such a strap monster.
Speedy: An Omega Speedmaster.
Example: Decided to go with the Silver Snoopy for this Speedy Tuesday.
Tropical: Describes the brownish color that naturally occurs on some vintage black-dial watches after fading due to the ravages of time. Considered desirable.
Example: That Rolex 6542 with the tropical dial is insane.
Unpolished: Used to describe a vintage watch that has not had scratches on its case polished away, leaving it in its original and worn state. Considered desirable.
Example: I'm looking to sell an unpolished Universal Geneve Nina Rindt, serious inquiries only.
WIS: Watch Idiot Savant. Someone who knows way more than is normal or reasonable about watches. Used in a self-deprecating way in reference to oneself and fellow watch enthusiasts. Most often seen on older watch forums like Watchuseek or Rolex Forums as opposed to Instagram, Reddit and YouTube. Watchnerd is a similar, more modern term. (You are now on your way to becoming one.)
Example: I divorced my husband after he became a WIS and began referring to our children exclusively as reference numbers.
Wrist Check: When watch enthusiasts share with each other what watch they are wearing at the moment, usually reserved for those presenting to a wider audience, such as on a YouTube video or podcast.
Example: They forgot the wrist check on the podcast and now I can't sleep.
Wrist Roll: A video or gif that begins with a view of a watch on wrist, clasp side up, wherein the wearer then slowly rotates their wrist until the watch's dial is in full view. Works best with flat-link bracelets that "play with the light." Generally pointless with straps. Derided by many, particularly if the video is painstakingly slow.
Example: I don't usually do wrist rolls, but I couldn't help it with the Christopher Ward Twelve.
Wrist Shot: A picture of a watch being worn on the wrist, often for posting on social media.
Example: I quit my job and now just post wrist shots to Instagram full-time.
WRUW: Acronym meaning "What Are You Wearing." Asked at the start of a forum thread as a call to others to show off whatever watch they're wearing that day.
Example: WRUW for July 4? Some sort of Pepsi bezel?
WTS/WTB/WTT: These three acronyms appear in the titles of sale threads on forums and stand for the following: Want To Sell, Want To Buy, Want To Trade. They're an easy way to determine the purpose of a sale post at a glance when you're looking to buy, sell or trade a watch. These terms are common on Reddit, while some older forums use FS (For Sale), FT (For Trade) and FSOT (For Sale Or Trade).
Example: [WTS/WTT] Zenith Chronomaster Sport, excellent condition.
