A full set is a watch offered together with the original boxes and papers it came with when new. In most cases, the original accessories raise a watch’s value or price. Complete sets are much harder to find for vintage watches than for recent ones.
What counts as box and papers?
Box and papers means the original items supplied with a watch at its first sale. A typical set includes the outer box, the booklet, the hang tag and the certificate. One dealer defines a full set as everything that could reasonably have been supplied with the watch when it was new. Only the maker’s original papers count. A service record does not, and nor does a seller’s own warranty. Some watches come with extras beyond a full set. These are items that were seldom issued with the watch, or that owners usually threw away.
What is the opposite of a full set?
The opposite of a full set is a ‘naked’ watch. It is sold on its own, without its original boxes, papers or accessories. A ‘head only’ sale goes further still. It means just the watch body, with no strap or bracelet. So a naked watch may still come on its strap or bracelet. A head-only watch is the watch body alone.
Does a full set prove a watch is genuine?
No. Accessories are much easier to fake than the watch itself, so a full set is no proof that a watch is genuine. Boxes and accessories can also be added to a watch later. Papers cannot, unless they are forged. A set that looks complete may therefore have been put together after the first sale. The box and papers are no substitute for checking the watch itself.
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