When I was looking and searching through the pre-owned watch market, I saw several watch listings that were in “BNIB” condition. At first, I was confused and had no idea what that meant, but after I looked through plenty of watches in “BNIB” condition and did my own research, I finally understood what BNIB meant for luxury watches.
A watch in “BNIB” condition means the watch is “brand new in box”. A BNIB watch is in perfect condition and generally comes with tags, documentation, and original packaging, which makes it the highest condition on the watch grading scale.
In the rest of this article, I’m going to dive deeper into how “BNIB” compares to other watch conditions, what BNIB watches come with, and my thoughts about watches in BNIB condition.
What’s The Difference Between “BNIB” and “LNIB” Watch Conditions?
“BNIB” means “brand new in box” while “LNIB” means “like new in box”. While both usually include documentation, tags, and packaging, LNIB watches will show minimal signs of wear with very minor blemishes, while BNIB watches have no scratches or signs of wear at all.
Personally, as I looked through watches in LNIB and BNIB condition, I couldn’t really see a massive difference. Watches in LNIB condition honestly looked as if it was brand new and I had to zoom into the pictures to see minor blemishes on it. And when I say minor blemishes, I mean VERY minor blemishes. It was hardly noticeable.
As for price point, LNIB watches and BNIB watches were priced pretty much the same. As I was looking on websites like “theluxurywell” and eBay, I saw listings from watch brands like Bremont, Jaeger LeCoultre, and Omega, and the watches in BNIB and LNIB condition looked pretty much the same with LNIB being just slightly lower in price.
How Does “BNIB” Compare To Other Watch Conditions?
Since watches in “BNIB” condition is in perfect condition and generally come with tags, documentation, and original packaging, BNIB watches are at the top of the watch grading scale and are better than any other watch condition. Because of this, BNIB watches are more expensive than other pre-owned watches.
The tags on a BNIB watch signify that the watch has never been worn, the documentation that comes with a BNIB watch gives authentication that the watch is real, and the original packaging shows that the watch is fresh from the manufacturer. While watch conditions beneath BNIB may include these, they are not guaranteed like luxury watches in BNIB condition.
When I was looking on the vast pre-owned watch market on eBay and other websites, I found that every single watch that’s BNIB has the three key indicators that keep them in the best condition possible: tags, documentation, and original manufactured packaging. Since these BNIB watches had all of these, it increased the price of them significantly, which is to be expected with anything brand new.
Watch conditions under “BNIB” (in correct order) are:
- LNIB
- Mint
- Near Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Fair
- Poor
- Scrap
From “LNIB” to “excellent”, watches may show some very slight signs of wear and may have some tiny blemishes or scratches throughout the watch. These watches are not too far behind “BNIB” condition, but are less valued and priced lower since they do show signs of wear. As I looked on the pre-owned watch market, watches from “LNIB” to “excellent” still looked great and were priced lower than “BNIB” watches.
From “very good” to “fair” condition, luxury watches show obvious signs of wear and have scratches, nicks, and dents on the watch. These watches are priced much lower than BNIB watches on the pre-owned watch market because of how often they’re used.
And from “poor” to “scrap” condition, luxury watches are worn out, abused, and have deep scratches, dents, and nicks. Also, watches in poor condition generally have difficulties keeping time, which places them at the bottom of the watch grading scale and substantially less valued than a BNIB watch.
When I compared watches in poor condition to a BNIB on the pre-owned luxury watch market, it was a night and day difference. Even though they may be a substantially lower price, the watches I saw in poor condition just looked much worse than a BNIB watch. There are so many scratches and dents on the watch, and it didn’t look appealing at all, while a watch in brand new condition looks so clean.
BNIB Watches: My Thoughts And Opinions
Personally, I think that “BNIB” watches are great purchases for those who have a larger budget and are looking for a really nice timepiece that will last for years and years. The Panerai pictured above was my first BNIB watch ever, and I am extremely happy with it: this watch has lasted for years after testing it and wearing it.
With a BNIB watch, you won’t have to worry about the watch being fake or having scratches all over the case and band. With a brand new watch, you are guaranteed to have a timepiece that looks like it came straight out of the factory. The only real thing you might have to worry about is its overall price since watch sellers do mark them up for being brand new.
And on top of that, brand new watches usually come with a warranty against factory defects that lasts a couple of years, which means that if you do find anything flawed with its design or movement, then they can get it fixed. With pre-owned watches, it is often rare to have a warranty that comes with them, but with brand new watches, they are much more prevalent.
For me, if I were to get a watch in BNIB condition, I would want to get a really nice-looking Seiko or Hamilton. The reason why I didn’t say one of the more well-known or popular watch brands is because my budget is low right now and I want to save more money so I can buy a more well-known watch in the future. In addition, going after a more affordable watch brand will help me grow my watch collection.
Watches in brand new condition can range anywhere from $200 or less from an affordable alternative brand to thousands of dollars from the most popular luxury watch brands in the world. If you’re really wanting a watch in BNIB condition, I’m sure you can find one that you love that fits your budget, whatever number it may be, if you look hard enough.