COMPLETE PRICE GUIDE TO WATCHES

First published in the 1970s, the Complete Price Guide to Watches was created by Cooksey Shugart, Tom Engle, and Richard E. Gilbert to fill a significant void in the hobbyist market for a standardized, comprehensive reference. At a time when horological collecting was transitioning from a niche pursuit into a professionalized investment field, the authors sought to provide a systematic methodology for identifying, dating, and valuing timepieces from across the globe, ranging from early American pocket watches to complex European chronometers.

The design of the guide prioritizes utility, utilizing a dense, encyclopedic format that pairs detailed technical descriptions with iterative pricing updates. Over the decades, the authors and their successors meticulously refined the cataloging process, focusing on clarity for auction house experts and amateur enthusiasts alike. While the annual release cycle occasionally drew criticism regarding the volatility of the secondary market, the publication remains widely regarded as a foundational resource for establishing baseline market values in the watch collecting community.