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The Berg Score is LumeBerg's proprietary composite metric for evaluating aviation watch references. It synthesizes multiple dimensions of market intelligence into a single 0–100 reading.

"A high Berg Score does not constitute investment advice. It constitutes good taste."

Heritage Velocity measures the rate at which a reference's historical significance translates into market premium. References with documented military service, original manufacturer provenance, or connection to significant aviation milestones score highest.

We track heritage premium acceleration across three time horizons: 90-day, 1-year, and 5-year. References showing consistent heritage premium growth across all three windows receive the highest velocity scores.

"Heritage cannot be manufactured. It can only be recognized — usually too late."

The Turbulence Index quantifies price volatility and market uncertainty for each reference. High turbulence indicates rapid price swings, speculative activity, or significant bid-ask spread widening.

"Turbulence is not the enemy. Turbulence without conviction is the enemy."

Cockpit Legibility evaluates the functional design integrity of each reference. This is not merely an aesthetic score — it measures how well a watch fulfills its original purpose as a pilot's instrument.

Factors include: dial contrast ratio, lume quality and longevity, hand proportions, minute track precision, crown operability with gloves, and anti-reflective coating effectiveness.

"A watch you cannot read at altitude is not a pilot watch. It is jewelry with aspirations."

The Forum Hype Index tracks social sentiment velocity across major watch communities. It measures mention frequency, sentiment polarity, and discussion depth for each reference.

High forum hype is not inherently negative — but divergence between Forum Hype and Berg Score often signals speculative froth. When hype exceeds fundamentals by more than 30 points, we flag the reference for elevated crosswind risk.

"Forum hype outpaced fundamentals. The correction was not a surprise to anyone reading the instruments."

LumeBerg operates in two distinct data modes, clearly labeled throughout the platform:

"We do not claim to have built an official market index. We claim to have built the most beautiful way to look at one."

Airworthiness is our assessment of a reference's long-term viability as a collectible and functional timepiece. It considers movement serviceability, parts availability, brand service network quality, and case construction durability.

References from manufacturers with in-house movements and strong service infrastructure score highest. Discontinued calibers with limited parts availability receive airworthiness deductions.

"Airworthiness is the long game. A watch that cannot be serviced in 20 years is not an investment. It is a paperweight with a story."