"as" followed by "adjective"

In the sentences like these:

I thought of my new watch as crippled.

The girls perceived the school as decisive.

I thought of this as damaged.

Word "as" is followed by adjectives. I knew that it is possible, but I am more familiar with the "as" followed by nouns like "I thought of my new watch as a crippled watch." What makes it possible? Is there a official rule that enables me to do this? Or is ellipsis used?

Solution 1:

AS(Adverb) followed by adjective means ("to be/being)

AS(preposition) followed by noun means (for).

However in "as a cripled watch" the sense is more of "as if" than just "as". In reality only " as" should mean ' the role or function a being or a thing performs. Actually the watch was not crippled.