When is a special edition "special"?

[tim2012]

I have been searching for my next watch and it would seem that a few ADs are keen to show me special or limited edition pieces. Whilst it is nice to get something a bit different from the main stream I don't think a lot of so called special pieces are worth the extra or indeed all that special. So what constitutes a worthwhile edition piece in your opinion? Is it the number of pieces, material, design, etc? What is the likelihood it will be special when you decide to move it on?

[christech81]

Good question Tim and could be very deep if you were just asking what makes a watch special.

As you point out it could be special because it is unique or produced in limited numbers or made with unusual materials.

High street wise a lot of the brands are now jumping on the special bandwagon, Tag Heuer Goodwood models or limited editions tied to a personality. As regards moving them on, I suppose it's like buying a house, the baseline is the location you live in, if you live in shack in an exclusive area then your house will always command more than a palace in a less favourable area.

The Speedmaster limited editions spring to mind, they are based on a quality watch with a good reputation, the limited edition gives scope to have the stunning watch but be a bit different.

I guess if you want truly unusual special the best thing to do is move away from the high street brands and look towards the Boutique brands or specialist makers.

If it's a decent watch to start with and a little bit quirky (Speedmaster Snoopy) or has some kind of meaning (Speedmaster with dial made from a material that comes from outer space!) or from something you are interested in (Raymond Weil Freelancer Brit Awards) to just a great movement produced in low numbers (Tag Heuer Link Calibre 36).

Low numbers are appealing but I heard something interesting on the radio on the way home yesterday; apparently there are less Austin Allegro's and Vauxhall Viva's on the road than (original) Mini Coopers. So, while the Mini's are well loved and originally available in small numbers, they have been preserved by their owners, the mainstream models have been left to perish, could be a time when these once mainstream models could command more interest that the less mainstream iconic models ... food for thought?

[kevkojak]

When I have gone for special editions, it's the limited run that has attracted me.
I've bought Seiko divers from runs of under 1000 that I would never have looked twice at if they had been standard production models, so it's low numbers that's my weakness.

My only other special editions are the movie tie-ins like the Hamilton retro digital thing from Men In Black 2. Sad, but I quite like them.

[gray]

If it's more than 200 units it doesn't strike me as particularly limited or special. On global markets and with the appeal of major brands I'd probably stretch that to 500. In both instances it needs to be a one off in terms of use of movement and certain design and packaging elements and, crucially, not repeated the next year, or whatever, with oh so subtle minor variations.

[CLOCKMAN]

It usually means sales are slack that month.

[robcat]

My Navitimer 01 was part of a limited run of 2000. That's a huge number of watches, even on a global scale, so the LE's were readily available for about 2 years after introduction. Didn't bother me, as I wanted the display back, but I'm under no illusion that they were particularly hard to find.

[gbk0505]

Generally same as cars. Particular model is either coming to end of life and replacement is not yet ready or non existent at present.

Purely a marketing ploy to generate more sales from an existing product line with minimal capital expenditure.

That said I do own a special edition Speedy but that description does not narrow it down much. I bought it because I liked it not because it was a limited edition.

Some will be more valuable due to limited numbers but by this I mean less than 100 worldwide.

[phil h]

Limited = numbered (number 3896 of 5000, for example)Special = not standard (stupid logo on the dial, for example)

[Rob]

Limited = numbered (number 3896 of 5000, for example)Special = not standard (stupid logo on the dial, for example)

I agree with that, but perhaps I'd add that the Special has a logo on the dial because it's only available from a few places....so in Speedmaster terms, the Snoopy, meteroite dial, the 1985 moonphase version are limited editions (ie not standard) but available in any Omega AD....while that white dialled Panda version was a Special edition..ie only available from that Japanese department store....as well as being very limited numbers

[Enoch]

The Mini Cooper apology is an interesting one....

It wouldn't surprise me to hear there are more mini coopers on the roads today..... Than were ever produced in the first place......haha

Same with escort mexico

[M3gt]

Desirable/ sought after features, limited, numbered run and only having a couple every year, not multiple " limited edition" models that probably add up to more watches than the regular production pieces.

[java]

LTd edition has very little to do with the maker calling it so. I have seen watches which purport to be LTd ED and are made in numbers of 3 to 5 thousand. I have a watch by a maker who makes a total of 1000 watches per year, 5 different models with 3 variations of case metal. So each watch is LTD to only 66 ish per year. That would be more LTD ED in reality than many so called LTD ED.

[Umbongo]

LTd edition has very little to do with the maker calling it so. I have seen watches which purport to be LTd ED and are made in numbers of 3 to 5 thousand. I have a watch by a maker who makes a total of 1000 watches per year, 5 different models with 3 variations of case metal. So each watch is LTD to only 66 ish per year. That would be more LTD ED in reality than many so called LTD ED.

LTD edition, sadly, most often DOES have a lot to do with the maker calling it so - as its the maker that's consciously limiting the editions.

If we're going down that line of debate then "LTD ED" isn't really accurate in the case of a watchmaker making less than a thousand watches a year in total - as, presumably, the maker isn't deliberately limiting production to a set figure just to crank up prices,
Watches like that are perhaps better described as "rare" or "scarce" (and the better for it...).

A limited edition watch is 9 times out of 10 one that has a set amount decided upon pre production - and stuck to. The more limited the run the better if anybody is to take them seriously.

Being an Omega owner I will use them as a named culprit - I find their approach to "LE" watches embarrassing - far too many issued models and prices and marketing clearly engineered to target the uninformed and gullible.

[stooo]

Special edition, limited edition. Take the lowest figure between the number you can make and the number you think you can sell and viola! Splimited edition.

[Tony-GB]

Limited editions have become a gimmick. Usually a crappy tie in with a transient sport/sports celebrity/actor/manufacturer and are best avoided.

The true limited editions are never publicised and the customers offered normally have to sign an agreement, or agree to a gentleman's agreement to not publicise the fact the pieces exist.

[Tomw2000]

When there's less than 50 Of them and you get number 1-5 ;)

[rockinrobin]

Surely it's all relative?

If Rolex do actually make about a million watches a year (that's the figure I've seen bandied about), then a run of 1000 watches would be limited. Who can honestly say that 0.1% is anything other than a limited number.

For Seiko, I'd guess a few thousand would pass the same test, but for some of the really high-end manufacturers who only make a few hundred a year, then a few dozen is enough.

What ruins it, in my mind, is when a special edition is repeated a few years later and rebranded as the MK2 or whatever.

The same goes for sports stars and other personalities. I'm not going to wear a watch just because some sexy actress is in the promo shots. I'm sure my wife would love to see Brad Pitt in just a Tag, and I wouldn't say no to Serena Williams wearing nothing but a smile and a old Casio calculator, but that doesn't mean we'll be going out and buying the watches though.

[~dadam02~]

....when it's not issued by Omega.

[jwg663]

When it's limited to 10,007 (that's ten thousand and seven) as Omega did with a Bond tie-in.

[Dan83bz]

<500 , worldwide

Basically rare enough not to bump into somebody wearing the same.

[rockinrobin]

At the risk of a slagging for mentioning cars on a watch forum, this advert has always stuck with me:





Perhaps watch manufacturers could try something similar.......rarer than a Rolex, less common than an Omega limited edition

[TikTokTrev]

....when it's not issued by Omega.

You beat me to it!

[downer]

Without deliberately trying, I seem to have collected a few "Limited Edition" watches - mainly purchased because I preferred them to the standard version, and I was able to buy them without paying much of a premium:

1. Planet Ocean LiquidMetal - limited to 1948. Although that sounds like a lot of watches, and they are not rare on watch forums, I've yet to see another one in real life..



2. Speedmaster 50th - limited to 1957. Again, a large batch size, but I preferred this to the authentic moon watch because of the sapphire front and back, enamel dial and coaxial chronometer hacking movement. Being a shallow person, I was also influenced by the packaging.



3. Sinn 358 Jubilaum - a run of 500. Despite travelling to Germany almost weekly, I'm yet to bump into anyone else wearing a Sinn, never mind a limited edition Sinn. This one was attractive to me because it has a 60 minute chronograph with only two sub-dials.



4. IWC Vintage Ingenieur Laureus Edition - limited to 1000. I just preferred the dial colour - simple as that.

[chester]

Often your wallet notices an LE more than your wrist does.

[stooo]

Without deliberately trying, I seem to have collected a few "Limited Edition" watches - mainly purchased because I preferred them to the standard version, and I was able to buy them without paying much of a premium:

1. Planet Ocean LiquidMetal - limited to 1948. Although that sounds like a lot of watches, and they are not rare on watch forums, I've yet to see another one in real life..



2. Speedmaster 50th - limited to 1957. Again, a large batch size, but I preferred this to the authentic moon watch because of the sapphire front and back, enamel dial and coaxial chronometer hacking movement. Being a shallow person, I was also influenced by the packaging.



3. Sinn 358 Jubilaum - a run of 500. Despite travelling to Germany almost weekly, I'm yet to bump into anyone else wearing a Sinn, never mind a limited edition Sinn. This one was attractive to me because it has a 60 minute chronograph with only two sub-dials.



4. IWC Vintage Ingenieur Laureus Edition - limited to 1000. I just preferred the dial colour - simple as that.

Limited or not, every one of those is certainly special.

[CardShark]

Regardless as to what defines a limited edition if it says as such on the dial then I'm out.

[number2]

Never ever not never.
Even though the fella on the Isle of Mann makes only a few watches a year, I don't think he sells them as Limited editions or Specials.