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Thread: Are (certain) watch companies making more limited / special editions?

  1. #1
    Master danmiddle2's Avatar
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    Are (certain) watch companies making more limited / special editions?





    I'm not sure if watch companies are making more, or if I am just noticing them more... but Omega and Seiko in particular seem to be doing more special / limited editions than you can shake a stick at.

    Almost every dive watch in Seiko's range seems to have multiple special and limited editions per year getting released recently.

    Does this make them less special and therefore devalue their special/limited nature? Thoughts?

  2. #2
    I think omega are probably at the fore front of this but there must be enough people interested in buying them,at the minute everyone seems to be doing reissues .


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  3. #3
    Craftsman
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    LE

    Seems to be an ever growing trend within the watch market. Easy way for manufacturers to create some news and keep them current and allowing for a considerable mark up over the standard production model RRP.

    Omega are certainly the market’s main culprit and many are now following.Even Rolex it could be said have dipped their toe into the LE market with there Anniversary models but they decided not to market them as LE editions.

  4. #4
    Craftsman
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    Have'nt panerai gone that way with small numbers of watches, most of the time?


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  5. #5
    Craftsman Pupp's Avatar
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    I think it's pretty endemic in the industry now... my current hankering for a Panerai PAM 00779 got me thinking about it after seeing some of the negative reactions from long-standing Paneristi to its 'greatest hits' mix of anonymous Cali dial, blued hands and DLC titanium case - I thought (and still think) it's a cracking piece but the die-hards dismissed it PDQ as a sop to the mass market. Is it really that conceptually different to speccing-up your new car? I reckon not...

  6. #6
    Master Alansmithee's Avatar
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    How small are the runs of some of these ‘limited edition’ - I seem to remember reading Bremont produces about 10,000 watches a year in total. Some limited editions are likely higher runs than this!

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    Grand Master MartynJC (UK)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alansmithee View Post
    How small are the runs of some of these ‘limited edition’ - I seem to remember reading Bremont produces about 10,000 watches a year in total. Some limited editions are likely higher runs than this!
    For Omega runs could mean 2012 or 1957 so in the order of 2000. Breitling tend produce LE in the 100's i.e. 300 LE Aerospace Cobra. Patek 10's for their LE. Rolex just seem to restrict supply levels but they don't call them LE though. As mentioned Bremont only produce small numbers 10,000's per year anyway - but their LE could be 10's or 100's.

    Hope that helps.

    M

  8. #8
    Master
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    My IWC is limited to 1,948 that’s not why I bought it though.

  9. #9
    Craftsman Pupp's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alansmithee View Post
    How small are the runs of some of these ‘limited edition’ - I seem to remember reading Bremont produces about 10,000 watches a year in total. Some limited editions are likely higher runs than this!
    Panerai typically 700 to 1500 or so... seems like every other watch released

  10. #10
    Master
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    This is my kind of limited edition most people won’t even know about it,which pleases me.


    https://www.timefactors.com/precistaprs42.htm

  11. #11
    Master
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    As a strategy it worked very well for Hublot so it doesn't surprise me. Would you as Omega rather make 2000 Speedmasters at £3k and know that retailers will discount them / sell on to grey dealers - with whatever lower margin there is to retail.

    Or, 2000 Speedmasters with an orange hand, no bracelet, and bit of funky UV lume at £4.75k, selling them direct without the middleman? Even given R&D and the limited parts, the margin must be much, much higher. Oh, and you know that you'll sell said piece in 45 minutes too? I wonder how long it takes Omega to sell 2000 normal Speedies...

  12. #12
    Craftsman WhopperSenior's Avatar
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    Pumping out a new limited edition each week doesn't pique my interest at all. There does seem to be a bigger desire in people to have the newest thing especially if it's "hard to get". I know this has always played a part but with the rise in social media it seems to be even more extreme. That being said, I'm sure the market is starting to fatigue with it all. Faux patina is going to look really boring by next year.

  13. #13
    Master danmiddle2's Avatar
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    I get why they do it... for commercial reasons... I guess I am more asking; does it devalue the pieces (either in monetary or other value) as there are more and more LE's coming out. I know it is starting too for me!

  14. #14
    Craftsman
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    There doesn't seem to be a week go by with TAG issuing some LE of some description, although I have got my eye on one of them, I'm just not happy paying the LE Tax over the price of a standard version so I'm gambling on a sale at some point.

  15. #15
    Owl1
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    Seiko and Omega have tore the arse out of the job (a saying my dad use to say ) when it comes to" Limited editions " especially the speedmaster , its put me off getting one actually , Seiko also need to lose the prospex sign on the crown on the newer models too .

  16. #16
    Master danmiddle2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Owl1 View Post
    Seiko and Omega have tore the arse out of the job (a saying my dad use to say ) when it comes to" Limited editions " especially the speedmaster , its put me off getting one actually , Seiko also need to lose the prospex sign on the crown on the newer models too .
    What's wrong with the Prospex crown? (I have a couple of LE Seiko divers with plain crowns and it disappoints me)

  17. #17
    Owl1
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    Quote Originally Posted by danmiddle2 View Post
    What's wrong with the Prospex crown? (I have a couple of LE Seiko divers with plain crowns and it disappoints me)
    Makes it look like you have opened a current account at the Halifax bank and they gave you a free welcome watch.imo of course.

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