Limited Editions
What are people‘s thoughts on limited editions? Are they just cash grabs? Are they actually best for collectors and brands?
I personally think they are okay if the quantity is in the 1000s. Ex Dan Henry some newer Seikos. But numbers like 50 are very questionable. Let me hears everyone’s else’s thoughts.
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I think of them as another marketing tool. I’ve got 3 “limited edition“ watches. One of them was my 30th birthday present from my wife but the other two I bought and the limited edition tag was the final decider both times.
I don’t have an issue with it as the two I bought didn’t cost me more than the listed sell price of the non limited editions. All I’d say is that you should do your research and don’t get blinded by that limited tag.
I don’t have any limited editions. My brain is to slow to decide if I like a watch enough to buy one that they are all gone when I do. My take is if the limited edition is to your liking then act fast. But only if you like it, not because it is limited. It is like vintage. Many watches are listed as rare and I think ”Yes, and I see why.”
My thoughts on limited editions are... limited.
I couldn't care less whether a watch is one in a batch of 100 or an established mass production piece. I either like it or I don't.
Love my LE Boldr. Not because it's a LE because i think this is the beste look for the watch. For me it's more about variation, don't care if it's exclusive, don't wanna pay more, want it to be available. So editions are great don't like limited.
It’s gross, I really dislike the whole limited edition culture of big brands. I have one limited edition watch and it was only limited because of preorder numbers. My NTH Näcken Vintage Black It’s one of 25 or something. That’s how many were ordered so that’s how many were made. 😆
What can I say, I waited 6 months for this Sinn 556. I wouldn't normally fall for the "limited edition" hype but I just knew I had to get one of these.
And I didn't have to pay much more than any of their other 556 variants, so it was a no brainer for me.
I have a few and i like limited editions and I love the hype 😁…
I think they're a fun thing. As to how limited, "limited" should be... it's hard to say. Sometimes it's nowhere near enough to give people a crack at it, but sometimes a "limited" edition is over 10,000 and that just seems silly to me. I think 250-ish for a small microbrand is more than enough, but if it's something like an affordable Seiko (think of the recent 'Ginza' models for example), maybe 1500-3000 is about right.
If the watch you want is a limited edition and you have access to it, get it. If not, then disregard. I have one limited edition (an Oris Big Crown Pointer Date) and it's not really that limited at all (3,000 pieces). I just wanted the watch because it's a creme dial (no other BCPD that I know is white or off-white) and the arabic numerals are bordered, giving them a three dimensionality that no other BCPD has. I just loved the watch. I couldn't care less that it was an LE.
I don’t mind it. It makes sense to me that some bigger brands like Seiko would do limited runs of unique watches that may not sell as well. The king seiko rerelease and the Seiko Laurel Alpinist are good examples (SJE085 and 083). probably not much demand for an expensive Seiko with Credor movement, so they make a limited run.
if LEs allow brands to be a little more adventurous, then I’m all for it
LE's are great for brands. They allow a brand to try new things without the huge risk of making large numbers of a piece that might not sell huge numbers.
LE's are also great marketing from brands. It's basically Rolex's entire approach at this point, though they just limit everything.
For collectors, LE's can be a mixed bag. If you can get one, great. If you cant, not so great.
if it is done right i think its okay. what i dislike is limited edition with cartoon collaboration (looking at seiko srpd naruto, street fighter, etc). it is fun to look at but not to wear, in my opinion
As others have said, I believe LEs are a great way for brands to be adventurous, or appeal to a specific audience.
As for numbers, it depends on the overall number of the base model a brand makes. With a base watch that is made in the hundreds of thousands, 10K is a limited edition. Limited Edition doesn't necessarily mean super difficult to get, or rare.
To my mind there are two types of people who get upset about LE watches:
I have a limited Seiko diver. Does not really matter if limited or not as long as I like the watch. Although I admit when I had never seen the same color of the limited version in public of the same/similar model, it does give you a sense of exclusivity to some degree.
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Topper (Limited) Edition is a watch I'd love to own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cba5FY50jhs
They made a few tweaks, such as eliminating the date, that appeal to some watch nerds. I think Hodinkee did the same on an IWC collab.
everything is “limited” now-a-days
people paying exuberant prices on Rolex (which are a dime a dozen)
Panerai used to release a “limited” 5x a year 😂
just buy what appeals to you
I think they are marketing tools and cash grabs, but I don’t have an issue with that. I’ll buy one, but it has to pass all the same criteria as a regular watch does. If some people can’t control themselves with limited editions, to paraphrase “A FOMO and his money are soon parted”
The odd model is worth it , but its rare I find a LE watch that I also really like.
Yes and no…..
I dislike limited editions because a watch maker can usually make the slightest changes at almost no significant cost increase and then charge much more because they chose to limit the edition size. You can't blame the watch companies when the buying public begs them to be screwed. There are those people who have a need to own exclusive items and just pay crazy prices in order to satisfy that need.