Limited editions are a bad thing and this is why.
Firstly and despite the statement in the title, this is a personal opinion. Therefore anyone who got his hands on a limited edition watch and want to disagree with me is free to do so.
A discussion about the exclusivity of limited editions got me thinking about it, and I felt that it was worth expanding a bit on this issue to clarify my conclusion that limited editions are basically another way to shaft us even before getting to the stage where we find out how their after sales service is another part of the same scam (that one was revealed by @Mr.Dee.Bater).
And yes, I do own limited edition watches, and this Lorier Safari will do just fine to demonstrate my point. I can’t deny that I rushed to Lorier’s online shop when TGV announced it in one of his YT videos. The watch was nicely presented and while I might have bought it eventually, the idea that this was going to be a limited edition and that someone else quicker than me might deprive me from owning one was enough to push me to commit immediately.
It still took half a year to pass until I got mine, and although I’m not sorry at all that I bought it on a pre-order, I also can’t escape the feeling that I was gently nudged to finance the whole deal without being a partner in the profits. But I did get a nice watch.
Limited editions work because they stir the pot and the smell of what’s cooking inside creates a buzz. The brand is mentioned by name in various media, it gets more recognition and interest from potential buyers, and if the campaign is successful enough sometime there is a halo effect that will increase the demand for other models that this brand offer.
So far these are all positive things, but they are also only positive for the brand without any real benefit for the customers. This is where the bamboozle come in the form of “exclusivity!". To close the trap around our credit card the brand’s marketing departments will try to convince us that we are also buying into exclusivity, or in other words: by participating in the scramble we will get something that nobody else has, and this will make us special in a way that no one will be able to take away from us.
I have to admit that this is a neat trick: get a limited edition and become one of the chosen. Sadly, this is very far from what really happens, because in most cases the exclusivity of the model is manifested in something trivial or cheap to produce, such as a display case back, or a different color scheme. The joke that there are no limits to Seiko’s limited editions didn’t appear out of thin air. What we have here is a demonstration of scam detection: We end up with a watch identical to what thousands of other people also own and the brand ends up with more money in its pocket.
What’s worse is the scramble which is basically a competition for limited resources, and competing for limited resources has never been good at promoting positive feelings among the competitors. It’s bad when the scarcity is real, but when it’s an artificial scarcity then it’s just a cynical ploy to fleece us more efficiently. After all, if this limited edition is so good why not turn it into a standard edition and sell more? The answer is simple, they are standard editions to begin with and the trick can be recycled over and over.
There is no exclusivity in a limited edition watch any more than there is an exclusivity in getting a free parking ticket. Everybody gets one, and it doesn’t mean that your car is more appreciated, or that the shop owner found you extraordinarily attractive.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head concerning limited editions. Since I don’t have a real point to make I’ll just leave this here…
For me, I don't buy LE because I wouldn't want to damage it, it would always need to be treated as an investment piece and I buy to wear. It would have to be really exclusive with a strong chance the investment would appreciate in value to get my interest.
I agree with your point, most use LE as a marketing ploy on items that are really not in that exclusive club.
Exactly 🥸
The only reason for me to purchase a limited edition would be because it had a feature I couldn't get elsewhere that I particularly valued. I wouldn't buy one in the hope it's value would increase, because that's not why I buy watches. I find the whole marketing plan very cynical and obstructive to people who genuinely enjoy owning and wearing watches, we're all being played and luckily most of us are aware.
I agree with you. Also, more often than not a limited edition run means you cannot actually see the watch in the flesh and try it. So even more, it looks like a trick to push you to buy a watch that you haven’t seen, or possibly nobody ever has seen so far, on the premise that if you don’t buy it now you might not been able to buy ever
TGV Shilling you say, why that would never happen surely…..
I bought my LE because I like it…..
Alltough I do share your point of view, I must ask, what's the point? It is just one of many marketing practices, isn't it? It would be like staying "this ad makes this guy look really cool by wearing this watch" and criticizing the brand for fooling us. Getting peoples money is the scheme of every company. Falling for it is what we all do and have to be able to control, otherwise don't handle any money 😆
Alltough I do share your point of view, I must ask, what's the point? It is just one of many marketing practices, isn't it? It would be like staying "this ad makes this guy look really cool by wearing this watch" and criticizing the brand for fooling us. Getting peoples money is the scheme of every company. Falling for it is what we all do and have to be able to control, otherwise don't handle any money 😆
I don't see the point in most of what I do on a daily basis, after all I'll be gone and done in 30 years max.
I think the "limited edition" part of a watch is icing on the cake and not the star of the show.
Above all else the watch has got to be interesting to me; if it happens to be limited then great.
LE's p*ss me off because they're often cooler designs than usual and often geographically based. The exclusivity does nowt for me, it's a sales gimmick.
Got a couple of LE/SE's, I don't value them above normal stuff, don't baby them & am looking to sell to upgrade to higher tier pieces.
What a great article! You absolutely hit the nail on the head. I recently experienced a paradigm shift after buying my last limited-edition watch and I now wholeheartedly agree with your opinion described here. As you mentioned, there are reasons as to why limited runs are limited and those reasons don't make our watches better.
It's clever marketing strategy pushing a feeling of urgency and creating ''value'' out of thin air.
I dunno about nothing in it for the punters; as I regularly comment about limited editions, I couldn't give a bugger if 50 people, 100 people, 1000 people, or 10,000 people own that particular watch... but it's sometimes what the watch is that makes it desirable.
For example, the only way to ever get a Hanhart Pioneer One with no date, is to have bought a limited edition, which they've done three times with slightly different styles, in runs of 60, 150, and 150. Again, I couldn't care less about the numbers; they don't turn me on. But getting a no-date version of the watch? Priceless, regardless of the run total.
Unimatic and Casio never do this!
lucky for me my taste always for the boring monochrome colour scene 😃which is the standard version. i find most of the LE is fun to look at but a little bit hard to pair with everyday outfit. but that lorier looks nice
Unimatic and Casio never do this!
I'm not sure about Unimatic but Casio had a number of special or limited editions.
Unimatic and Casio never do this!
Casio does LEs all the time. The G-Shock line is littered with LEs and Special Editions.
Marketing tactics.
TGV Shilling you say, why that would never happen surely…..
He is far from being the only one, but in the case of the Lorier Safari the truth is simpler and doesn't involve any conspiracy: I just happened to like what he presented because it matched my preferences.
I have never bought a LE because it’s LE. But sometimes the LE versions is to my liking and I try to get hold of one. Normally my decision process is so slow that they are long gone when I finally decided I want one.
As I see it, "Limited Edition" means different things to various manufacturers and models designated that way.
For example, I've seen some microbrands come out with limited editions and they are truly limited. Maybe 100 or 1000. That's it. They're numbered too, which conveys a sense of exclusivity.
Other manufacturers will call a particular model a limited edition simply because they're taking an established model and doing a run of a different dial color for a while, or various dial colors. They're not limited in numbers, by any means, and their factories will pump them out in those special colors or hands or whatever but for a limited time. I have a Mathey-Tissot that's marked "Limited Edition" on the dial and caseback, but it's not numbered. I'm sure they're making thousands of these special models, but again, only for a limited time, so essentially it's a limited edition. Exclusive? No. But if you're interested in that color, buy it now before the production runs stops.
In both cases they are "Limited Editions," but the meaning of those words are different.
Watch enthusiasts and collectors are not dumb. The question here should be, did you buy The Watch because it was a Limited/Special Edition, or did you like It, but unfortunately and regretfully, it turned out to be a Limited/Special Edition? The story's moral is that if you love a watch, but it turns out to be a Limited/Special Edition, you are shafted; don't buy it; it is a marketing ploy and a grab for your wallet.
I buy watches that I like, which makes me and my watch feel exclusive, and if it turns out to be a Limited/Special Edition, that makes both of us even more exclusive. No one can convince me otherwise—just my two cents. Cheers, and BTW, you are not coming to my birthday! 😜🤪🍻
Seiko bought out a limited edition of the latest release of the Alpinist (the Ginza) at the SAME price as all the other new Alpinist models.
The dial is exceptional, truly a work of art. So far, the price has risen by over 50%.
I only buy limited editions if I like them. I just treat them as any other edition.
Some "limited" editions are widely available, other "regular" ones get pulled for poor sales before I manage to save up...
There's no need to stress about watches.
Watch enthusiasts and collectors are not dumb. The question here should be, did you buy The Watch because it was a Limited/Special Edition, or did you like It, but unfortunately and regretfully, it turned out to be a Limited/Special Edition? The story's moral is that if you love a watch, but it turns out to be a Limited/Special Edition, you are shafted; don't buy it; it is a marketing ploy and a grab for your wallet.
I buy watches that I like, which makes me and my watch feel exclusive, and if it turns out to be a Limited/Special Edition, that makes both of us even more exclusive. No one can convince me otherwise—just my two cents. Cheers, and BTW, you are not coming to my birthday! 😜🤪🍻
But I got a LE watch for you as a gift!
But I got a LE watch for you as a gift!
Where should I send the Limo!? 😁
You just described all of marketing
Well stated.
I am all for availability of the product as long as you can afford to purchase it, you can own one.
Now, I will use Lorier as an example. They produce product in small batches to avoid overproduction and excess inventory. Incredibly smart from a small business that has to be careful of its cashflow.
Other than the TGV reference, Lorier makes it products continuously available and produces them in batches without requiring pre-orders.
Now just recently, Lorier decided to offer pre-order of the Astra to its customers who missed out on the recent release...demand was overwhelming.
What I think is great and very customer-centric is they offered the pre-order so that those who missed out on the recent batch can guarantee they will receive one from the next batch. The good news is that you don't have to pre-order as they will be making enough to fulfill pre-orders and another batch for customers who prefer not to pre-order.
I asked them whether they would consider pre-order for the recent Hydra Zulu that I somehow missed out on (sold out in 30 minutes and I didn't happen to see the email timely). Their response was "no" as they prefer not to take customers money before the product is available, and only offered the pre-order on the Astra because there was such intense demand as a concession to their customers who wanted to guarantee one from the next batch. They will be making another batch of the Hydra Zulu and will inform us when it is back in stock.
The immediacy of the reply and well thought out response is indicative of the great customer service from a brand that really cares about its customers and why I will continue adding more Loriers to the collection especially if they produce more in the 40-42mm range.
I love LEs and almost all of my watches are, but it has almost nothing to do with exclusivity and almost everything to do with getting options more to my personal taste than I’d otherwise be able too.
In fact, I think of the 9 LE watches I own, only two were actually watches that I had to act quickly on or risk losing out. All of the other ones I was able to pickup at my own pace, including the Geophysic that came out 8 years ago.
I have two Limited Editions.
The Spinnaker Boettger was only made in a finite number per colourway. I bought mine not because it was limited, but because i wantedt the yellow dial.
The Swatch Munich Special Edition is only available in the Munich Swatch Store, but there's no limit on the number produced. A very different kind of "limited". I bought it because I like the design and I live in Munich.