Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

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AtomicTom
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Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by AtomicTom » Mon Oct 03, 2022 10:59 am

We seem to see them more, and more, almost every day right?!

But what do you think about them? ;)

Are they great? Or a great idea that has gotten out of hand? Do they
get your attention? Or turn you off? Are they worth the higher price
tag? Or just a way to get you to pay more?

So what do you guys think? Are they special? Or not so special?

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mattcantwin
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by mattcantwin » Mon Oct 03, 2022 11:45 am

Well, this one's special.


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And, so is this.



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Two others.


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Last edited by mattcantwin on Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DEMO
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by DEMO » Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:02 pm

Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
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mattcantwin
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by mattcantwin » Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:06 pm

DEMO wrote:
Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:02 pm
Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
I feel the same; however, it does bring some "pressure" on the decision process to buy or not.
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BBK357
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by BBK357 » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:09 pm

DEMO wrote:Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
I feel the same.

I would feel better if all were regular production so there is not issue getting parts in the future.


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aikiman44
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by aikiman44 » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:09 pm

They don’t do anything for the value of the watch.
"We'd better synchronize our watches."

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dnslater
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by dnslater » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:21 pm

aikiman44 wrote:
Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:09 pm
They don’t do anything for the value of the watch.
They certainly do for the U50P/U1P.

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rockmastermike
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by rockmastermike » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:24 pm

my first thought was if its a brand I am a fan of it makes a difference to me....Sinn, Grand Seiko, Seiko, etc

However, if Grand Seiko and Omega roll out a dozen LE's a year then "LE" loses value and becomes a punchline

same for Seiko making a LE of 5,000.....that's not LE

Furthermore for Limited Edition to have value, its has to have, well, value to the buyer.....Sinn for example is a niche brand in a niche hobby so making an JDM Isetan LE of 50 appeals to me but not to the watch fan, not to mention the general public.

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r.palace
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by r.palace » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:48 pm

Does nothing for me. My wallet is thankful.
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tmw
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by tmw » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:50 pm

Every watch is a limited edition.

It is just a matter of perspective.
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jimyritz
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by jimyritz » Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:45 pm

Limited of 5,000 just ridiculous..

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Chocodove
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by Chocodove » Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:50 pm

BBK357 wrote:
DEMO wrote:Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
I feel the same.

I would feel better if all were regular production so there is not issue getting parts in the future.


Image
Agree. Particular concern with Seiko. I adore my SLA057 and I like to think of it as a keeper, but am I going to get a replacement bezel if needed in ten years?
- Todd

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dnslater
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by dnslater » Tue Oct 04, 2022 3:22 am

Chocodove wrote:
Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:50 pm
BBK357 wrote:
DEMO wrote:Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
I feel the same.

I would feel better if all were regular production so there is not issue getting parts in the future.


Image
Agree. Particular concern with Seiko. I adore my SLA057 and I like to think of it as a keeper, but am I going to get a replacement bezel if needed in ten years?
I feel like Sinn would just custom make parts as needed... or do a small run of 5-10 hands, bezels, dials, or whatever..

Bob1035
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by Bob1035 » Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:17 am

Big picture, are newer LE/SE's more of an issue, or all these goofy vintage pieces we all love?

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BBK357
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by BBK357 » Tue Oct 04, 2022 9:00 am

dnslater wrote:
Chocodove wrote:
Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:50 pm
BBK357 wrote:
DEMO wrote:Putting a label of "special edition" on a watch does nothing for me.
I feel the same.

I would feel better if all were regular production so there is not issue getting parts in the future.


Image
Agree. Particular concern with Seiko. I adore my SLA057 and I like to think of it as a keeper, but am I going to get a replacement bezel if needed in ten years?
I feel like Sinn would just custom make parts as needed... or do a small run of 5-10 hands, bezels, dials, or whatever..
I don’t worry too much about Sinn parts. They have always come through for me dials, hands… even on old Lemania watches. I’m sure they can make it happen unless they completely go under- which I don’t see happening anytime soon.
But I could see other brands like Seiko just not caring about it. I read at one point that they abandoned their older grand Seiko movement so if you need parts they can’t fix it or even replace the movement. Throw away $2k and up watch.
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AtomicTom
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by AtomicTom » Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:01 am

Oh man, as usual, you guys really hit this out of the park ! :) 8-)

I love how there are so many different opinions on the same issue.
The different perspectives, as well as passion one way or the other
is great. Honestly, It’s just THE best, and to Bob’s question here right
below...
Bob1035 wrote:
Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:17 am
Big picture, are newer LE/SE's more of an issue, or all these goofy vintage pieces we all love?
Yes, I was focusing on all of the newer LE/SE’s sir, and what all of
us think about them? :thumbsup:

And after seeing all of the insanely nice special, or limited editions
here above I feel much more positive about the terms, or designations
that’s for sure. ..Just beautiful !!!

It genuinely feels like there can be both limited, and special editions
that are outstanding, as well as special. Along with ones that maybe
are just using the term ‘limited’ or ‘special’ as a selling point, or as
a way to attract people. Either way, it’s a lot of fun to talk about.

In reality I guess there are all kinds of limited, and special editions
out there. With some being more special than others right everyone?
But I know that we have maybe been seeing more limited, and special
edition watches lately, and I thought it would be neat to see what you
guys thought about it.

Can’t thank everyone enough for chiming in !!!

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gwells
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by gwells » Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:06 am

either i like a watch or i don't. LE doesn't really add anything for me personally. maybe if i was a flipper, it would mean more, since some LEs tend to hold value better.

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namor
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by namor » Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:53 am

As noted before, if the 'limited' nature is in the thousands, then its just marketing.

I find an edition of only 100 to be much more compelling:
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BBK357
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by BBK357 » Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:10 am

namor wrote:As noted before, if the 'limited' nature is in the thousands, then its just marketing.

I find an edition of only 100 to be much more compelling:
8_006.jpg
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flyskate
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by flyskate » Wed Oct 05, 2022 2:03 am

Limited edition watches don't really do anything for me. In the case of the U1 and U50 professional watches, I think Sinn really missed the boat in not making them a regular model offering as well. I think it would have been a big seller for them.
Stephen

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CarloDWC
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Re: Limited and Special Editions: Friends or Foes?

Post by CarloDWC » Thu Oct 06, 2022 8:56 am

It depends on the brand, watch model and cost. It could be a great watch and some really are. For example I got hooked on Unimatics which are not particularly a luxury brand and priced reasonably but still give that extra incentive to have one. I prefer the ones with the Seiko movement too so they are a known quantity for me. :grin:

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