People don't need watches, they want watches. Brands need to do whatever they can to sell watches to assure that they remain a viable business. I have no problem with it whatsoever
Hello Mr. Bond & Oleg,😆 I've never liked the Idea of Limited Editions and I've never purchased any for my collection. In my opinion it a money grab. I see it as a flippers game for capital gain. No offence to the flippers but are the limited releases good enough to place in a collection? I don't think so and as you said eventually, they re-release them later on down the line. I just think its certain watch companies playing the "A fool and His or Her money are soon parted" game...... P,s. A belly rub for Mr. Bond.
"Speculators turn watches into commodities, don't appreciate the watch as collectors do, and artificially drive up prices" [subscribes] "Here's my advice to prospective speculators..." [unsubscribes] Brother, speculation hurts almost everyone. Speculators make their money off of other speculators and genuine afficianados get squeezed out of the market.
I agree to a certain extent. If you're releasing a watch that you think will have limited appeal; then yes OK! But, to come out with a watch that will have broad appeal and limit it to numbers that come nowhere close to satisfying demand is just silly. If you release a watch and it sells out in a few hours, then guess what? You didn't make enough! I think Sinn is one of the worst offenders; last year they came out with three colored dial watches and as soon as I saw them, I wanted one. Jump on the website; SOLD OUT! 400 pieces each color! 🙄 This year? Same deal. A bunch of very nice watches; limited to 300 units!? 😢 These watches instantly pop-up on sale for 2X and 3X the price. Screw it! I ain't even gonna try!! 😡 What I've found is if you really want something, just keep it in the back of your mind, run a search on it from time to time and once the hype train has moved on people will get bored with it and sell it! Patience is your friend!🤨
Totally agree.Although I'm one of those old-timers who collect what I like for reasons other than material value. I won't be buying any Rolexes unless I find one that was worn by a little old lady from Pasadena who only wore it to church on Sundays!🤪
The limited edition speedmasters are not intended for average Joes looking to speculate. They were intended for collectors. The difference between the latter and speculators is the collectors don’t sell and don’t worry about the price tag. Believe it or not, some people actually buy $10000 watches are a form of entertainment (recreational shopping). Speculators buy to flip and get frustrated with unavailable watches. The great financial crisis and corona bailouts created speculators. You’re not a collector: 1) your too young for that and 2) you’re too poor. Most speculators are not rich, they just want to be rich. A lot of this new breed of speculators are also young and impatient.
A bit contradicting whereby you commented some people are buying Snoopy to make profits but at the same time you are advising collectors what to buy so that profits can be made in future if were to sell. Isn't both the same, still a form of speculation? c",)
I honestly don’t pay much attention to LR’s because either they are cash grabs or (if they are really good and VERY limited) unobtainable. I’m not immune to hype and scarcity-played the AD game and picked up a few Rolex. If they come out with Limited Edition doggy biscuits put Bond on the waiting list 😎. Best regards
True of the he large watch manufacturers but for micro brand watches, is limited production ability the same as a limited edition.? Great content, many thanks.
I added one. Mid-range to my collection because it was a unique blend of features from other lines. But, it has zero re-sale value and near zero presence on any forum online. So limited that no one except an owner cares...ha ha....for sentimental value.
This is mostly true, except for rare limited editions that include a specific dial like the Seiko Alpinist Ginza for example, but in most cases it's not worth it at all.
Limited editions are part of the game. People make the mistake of thinking watch companies actually care about them. They’re only in it for the money. And they keep pumping out the limited editions because people keep buying them.
Luckily for me, I usually like the regular releases more as they are less quirky and I like simplicity. When I see limited edition on a watch, especially a more affordable one, like a Seiko 5 that I like, I just immediately accept that I won't get it and that's okay. I enjoy learning about them though. The only "hard to get" watch I ever had was a Vostok "Blaytman GMT" and it was way less fun than I thought it will be. I was afraid to wear it outside due to the acrylic crystal. Sold it in a bit with a profit though, so that was something.
After years of sometimes chasing LE watch models here is what I've learned. If I happen to really love a watch and it's very low production model I'll try to get in on the the opening sale of the watch (this would be a watch like the micro-brand Halios). If it's a higher production watch (let's say 1,500 to 2,000 LE Seiko's) I'll just wait and see if they sell out. They might or they might not sell out and if they do sell out it may take awhile. These watches almost always can be found cheaper (sometime much cheaper) 6 months to 1 year later. In that amount of time it gives you a chance to really determine if you really still care about this watch. This lesson works well for Kickstarter as well. If you see that a Kickstarter watch that has already sold a lot of units there is no need to buy into it. Just wait till they finally arrive to the buyers. They always sell for a lower price later. But I don't want to talk about the Kickstarter watch, Laventure. That was a huge opportunity missed. My head was squarely in a place where the sun don't shine during that launch!
You're correct. I got the Naomi Uemura Captain Willard for 1700 dollars. The AD didn't want to sell Seikos anymore and cleared out their stock. Brand new, not used.
@@stevens1041 I'll give you a great example. I pre-ordered and bought an Aquastar diver for $1600 when it first came out. I really liked it! But 6 months later you could buy this sold-out Aquastar unworn for $1200-1400. I see them for a little less now!
I think you are 100% correct about buying only watches you love, not watches you think will go up in value. People did that silliness with Hockey and Baseball cards in the 90s, and now those collections aren't worth much at all. That said, I think limited editions are good, but people need to manage their expectations. If it's s super rare and expensive LE, you are unlikely to get one as an average person. Part of the reason people love LEs because it gives them some exclusivity, without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a watch. Part of the reason I like independent brands like CW, Marathon, and Damasko is because I am unlikely to bump into someone else wearing the same watch as me when I'm oot and aboot. There are also brands that still do LEs as a test of the market, CW has done quite a lot of that over the years, and most recently with the Bel Canto. They released two LE Bel Cantos to prove there was interest, and now have four standard production models people can order.
Great video! Thank you, this video really puts it in perspective. I have fallen for this trap occasionally but limit myself to reasonably priced "limited releases" so I don't need to care about reselling for a profit. The other category of watches that create hype is some of the microbrands like Zelos that never call their watches a limited release, but only make a few of a new style and then move on to their next release. Recently, I literally set my alarm to make sure I stopped whatever I was doing to buy a Zelos I really liked at the exact time they opened for sale on their site because I wanted the Aventurine dial version, crazy!
The one good indication I see for a limited release is when someone else is financially involved in a collaboration that you might not want to go on forever. i.e. the Hodinkee limited editions or like the Christopher Ward collaboration with Scottish Watches.
I used to like limited things, usually they tended to be the best version and there was demand from passionate people. That’s all changed, maybe it’s because people have so much disposable income that they are willing to spend it on anything. Now it puts me off watch company’s, grand Seiko recently did a slightly higher spec limited edition quartz watch with display caseback, I can’t buy that so why on earth would I buy one off the boring models? Christopher ward did an awesome job of ruining the bel canto for me. To be fair I think they underestimated demand but they released it as a limited edition in blue and green, now if you want one you have to have black or a novelties colour which are nowhere near as nice as the limited ones so again the watch is now irrelevant to me.
They bumped up the price on the Bel Canto so much. Also, I think it's an interesting watch but it will get old real quick. I see the market will be flooded with people selling it after they realise that the dial is pretty small and hard to read, and it just isn't that predictable. Of course, I might be wrong.
"Limited Editions" are the watch world equivalent of planned obsolescence that electronic companies (like phones, computers, video games, etc.) practice. The world has collectively lost its mind with this fear of missing out baloney. Limited editions are a method of cashing in. Thanks for the video.
I understand what your saying. Zelos sold out their new 41mm gmt black tip series in 2 days and it was a hell of a deal. Each model was like up to 150# tops of 6 different dials for 399$ to 499$! Zelos has a cult following and 2 watches sold out in 2 minutes of the release. This brand is making moves and improvements for a good price.
I think from a watch collector point of view you summed this up very well. If you like a watch and can justify it it's worth considering a purchase regardless if it's a limited edition. If you are after making money and have the right contacts and are not looking to actually wear the watch then that's fine as well. It's just a shame that the watch enthusiast may have reduced access unless they pay over the odds on the grey market. Again the same applies, if you can justify the watch and that includes the increased cost then it might be worth considering looking at grey market sources. I have a couple of limited editions that were not super limited that I paid retail or less for because I liked them and wear them. None of them are the makes or models discussed in this video.
Big number LEs are a poor speculative investment. Numbered editions can be a good hunting ground since there is not an immediate FOMO driving prices. The hype comes after discontinuation. I bought a full set FOIS well under retail and saw a spike on discontinuation which hasn't gone away to this day. I'd say the Pelagos lefty is a good buy since it is numbered, is a destro, and has the roulette date wheel though it costs no more than the usual models. Harrods Black Bay has been produced in large numbers and is easy to buy after a wait so long as you or your proxy picks up at the store. It's numbered and you get a free strap with no extra cost. Watches like these that you like to own seem reasonable plays to me and have potential for long term appreciation, rather than scalper hype as happened with the Moonswatch.
I did order a silver snoopy on day one, but about a month and a half later watches of Switzerland called me to advise they were cancelling my order even though I paid in full , as it would take years to deliver, refunded, disappointed but I do feel that as the prices have shot up I would not have ever been comfortable wearing it anyway..
Omega and Seiko release one on a monthly basis 🤣. Omega is milking James Bond more than Hollywood! Try to tell an Omega fanboy that Omega is doing with the Snoopy the very same thing Rolex does with the Daytona...only for special customers...overpriced in the pre-owned market, eternal waiting lists.
Rolex are doing it with every watch. The argyle arcade in Glasgow has lots of watch shops but not one single Rolex for sale. There's a company that is taking the piss and you lap it up.
10 yrs ago LE watch is okay given the real watch enthusiasts can get them, wear em and enjoy em. But in todays society LE is a bad name for real enthusiasts due to flippers. So I hope that people will stop supporting resellers and soon it will be a better place for realists to enjoy em.
Every watch in my VAST collection is “Limited Edition” Oleg. Limited by either not enough money or no lack of control!🤣👍🏻
People don't need watches, they want watches. Brands need to do whatever they can to sell watches to assure that they remain a viable business. I have no problem with it whatsoever
Well, it feels to me that all the Rolex are "limited edition" watches...
Hello Mr. Bond & Oleg,😆 I've never liked the Idea of Limited Editions and I've never purchased any for my collection. In my opinion it a money grab. I see it as a flippers game for capital gain. No offence to the flippers but are the limited releases good enough to place in a collection? I don't think so and as you said eventually, they re-release them later on down the line. I just think its certain watch companies playing the "A fool and His or Her money are soon parted" game...... P,s. A belly rub for Mr. Bond.
"Speculators turn watches into commodities, don't appreciate the watch as collectors do, and artificially drive up prices" [subscribes]
"Here's my advice to prospective speculators..." [unsubscribes]
Brother, speculation hurts almost everyone. Speculators make their money off of other speculators and genuine afficianados get squeezed out of the market.
I agree to a certain extent. If you're releasing a watch that you think will have limited appeal; then yes OK! But, to come out with a watch that will have broad appeal and limit it to numbers that come nowhere close to satisfying demand is just silly. If you release a watch and it sells out in a few hours, then guess what? You didn't make enough! I think Sinn is one of the worst offenders; last year they came out with three colored dial watches and as soon as I saw them, I wanted one. Jump on the website; SOLD OUT! 400 pieces each color! 🙄
This year? Same deal. A bunch of very nice watches; limited to 300 units!? 😢
These watches instantly pop-up on sale for 2X and 3X the price.
Screw it! I ain't even gonna try!! 😡
What I've found is if you really want something, just keep it in the back of your mind, run a search on it from time to time and once the hype train has moved on people will get bored with it and sell it! Patience is your friend!🤨
Totally agree.Although I'm one of those old-timers who collect what I like for reasons other than material value. I won't be buying any Rolexes unless I find one that was worn by a little old lady from Pasadena who only wore it to church on Sundays!🤪
They get you with FOMO. There is always another limited edition right around the corner.
Biggest Limited Edition scammers must be Rolex because they are so limited you can't buy one.
The limited edition speedmasters are not intended for average Joes looking to speculate. They were intended for collectors. The difference between the latter and speculators is the collectors don’t sell and don’t worry about the price tag. Believe it or not, some people actually buy $10000 watches are a form of entertainment (recreational shopping). Speculators buy to flip and get frustrated with unavailable watches. The great financial crisis and corona bailouts created speculators. You’re not a collector: 1) your too young for that and 2) you’re too poor. Most speculators are not rich, they just want to be rich. A lot of this new breed of speculators are also young and impatient.
A bit contradicting whereby you commented some people are buying Snoopy to make profits but at the same time you are advising collectors what to buy so that profits can be made in future if were to sell. Isn't both the same, still a form of speculation? c",)
I honestly don’t pay much attention to LR’s because either they are cash grabs or (if they are really good and VERY limited) unobtainable. I’m not immune to hype and scarcity-played the AD game and picked up a few Rolex.
If they come out with Limited Edition doggy biscuits put Bond on the waiting list 😎. Best regards
Got my Snoops back in December. Exactly one year after receiving my Ed While. Very pleased with both Speedys.
Omega puts a lot of engineering those LE watches - Like the animated case back.
True of the he large watch manufacturers but for micro brand watches, is limited production ability the same as a limited edition.?
Great content, many thanks.
I added one. Mid-range to my collection because it was a unique blend of features from other lines. But, it has zero re-sale value and near zero presence on any forum online. So limited that no one except an owner cares...ha ha....for sentimental value.
This is mostly true, except for rare limited editions that include a specific dial like the Seiko Alpinist Ginza for example, but in most cases it's not worth it at all.
Why limited edition watches suck: just look at Panerai and Omega
Limited editions are part of the game. People make the mistake of thinking watch companies actually care about them. They’re only in it for the money. And they keep pumping out the limited editions because people keep buying them.
Luckily for me, I usually like the regular releases more as they are less quirky and I like simplicity. When I see limited edition on a watch, especially a more affordable one, like a Seiko 5 that I like, I just immediately accept that I won't get it and that's okay. I enjoy learning about them though. The only "hard to get" watch I ever had was a Vostok "Blaytman GMT" and it was way less fun than I thought it will be. I was afraid to wear it outside due to the acrylic crystal. Sold it in a bit with a profit though, so that was something.
I love the Czapek Antarctique frozen edition, I'm surprised Disney didn't sue yet maybe that's why they're limited to 50 😂
Always love your honest and interesting content my friend. Looks like Bond is simply bored with all the limited releases as well!!
Marketing, this is all the point. Watch companies are just copying Hermes marketing strategy.
Dear friend
You are great . Great lesson of psychology of marketing. I love it .
Best regards to your lovely dog
Nizar
Nizar
Great video. I only buy watches I like and are within my budget. So, tell us about the dog.
After years of sometimes chasing LE watch models here is what I've learned. If I happen to really love a watch and it's very low production model I'll try to get in on the the opening sale of the watch (this would be a watch like the micro-brand Halios). If it's a higher production watch (let's say 1,500 to 2,000 LE Seiko's) I'll just wait and see if they sell out. They might or they might not sell out and if they do sell out it may take awhile. These watches almost always can be found cheaper (sometime much cheaper) 6 months to 1 year later. In that amount of time it gives you a chance to really determine if you really still care about this watch. This lesson works well for Kickstarter as well. If you see that a Kickstarter watch that has already sold a lot of units there is no need to buy into it. Just wait till they finally arrive to the buyers. They always sell for a lower price later. But I don't want to talk about the Kickstarter watch, Laventure. That was a huge opportunity missed. My head was squarely in a place where the sun don't shine during that launch!
You're correct. I got the Naomi Uemura Captain Willard for 1700 dollars. The AD didn't want to sell Seikos anymore and cleared out their stock. Brand new, not used.
@@stevens1041 I'll give you a great example. I pre-ordered and bought an Aquastar diver for $1600 when it first came out. I really liked it! But 6 months later you could buy this sold-out Aquastar unworn for $1200-1400. I see them for a little less now!
Always love your content bud! its like chatting with a watch loving friend lol.
I think you are 100% correct about buying only watches you love, not watches you think will go up in value. People did that silliness with Hockey and Baseball cards in the 90s, and now those collections aren't worth much at all.
That said, I think limited editions are good, but people need to manage their expectations. If it's s super rare and expensive LE, you are unlikely to get one as an average person. Part of the reason people love LEs because it gives them some exclusivity, without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a watch. Part of the reason I like independent brands like CW, Marathon, and Damasko is because I am unlikely to bump into someone else wearing the same watch as me when I'm oot and aboot.
There are also brands that still do LEs as a test of the market, CW has done quite a lot of that over the years, and most recently with the Bel Canto. They released two LE Bel Cantos to prove there was interest, and now have four standard production models people can order.
This is apt given the announcement by Swatch & Omega.
Love the Moonswatcch…because it’s a swatch !
I had that Mido. Made a nice little profit on it 😉
TRUE!
What a surprise always saying something hateful and negative
Great video! Thank you, this video really puts it in perspective. I have fallen for this trap occasionally but limit myself to reasonably priced "limited releases" so I don't need to care about reselling for a profit. The other category of watches that create hype is some of the microbrands like Zelos that never call their watches a limited release, but only make a few of a new style and then move on to their next release. Recently, I literally set my alarm to make sure I stopped whatever I was doing to buy a Zelos I really liked at the exact time they opened for sale on their site because I wanted the Aventurine dial version, crazy!
I like the fact that Mr. Bond is totally disinterested in what you have to say. 😂
The one good indication I see for a limited release is when someone else is financially involved in a collaboration that you might not want to go on forever. i.e. the Hodinkee limited editions or like the Christopher Ward collaboration with Scottish Watches.
Find Seiko to be the greatest offender on this currently
Highly agree I always enjoy your content videos oleg:)
I used to like limited things, usually they tended to be the best version and there was demand from passionate people. That’s all changed, maybe it’s because people have so much disposable income that they are willing to spend it on anything.
Now it puts me off watch company’s, grand Seiko recently did a slightly higher spec limited edition quartz watch with display caseback, I can’t buy that so why on earth would I buy one off the boring models?
Christopher ward did an awesome job of ruining the bel canto for me. To be fair I think they underestimated demand but they released it as a limited edition in blue and green, now if you want one you have to have black or a novelties colour which are nowhere near as nice as the limited ones so again the watch is now irrelevant to me.
They bumped up the price on the Bel Canto so much. Also, I think it's an interesting watch but it will get old real quick. I see the market will be flooded with people selling it after they realise that the dial is pretty small and hard to read, and it just isn't that predictable.
Of course, I might be wrong.
"Limited Editions" are the watch world equivalent of planned obsolescence that electronic companies (like phones, computers, video games, etc.) practice.
The world has collectively lost its mind with this fear of missing out baloney. Limited editions are a method of cashing in. Thanks for the video.
In seiko Watches you have a límited editions for everything, Its more dificult to buy not limited ones😂
Yeah, I agree with you. Too many limited edition watches. Some brands abuse it really badly.
Both good and bad, so nothing to get emotional over.
Great topic! Totally agree!
I understand what your saying. Zelos sold out their new 41mm gmt black tip series in 2 days and it was a hell of a deal. Each model was like up to 150# tops of 6 different dials for 399$ to 499$! Zelos has a cult following and 2 watches sold out in 2 minutes of the release. This brand is making moves and improvements for a good price.
I think from a watch collector point of view you summed this up very well. If you like a watch and can justify it it's worth considering a purchase regardless if it's a limited edition. If you are after making money and have the right contacts and are not looking to actually wear the watch then that's fine as well. It's just a shame that the watch enthusiast may have reduced access unless they pay over the odds on the grey market. Again the same applies, if you can justify the watch and that includes the increased cost then it might be worth considering looking at grey market sources. I have a couple of limited editions that were not super limited that I paid retail or less for because I liked them and wear them. None of them are the makes or models discussed in this video.
Big number LEs are a poor speculative investment. Numbered editions can be a good hunting ground since there is not an immediate FOMO driving prices. The hype comes after discontinuation. I bought a full set FOIS well under retail and saw a spike on discontinuation which hasn't gone away to this day. I'd say the Pelagos lefty is a good buy since it is numbered, is a destro, and has the roulette date wheel though it costs no more than the usual models. Harrods Black Bay has been produced in large numbers and is easy to buy after a wait so long as you or your proxy picks up at the store. It's numbered and you get a free strap with no extra cost. Watches like these that you like to own seem reasonable plays to me and have potential for long term appreciation, rather than scalper hype as happened with the Moonswatch.
I did order a silver snoopy on day one, but about a month and a half later watches of Switzerland called me to advise they were cancelling my order even though I paid in full , as it would take years to deliver, refunded, disappointed but I do feel that as the prices have shot up I would not have ever been comfortable wearing it anyway..
❤ I hate Hodinkee ❤ I Love Hodinkee ❤ I love to hate Hodinkee ❤
Omega and Seiko release one on a monthly basis 🤣. Omega is milking James Bond more than Hollywood! Try to tell an Omega fanboy that Omega is doing with the Snoopy the very same thing Rolex does with the Daytona...only for special customers...overpriced in the pre-owned market, eternal waiting lists.
Rolex are doing it with every watch. The argyle arcade in Glasgow has lots of watch shops but not one single Rolex for sale. There's a company that is taking the piss and you lap it up.
You have not reacted to or replied to a single comment yet, so why should I/we leave a comment :( ?
I am not a fan of omega right now.
10 yrs ago LE watch is okay given the real watch enthusiasts can get them, wear em and enjoy em. But in todays society LE is a bad name for real enthusiasts due to flippers. So I hope that people will stop supporting resellers and soon it will be a better place for realists to enjoy em.