forgive my ignorance if not a right question

is there such thing as Limited or Anniversary Rolex in current or prior release?

i have not been aware of such thing

on the other hand, is omega no longer making limited editions any more? 321 and snoopy 50th are now de facto limited editions / limited availability anyway i guess

 

Limited edition I have not seen. I think someone with better knowledge might comment, but I understand Rolex produces some pieces which is not available to the general public ( I guess most of them are not ). But if you take the Rainbow Daytona I don’t see that on their website.

 

To my knowledge Rolex does make “custom” pieces but those are one offs on demand. I do not believe any of their current line is a limited edition. Many if the custom pieces seem around are actually third party custom works

if there is a historic LE I am not aware of it either but I suppose it is possible.

This being said there are smaller production lines the 39mm OP line or some of the transitional Exlorers. Or plenty of relatively small batch transitional pieces within the sub lines etc.

some of these do command higher premiums. Others not ( yet)

Some would say Rolex itself is a limited edition brand since you can’t get any easily. But that’s more a perception than a reality as they do have a large production yearly, it is just not available to public

As for Omega they will always have some LE coming here or there. It is part of their strategy. Some are quite stunning, others are an acquired taste or even a very specific target demographic LE ( like all the bond specials etc) If you do a google search for Omega limited edition a few will pop up.

 

Not sure about LE editions , but Rolex has released several Anniversary edition watches . Notably the 50th Anniversary submariner .In 2003, Rolex celebrated the Submariner's 50th anniversary by launching the Rolex Submariner-Date anniversary edition (16610 LV), with distinguishing features such as the green bezel and Maxi dial; its production ended in 2010 with the final watches being issued with the new "random" serial number.

I own one of these models , its a 2010 release V serial .

* picture taken from the web, its not my watch or picture .

My LV ,

 

Rolex doesnt do limited editions. Jubilee dials were usually reserved for an anniversary edition

 

To me, “limited edition,” where watches are concerned, implies a numbered (eg “1 of 50”) edition. I’ve never heard of a Rolex with a numbered edition.

As for limited production, as others mentioned, there are some factory made “novelties” for which Rolex produces very few pieces - their “collection behind the collection” that is “not available to the public” (ha!) and not on the website. They are typically over-the-top, bejeweled, and made it unobtainium.

 

maybe some of those above are effectively limited edition 1/1

 

All the watches above have reference numbers; e.g., the leopard watch is ref. 116598 SACO. With the reference numbers, you can search the usual places and find a few for sale at any given point.

So, while it’s hard to say how many regular watches Rolex makes, much less for these bejeweled watches, they’re something a bit other than a one-off.

Take for example the submariner in the last picture: notice the dial has been specially made to exclude listing a depth rating. Goes to show they’re doing at least a little bit more than just paving the case of a production model.

 

Rolex has two catalogues of watches. The online catalog is the regular production references. There is a separate catalogue that the AD has that has the jeweled watches that you have seen above. You would need to know the AD well and they will show you that other catalogue. I suppose we could call all the jeweled watches in that separate catalogue as limited editions, although I don't know if Rolex indicates how many of each example they plan to manufacture. As far as Omega, I have read that they supposedly are no longer producing numbered limited editions, but I wouldn't be surprised if they start to offer watches in low production as the 321,Snoopy and probably the new chronoscope and I would say many of the two register Speedmasters are already hard to find if you want one.

 

If we are being pedantic, edition would imply serialization, which requires more than one.

Those would be one-offs, I’d say.

 

Green glass Millgauss was limited in theory and according to Rolex for awhile, all while made for ever…

the Kermit was a limited edition for the anniversary of the Sub.

the Platona was announced as limited edition anniversary as well if I remember right.

 

But did they do limited editions as in “ only xxx made and you get 1/xxx? Or was it more like smaller batches for xxx years?

Because a lot of their production is limited “Kermit, hulk, op 39, explorer series changes etc. Call it transitional or call it anniversary watches but they never say:

5oth anniversary sub limited to 5000 pieces” do they?

 

No, I don’t believe that in modern times they’ve done a numbered limited edition of a unique watch available to the public.

That said, with a bit of digging I did come up with some rare instances of modern, numbered watches. A few examples below. Though these examples tend to be not available to the public, and not entailing a unique watch so much as just a commemorative caseback.

https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080120/76
“

• Catalogue Essay
  The present GMT-Master II is part of an extremely rare limited edition of 123 pieces made to commemorate the famous Sea King helicopter commissioned by the British Ministry of Defense to be used as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter as well as a search-and-rescue (SAR) and airborne early warning (AEW) helicopter.
  
  Produced between 1969 and 1995, the last remaining Sea King variant in Royal Navy service was retired on September 2018. Even if Rolex is known for not doing limited edition or accepting to produce special pieces upon order anymore, the present watch proves the exception. Exclusively sold to those associated to the Sea King and not available for purchase otherwise, the watches were numbered on the caseback next to the Sea King engravings with the words “Fear God Honour the King”.
  
  Numbered 123/123 the present watch is the last one of the batch. It is offered in excellent condition and even if the visible part of the watch is identical to any other reference 116710LN, the breath of the collector will for sure be taken away when looking at the caseback.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Another example I found was made in 1999 in only 75 numbered pieces, specifically for Mercurio Joyero, a retailer in Panama to commemorative transfer of the Panama Canal from US control to the hands of the Republic of Panama.
  
  Here there was more than a caseback engraving, but only just:
  
  
  
  
  So, Rolex does appear to have some history of making limited, numbered run commemorative watches, but not exactly available to the public, and the watches aren’t unique in design save for the branding?

 

Nice find!!

 

Those are commissioned pieces. I wouldnt consider them limited edition because they werent offered to the general public.

 

Clearly these aren’t numbered limited edition unique watches in the sense of interest.

They don’t necessarily appear to be “commissioned” in the purely arm’s length sense that someone merely paid a going rate for Rolex to make them a batch of retirement type watches; instead it seems like they’re more collaborative, e.g., the Royal Navy has a special place in the Rolex diver lexicon and Rolex has occasionally leaned into that.

In addition to the Sea King piece above, they also as recently as 2013 made some commemorative pieces for the Royal Navy clearance divers

 

`Still not offered in the general catalog.

 

I’m not following these injections

 

All the watches you showed weren't never really for sale.

All these modes "commemorative editions" (like the past ones for UAE, Oman, Italian police divers, Libyan army,) weren't offered to the general public.

 

In 2012 Rolex produced 600 Turn-o-graph reference 116263 for the Japanese market (300 white dial and 300 black dial). Two tone steel and yellow gold, they came in both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets, and featured a sweep second hand and typography in green. I don't think they're numbered, but 600 is a pretty limited run.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=611256

Cheers,
-GW