I don’t see the reason why many of us watch enthusiasts dislike OMEGA releasing so many different Limited Editions models. They keep releasing them because the LE strategy works. Tell people with money they can’t or would be extremely lucky to have something and look at what happens. They are in the business of selling watches. Why wouldn’t they use this approach? It adds a sense of urgency for the buyer. I know I’ve fallen for it. What am I missing here?

 

One man's meat is another man's poison.

 

Depends on your definition of the word “Limited”.

 

Let me distill your point to make it Twitter-friendly: Plenty of suckers are falling for a marketing ploy, so what's the problem?

 

I would distill it down to: Omega as a watch manufacturer is doing what they can to sell more watches. Why the resentment?

 

A wise man once said...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/are...he-omega-limited-additions.68628/#post-861984

 

They don't have enough LEs someone will winge
They have too many LEs someone will winge
They make a new watch someone will winge
They don't make a new watch someone will winge
They take a deposit someone will winge
They don't take a deposit someone will winge
They release it at 12 pm UK time someone will winge
They release it at 12 pm US time someone will winge

Welcome to our new world where someone will winge

 

Someone spells “whinge” wrong, someone will whinge.

Sorry, but this is the internet afterall!

 

Ok, let's try an analogy. The TBTF banks were doing what they could to increase profits by packaging and re-selling sub-prime mortgage loans prior to the '08 crisis. Why the resentment?

Now, you might reasonably argue that it isn't a taut analogy, but in both cases, something was/is being misrepresented in order to boost sales and profits. Of course the economic system isn't threatened by depreciating values of contemporary, "limited" edition watches, but the essence of the analogy still holds.

If one wishes to wear a relatively rare watch that will likely hold or increase its value, buy vintage. If one doesn't care about value, or wearing something truly exclusive, then by all means, buy a current model.

 

It's a scrabble word (9 points) and I'm a Aussie

https://1word.ws/winge

 

For all of us colonials, according to Webster:
British
: to complain fretfully : whine
—
whinge
noun, British

 

That’s a good point. What is being misrepresented with OMEGA? They make a certain limited supply of a watch and if you like it, you have to react quickly and buy one, as opposed to knowing the model will be around for a few years and you can buy in the future.

 

I have to stop using Bogan spell check

 

The misrepresentation is by implication. The implication of "limited" is twofold: exclusivity and value retention and/or appreciation. In the case of vintage watches, cars, Fine Art, etc., the first is immediately assured (depending on the model and condition in the case of the first two), while the latter is largely assured, at least for those which are both desirable and of high quality.

Neither are assured for most contemporary, "limited" editions, as their values will largely depend on broader economic issues, and they are typically nowhere near as rare as good vintage watches.

 

Ok who wants one of these LE

https://www.omegawatches.com/watch-omega-specialities-olympic-games-collection-52232442103001/

Looks lovely but would have preferred it in the titanium
OmegaSean

 

I had to look up “whinge” and according to Webster: to complain fretfully : whine; whinge; noun, British

May I add to that - LE literally implies a level of rarity. There is no claim being made that there will be an increase in value but, with anything rare, it is possible that the item will become more valuable over time. And like all rare items, the amount of time it will take to appreciate is the unknown. Vintage simply removes the unknown. Is it the hunt or the prize that we value most? To a hunter, it’s the unknown outcome that keeps us hunting. Success feeds us to continue to be in the LE market. But I’m a fisherman, just my opinion.

 

With all due respect, Tony, you are taking the idea of a "limited edition" and extending it by implication to "value retention/appreciation". I don't think you can automatically make that connection and I'm fairly sure nowhere in it's officially released literature would Omega make such claims. At we all should be aware, rarity is no guarantee of desirability.

 

Ok so I need to stop spelling Whinge wrong. That’s all I’ve learned from this thread. I’m glad that people are making and selling new watches. I’m glad that their limited editions get snapped up. I’m glad that people are still designing new watches and ressurecting style cues from vintage. I’m glad the people are making and selling new pocket watches! I’m glad that new materials and new tech are making modern watches better and more accurate. If they were not doing all this, I suspect that our hobby would not have the energy and fun it currently has. With all due respect ... the behaviors that led to the Great Recession are a not a good analogy for a critique of limited editions.

 

This is kind of like when Fender or Gibson have a limited run of guitars or amplifiers. Yes, you get something different (maybe a different pickguard or pickups etc). Once they are gone, they are gone. The problem with this scenario is that 1) they make too many 2) they dont hold up on the secondary market (if you bought this guitar or amp as an investment, you wasted your time). I have no problem with the musical instrument industry doing this. I missed my chance for a particular amplifier and in that specific case (Fender 57 Deluxe Head, tweed, hand-wired), the price point for buy in was in my opinion too high. The secondary market on that particular amplifier three years later is commanding a significant increase on the initial price. The point here is that if you make something desirable and somewhat scarce, the price can go up. If you make something "limited" by description only, but the market is flooded, the likelihood of the value going up is slim.

 

If you are a consumer facing business and you don’t innovate or generate news or value ... you die. So you can’t exactly expect watch manufacturers not to do so. Even conservative brands do this.