A frequent discussion among watch collectors and Hublotista for the past few years is the number of limited editions Hublot releases and how they affect the brand’s prestige and collectability. While purely subjective, we would like to explore why limited editions are a good thing, especially for a brand like Hublot.
Some limited editions are made as a way to gauge the receptiveness for a given design, case, material or complication. If we look for example at the original Big Bang All Black from 2006, one of the most iconic Hublot pieces to date, it was a marginally bold and daring aesthetic that Hublot just weren’t sure how the public was going to react. After all, who would really want an all-black watch that you can barely read the time off? To Hublot’s surprise, the All Black was an instant hit and was later adapted into other models and collections.
Then you have the color limited editions, like the All Black Blue, Red, Green, or more recently the Denim and Fluo collections. These are a great way to offer variety to the current offerings without overcrowding the core collections. Whether it’s a newcomer to the brand or a Hublotista looking to for a particular color or look (after all, who doesn’t like matching their watches to their cars or outfits?), the color limited editions are a great way to keep things fresh and build on a successful core design.
You also have to remember that a lot of these limited editions are commissioned and designed by retailers or partners, for sale exclusively to their customers through their point of sales. This is a great way for the retailer to offer en exclusive product to his customers, and some of the resulting watches (I opted for a Marcus edition Big Bang) are quite stunning.
Last but not least, you have the partner or ambassador related limited editions. If you look at the King Power Red Devil or Juventus or FC Bayern, they are essentially the same watch, yet each has its own character and speaks to an entirely different group. I once met a young collector at Baselworld a few years ago who had never heard of Hublot before their first Manchester United limited edition Big Bang. He went on to buy 3 examples of that same watch, plus every other Red Devil edition to date. Another example is the Ferrari Big Bang city/country editions. There are Ferrari “tifosi” out there who have only associated with Hublot since their partnership with local Ferrari clubs and through the release of local Ferrari editions.
Ultimately, it’s not about how many limited editions or how different they are, but what they mean to the targeted audience. While you and I might not really care for an obscure entity like the Yacht Club de Monaco for instance, to its members, having a watch made just for them means the world, and Hublot is a brand that enjoys celebrating that sense of fraternity.