Analog:Shift may have been founded on a love of vintage watches, but there are scores of compelling modern watches that excite us, too. Turn up the heat just a tad by introducing some scarcity into the equation, and now you really have our attention.
There’s nothing inherently better, of course, about a limited-run watch — they’re made the exact same way that any other watch is made. However, LEs often include features both aesthetic and otherwise that regular-production models simply lack.
Now, not every special or limited edition watch is necessarily a break-the-bank proposition: Depending upon brand, materials, and the size of the production run, an LE might cost roughly the same — even on the secondary market — as a regular-production model. But then there are some truly noteworthy pieces out there — limited-edition Cartiers, for example — whose outsize demand commands outsize prices.
In short, there’s something for everyone in the world of special and limited-edition watches, which is why we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites on offer here at Analog:Shift. What you see here is just a smattering of what we’ve got in stock, and as always, if there’s something in particular that you’re after, give us a shout.
Bamford X seconde/seconde/ 'Bad Form' GMT Limited Edition ($2,600)
Bamford X seconde/seconde 'Bad Form' GMT Limited Edition - IN THE SHOP
Bamford Watch Departent’s wares are playful enough, but the company’s pairing with cheeky watch customizer seconde/seconde makes for a distinctly enjoyable take on the generally more utilitarian GMT complication. This one features a certain Churchillian gesture set against a dark green dial — perfect for the budding Anglophiles amongst us.
Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SPGP015 ($3,000)
Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SPGP015 - IN THE SHOP
Produced in a run of 2,000 pieces, the SPGP015 from 2020 celebrates 60 years of Grand Seiko. Measuring 40mm in stainless steel and powered by the Calibre 9F85 movement, it features a quartz crystal grown in-house by G.S. itself! With its handsome black dial with applied indices and ‘alpha’ hands, it’s one of the best-looking quartz watches we can think of.
Franck Muller Infinity Color Dreams 25th Anniversary ($4,250)
Frank Muller Infinity Color Dreams 25th Anniversary - IN THE SHOP
The wonderfully colorful and beautifully guillochéd dial of this Infinity Color Dreams 25th Anniversary watch is sure to delight both its next owner as well as all who come into contact with it. Quartz-powered and paired to a signed purple alligator strap, it celebrates 25 years of the Franck Muller brand, which was established in Geneva in 1991.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle 90th Anniversary ($6,500)
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle 90th Anniversary - IN THE SHOP
Produced back in 2017 to celebrate 90 years since Charles Lindberg’s pioneering trans-Atlantic flight, the Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle 90th Anniversary features the oversized steel case, equation-of-time bezel, inner rotating angle disc, and onion crown of the original watch from the 1930s. Produced in just 90 examples, it’s powered by the Calibre L699 automatic movement.
IWC X Collective Horology Pilot's Watch Chronograph C.03 ($8,250)
IWC x Collective Horology Pilot's Watch Chronograph C.03 - IN THE SHOP
A special take on the brand’s Pilot’s Watch series, the Chronograph C.03 is a joint effort between IWC and Collective Horology, a group founded in 2018 that produces limited editions with significant watchmakers. A monochromatic riff on the Pilot’s Chronograph, it features a 41mm steel case and a handsome matte-black dial with a day-date display.
Panerai Luminor 1950 Pangaea Limited Edition ($9,500)
Panerai Luminor 1950 Pangaea Limited Edition - IN THE SHOP
Now here’s an L.E. that grabs our attention and doesn’t let it go: This 47mm Luminor includes not only time-telling functionality, but also a mechanical depth gauge! With its imposing case, signature crown protection device, and black rubber ‘accordion’ strap, you’ll be glad it’s machined from lightweight titanium — and not more typical stainless steel.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 10th Year Anniversary Limited Edition ($21,500)
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 10th Year Anniversary Limited Edition - IN THE SHOP
In 2014, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo introduced a collection that would change the face of contemporary watchmaking, breaking numerous world records in the process. This 10th Year Anniversary Edition from 2014 celebrates a decade of Finissimo by overlaying a sketch of the first model on the watch’s dial. With its titanium case and cool micro-rotor movement, the time-only O.F. remains one of the most compelling in the product family.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 'No Rad' Limited Edition ($22,500)
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 'No Rad' Limited Edition - IN THE SHOP
Limited to 500 units, this special Blancpain Fifty Fathoms celebrates early non-military versions, which featured a clear indication on the dial that they were devoid of radioactive tritium lume. Measuring 40mm in stainless steel, this edition also features vintage-colored (Super-LumiNova) lume as well as a vintage-inspired sapphire timing bezel insert.
Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Boutique Limited Edition ($31,500)
Glasgütte Original PanoMaticLunar Boutique Limited Edition - IN THE SHOP
Powered by a superbly beautiful movement, this short run of 50 pieces was retailed by Glashütte Original boutiques. Its striking salmon dial — with its oversized sub-seconds display, outsized date window, and handsome moonphase cutaway — is paired to a well-sized 40mm case in stainless steel, making for a complicated piece that you can wear every day.
Cartier Privé Collection Tank Asymétrique New York Edition ($54,900)
Cartier Privé Collection Tank Asymétrique New York Edition - IN THE SHOP
There are few horological goodies better than a special Cartier. This particular watch — part of the maison’s Privé collection — was retailed by the 5th Avenue location and features a unique dial: Look closely at the numerals, and you’ll notice they’ve been altered to odd numbers in order to include “5,” which has been changed to “5th.” (And did we mention that the case is platinum? Casual.)
BONUS: Cartier Tank Cintrée Pièce Unique ($110,000)
Cartier Tank Cintrée Piece Unique - IN THE SHOP
There are special editions, and then there are editions of one. This particular pièce unique is a commission from Cartier’s New Special Order program. A Cintrée, it would be compelling enough on its own if it featured any of several standard dials. But this version — with its unique, ‘Arabic’-numeral dial combined with a ‘Breguet’ handset — is positively breathtaking. Add in a platinum case, a red cabochon crown, and all its factory goodies, and you have a recipe for a serious collector’s item — and one heck of a watch.
