RECOMMENDED READING: The return of the retailer exclusive watch

Felix Scholz

In the world of serious vintage watch collecting the presence of a retailer’s name on the dial can make a big difference in terms of price. Turler, Tiffany & Co, Serpico Y Laino, prestigious retailers with great provenance — just the sort of thing that makes an otherwise generic steel sports watch stand out of the pack, and makes the whole watch collecting space such a vibrant one. 

But, as brands took control over their own supply chains, it looked like the age of the retailer edition was done and dusted. But it turns out that the age of the retailer exclusive hasn’t had its day just yet, as Tom Mulraney discovers over at the WatchPro. Turns out that prestigious old-world retailers like Harrods and Bucherer are still making their own LEs, and they’ve been joined by a new wave of e-commerce retailers, both specialist, like Revolution and Hodinkee, as well as general, like Farfetch. It’s an interesting space, and for all that some collectors decry the explosion of small-run pieces, the chances are good that in a few generations’ time, these pieces will be as desirable as double-signed dials are today … 

Read the full story over at WatchPro.