price changes

I was really surprised today when I went to the Limes website to purchase a watch. Several months ago, I had e-mailed the "factory" to determine how long the prices would be effective. I was told that the prices would be effective until the end of the year, unless there was a production change that would affect the prices. So, I waited until December to order, because it was supposed to be a gift. Since there are no dealers in my area, I thought it would be wise to wait becuse of the three day limit on return. (I had been interested in purchasing one of the Nightflights, but the jump from 350 to 395 is significant enough to make me reconsider.) Why did the price change before the end of the year?