The sad downfall of Hodinkee

[@robdominic]

What John says is 100% true. About a year, year and a half ago, Hodinkee published an article about climate change. In the comments section, I wrote respectfully that folks go to Hodinkee for watch content, NOT to get lectured about "saving the planet." MY comments were removed, and I got blocked by Hodinkee. Good riddance.

[@FluxedState]

Jeez man. Let it go.

[@grammarboy1318]

@@FluxedStatethis clip is about the fall of Hodinkee. His comment was perfectly on point, another example of why they are failing. Your comment is completely unnecessary.

[@wiwatchguy8798]

Good riddance indeed. If only they’d have removed you sooner. And for the record, what you say is 100% false. It’s not an article about climate change, which you probably think is a hoax anyway. It’s an article about the impact of watchmaking on the environment and the possibility or lack there of that sustainability is having and could have in the future. Oh, and considering what I can only imagine is in the comments section here already, it was written by Jack Forster.

[@xx1j]

Damn. 😂

[@YongJoonPaek]

lol dude was it really an article about climate change?

[@remus2001]

I think the departure of Jack Forster cannot be underestimated, both as a symptom of Hodinkee’s decline and a catalyst for its further decline.

[@malikknows3510]

Also when the discontinued the app Watchville. I valued that and checked it every few days or so. It seems that they eliminated everything the enthusiasts thought was interesting, as John says.

[@whatsonherwrist3300]

Uhhhhhh, honey... it's clear you don't know why he is longer there. Ask around.

[@carlkim2577]

​@@whatsonherwrist3300 in what did he do? Declare his undying love for quartz?

[@SuperWhofan1]

Nobody liked Jack at Hodinkee. His articles were sooo snobby. When Ben was CEO and the original crew like Stephen, it was running smoothly.

[@webagent90]

Cause yeah, the man who reported on watches that were sold by aurel bacs, and when mist of them turned out fakes, he didn’t even delete or change the article, just deleted comments, and this has been happening for years, constant comment delete, blockings…. Bullshit site, dont read or watch their videos since Ben sold it….

[@nickj1663]

People are really sick of having social issues infiltrate every part of their lives, whether they like it or not. It's puzzling as to why when an organisation grows, they stray from the path that gave them success. I used to read Hodinkee to learn about the crazy little details that differentiated to different watches that to the casual consumer looked exactly the same, or the collector that for years searched for a particular reference, and travelled half way around the world in it's pursuit, Or the paratrooper that was issued a Tudor sub and the stories associated with it. Not some crap about climate change, or some freak show wearing a Chopard Alpine dressed in his mothers clothing.

[@AndreiGeorgescu-j9p]

To answer your question look into blackrock

[@fredo1070]

So Hodinkee has morphed into Cosmopolitan.

[@JohnPWatches]

Some articles seem like it.

[@LouisGiliberto]

I think this is accurate. At the end of the day, at this point they're probably in it for the money. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not the Hodinkee I want to read. I just want to read about watches. I wish them luck with their new endeavor, and I'll be sticking with watch sites.

[@WestCoastAce27]

More like People magazine.

[@Breekiebreek2]

Which is not bad. considering the bad styling taste of a lot of watch collectors

[@Nachovalenti899]

Totally agree with your opinion John. Since a couple of months ago i unsubscribed to Hodinkee because of that. Many thanks for your video and congrats.

[@h111551]

The heart of Hodinkee for many of us was Jack Forster who was an amazing journalist of all things horological possessed of great intellect and wit. When he departed, I lost interest in all things Hodinkee including their quarterly magazine to which I subscribed.

[@sskumariyer]

but whats Jack doing over at Watchbox?! they're underutilizing him- he's fading away over there. I'd much rather he write for H.

[@SuperWhofan1]

Jack didn’t drive viewership.

[@Billeh556]

⁠@@SuperWhofan1says fucking who 😂 go back in their comments after he left. Was overwhelmingly loved, and very clearly since he left they’ve gone way down in viewership, so, logically and factually stating you are incorrect and clearly he does drive viewership.

[@mohnnadmercedes8246]

Hodinkee is super pretentious from day 1

[@EricBishard]

Not since day 1. But day 2, absolutely...

[@malikknows3510]

I agree, but set it aside because the enthusiast content was interesting.

[@sysakPL]

I've gotten interested in the watches in the last 3 years so have no notion of how they used to be but when i hear "Hodinkee" i think of someone who likes to sniff their own farts. I know that's way less eloquently put than what John said but it sums it up.

[@currentaf8455]

The entire watch / luxury industry is. 😂

[@mohnnadmercedes8246]

@@currentaf8455 sure 😂😂

[@marcoma2875]

THE HODINKEE TRAVEL CLOCK

[@Jeff-11_354]

Hahaha I almost forgot😂

[@YongJoonPaek]

imo this was the canary in the coal mine. ppl were starting to get suspicious about hodinkee and this just really blew in out into the open.

[@DutchBulldog]

@@marcoma2875 RELEASED DURING COVID LOCKDOWNS 😂😭

[@rs5419]

How much was it?, I remember, 25k or some ridiculous amount.

[@cdm765]

What happened is they lost Jon, Jack, Stephen, and Cara in the span of 1 year and Ben decided he didn’t want to contribute anymore. James was the only good remaining content producer, and it’s clear his strong preference is for Grey NATO type content vs. Hodinkee. Brooklyn groupthink killed this brand - shame.

[@AndreiGeorgescu-j9p]

Lefties destroyed another thing by infecting it?

[@Judah.Rosenthal]

Cara is married to Ben. Not sure she left.

[@deb2159]

@@Judah.Rosenthal whoa, really? was that public knowledge? had no idea

[@cliffwheeler7357]

@@deb2159That’s correct they have two children. Cara is a very stylish lady, hopefully she can smarten Ben up a bit. He always looks like he gets dressed in the dark, so scruffy.

[@The_RealStarkIndustries]

Couldn’t agree more, JP…Jory The Time Teller has been sounding this alarm for the past few years. Imagine if Subaru decided to slow production of Foresters and WRXs to try their hand at the “luxury” market segment. That’d be a recipe for disaster. They know who keeps the lights on…and don’t kowtow to investor pressure.

[@RobertNelson-z7n]

Where is the modern Sti? And I say that with a tear in my eye.

[@timemasterhms]

Jory is also losing relevance with his constant obsession bashing Hodinkee and nitpicking the most ridiculous things about watches he reviews. He’s so annoying now. He used to be enjoyable to watch.

[@MohammedKhaled-ju7gy]

Jory is a disgusting arrogant thief. I’m surprised people still watch his videos

[@davidelliott948]

You are seeing more of Ben Clymer (founder of Hodinkee) in their video content. I don’t think that is an accident.

[@domokun938]

Forced to come back because his company is dying

[@Judah.Rosenthal]

I’m fine with that. I like his take on things. Yes, he’s full of himself but he’s also super knowledgeable.

[@cliffwheeler7357]

I bet Ben is regretting the horror show of him plugging the kith/heure $5,000 formula one watch launch. The hostility in the comments columns about that interview was staggering. After a few days the interview with the guy from kith was pulled and couldn’t be located on the Hodinkee site.

[@curtbrown7718]

Thank you for your balanced, well-reasoned commentary. I point to the talent that left Hodinkee, Forster and others, as the most unfortunate aspect of their shift in emphasis. Those folks are not going to return. Again, thank you.

[@JohnPWatches]

Thanks for watching!

[@MeestroDavid]

"Sad" downfall? Nah...they've been so awful, so snotty, and so comically elitist for such a long time that their demise can't be anything but sweet schadenfreude. They've made it embarrassing to be an enthusiast and I think the hobby is far better off without their voice in the mix.

[@hyperchord]

I'll never understand why every company feels the need to expand endlessly. I mean, I guess this makes me a communist, but how much money is enough money? Why dilute what you do best?

[@heartbeat9429]

cheap credit its really just that

[@LouisGiliberto]

You're not a communist, you just have values that go past money.

[@larryhand5892]

I have been a fan of Hodinkee since Ben was selling watch straps in his apartment. At the time I was so happy to have a sight that seemed purely developed for me. When you don’t really understand or appreciate what has given you this meteoric rise in popularity, it makes it hard to keep it. I guess Ben, with his love of Porsche, has read to many magazines about Porsche with 2 articles dedicated to cars and the rest about style and travel. I never really got past the 2 articles. I’m sure we have seen many a trip which has been car related which has been turned into an opportunity to be be written off because a couple of watches or watch people have been thrown in. The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was that ridiculously priced travel clock. This was such a a money grab and many folks sounded off on that. Really it’s not so sad about Hodinkee. They were on a great roll, took a gamble and it didn’t work out. It happens every day.

[@permianplantworks5834]

Your opinionated question doesn't make you a communist. It's a fundamental question, of which every individual / Biz should have an answer. This is what happens when you sell your company to Equity partnerships, who ONLY care about money velocity (acceleration).

[@ahmedalkhalifa4748]

Is $40 million little ?

[@brysoga]

They used to be good, but then they thought themselves too important

[@SuperWhofan1]

Ben Clymer sold most of his shares so he is all set

[@rnunez70681]

Even Ben is not the same guy. On the last video he did about Daytonas he said he is now only interested in precious metals, not steel, he said steel is no longer special to him or something like that. That made me cringe, the whole thing went to his head I think, he started caring more about his celebrity friends I guess than true watch enthusiasts.

[@phototristan]

Probalby b/c he already has too many steel pieces.

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Ben would respond to your accusation but he's on the line with John Mayer right now.

[@rnunez70681]

@@classicsciencefictionhorro1665 Or Ed Sheeran, or maybe Tom Brady.

[@generath5439]

I followed Hodinkee until they started selling the limited edition cash grab watches.

[@mdtell]

Hey the Skipper and the VC were nice! But then again, those were the early collabs. New ones - not great.

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

And the so-called unbiased articles that promoted the watches they were selling.

[@rickb6365]

Wow, this clarifies a lot for me. At 59 I'm a new watch enthusiast on a serious budget and have to be very particular with how I spend my money on a watch, so I try to do a lot of research before making a purchase. I don't buy a watch as an investment or with the intention to flip it. I hope to keep a watch in my modest collection and enjoy it for a long time. I became an email subscriber and a potential paid subscriber to Hodinkee because the name kept coming up as a good resource to learn about watches. Unfortunately, I quickly found out through the email content that was being sent to me that I could not relate to many of the articles. I didn't connect the dots at the time, I just knew something about it didn't appeal to me. The articles seemed more like advertisements to me as opposed to a resource to gain knowledge about watches. I have since unsubscribed from the emails and look to other content for information now. Thanks for your video!

[@albertomariavilla6597]

The founder married a writer (only a decent article under her belt), the only one/two who knew about watches went solo, hired a bunch of useless ‘content creators’. What can go wrong?

[@GigaDad88]

I’ll say something positive just to mix things up. I like the Hodinkee Watch insurance. I’ve had it for a couple of years. Reasonable pricing and easy to sign up for in minutes with no hassles.

[@andricopoulos70]

Reminds me of Rolex initially only watch collectors would buy at least one Rolex from an AD now watch collectors avoid the ADs at all costs. But to be fair it worked for Rolex to alienate their customers.

[@Andy-ri1ns]

Glad I have my Hodinkee Travel Clock.

[@f.c.2475]

Guessing before watching the video - they bought into their own hype? Edit: Yup, they did. I guess the "celebrity" rubbed off from John Mayer over to Ben and others. Well, its obvious isn't it? These guys at Hodinkee always wanted to belong to the upper echelons of the watch world. Hodinkee became the way to gain popularity, money and connections. They got lucky and it happened! Now, they reached their goal. No matter who says what, they are set. Hondinkee can go down the drain, which it has, but doesn't matter - they are in the safe zone. Got valuable contacts on speedial. Viewers were the real idiots who thought they were out to build a community, like buyers of OnePlus phones are idiots to think OnePlus wanted to create a great affordable phone. No, OnePlus wanted to be Apple, and guess what? A quick look at the average Hodinkee reader and guests on Hodinkee will tell you all you need to know about the company's aspirations. Like the average viewer or Lex Friedman podcast and the guests on that podcast. Lex wants to be close to the guests, not the average guy. The average folks will provide him with fame, money and contacts.

[@DDWGG1]

I have a few counterpoints to the new content style that Hodinkee is putting out. I feel like as the outlet becomes bigger, I think it's perfectly fine to try out different types of content that is outside of what watch enthusiasts want. Just because they are putting out content that aren't necessarily for watch enthusiasts, it doesn't mean they're NOT putting out content that still makes Hodinkee, Hodinkee. There are still new episodes of Talking Watches, Week on the Wrists, Podcasts, Photo Reports, Auction Reports, In Depth's, etc. Let's also not forget that Hodinkee is usually the first to give us proper hands on with live photos of any new important watch. If Hodinkee only followed what watch enthusiasts want, all we'd be getting are stories on topics that have been absolutely beaten to death (Best Watches Under $5,000, Best Watches for the Summer, Why The Omega Speeedmaster Should Be Part of Your Collection, etc.). This is why I think watch KZbin has gotten so stale in recent years because KZbinrs are too afraid to talk about anything outside of Rolex, Omega, Seiko (Grand Seiko), and Tudor because it's what their audience wants. Do we really need 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year updates on the Black Bay 54? I agree with you that Hodinkee hasn't been quite the same since Jack Forster left. I don't think I've ever once clicked on a "Pre-Owned Picks" article or "Shop Spotlight" article. However, they are putting out content that I thought was interesting. I thought Malaika's tour of Paris was very good. It was interesting for me to see how European watch culture is so different than it is here in the US. The Talking Watches guests in the past 6 months have still been good for the most part. Any new "In-Depth" article that comes out is usually pretty interesting.

[@sinjinadams2862]

Okay, you've made some really great points but then why are they failing? From your point of view, they're really doing a great job putting out new and refreshing content while retaining what they do best. The reality though is it seems that nobody likes it. They don't seem to be attracting the new audience they're looking for and they're loosing their former audience. How do they fix this?

[@LouisGiliberto]

You aren't wrong. This is really a matter of opinion at the end of the day. And I've seen it in other enthusiast outlets. I ride adventure motorcycles, and one site I used to frequent went off the rails injecting politics into a motorcycle discussion. I think that's unfortunate. I know "intersectional" approaches are in vogue these days, but really I want to just read about watches, motorcycles, etc. If I want fashion or politics, I can go to other sites for those. But, sure, some people will love the intersectional articles, so it really is a matter of taste and opinion what one wants out of a given site. And usually when it's intersectional, it comes down to increasing profit or pushing an ideology. If it's an ideology, certain people will love it and others will hate it depending on their pre-conceived notions. If it's profit, that's fair, too, but then they will continue to pursue profit which is how some once good sites ended up being clickbait (Lifehacker, I'm looking at you). Again, everything you said is fair, but at the same time there are other articles they could do specifically for enthusiasts that aren't beaten down. Interviews with Watchmakers, discussion of antique watches, so on and so forth. There's also the (gasp!) low-end homage market and how some of the Chinese companies that are "homage" makers are starting to make their own designs and go past copies (though, I'm sure that would make Hodinkee's Swiss sponsorship unhappy). But for sure, I can't fault you for seeing good in it - that's completely fair. I think it just comes down to all of us have slightly different interests in what they want to read on a watch site.

[@DDWGG1]

@@LouisGiliberto I completely get where you're coming from. For example, if I REALLY want to go in depth on watches under $10,000, you're definitely catching me spending way more time at Worn and Wound than at Hodinkee.

[@DDWGG1]

@@sinjinadams2862 I think they're already taking steps in the right direction in two ways. First is by making the editors (Mark, Tony, Malaika) more visible through podcasts and videos. Part of the reason why people were so upset that Jack, Stephen, Cara, and Cole left is because they were on so many videos and podcasts that the Hodinkee audience felt like that they knew them. If people listened to Malaika on podcasts and videos, it wouldn't be so surprising to the Hodinkee audience that Malaika would make a three part video series of watch culture in Paris because she comes from a fashion background and has interests in watches like Cartier and Bvlgari. Second is featuring more Ben Clymer. I've seen more Ben on the site in the past 6 months than in the last 4 years combined. I think Ben is the dude in watches that shifts the culture and taste in watches the most. If Ben says on a podcast "I really liked Malaika's three part series in Paris because she features a lot of watches and people that I'm interested in.", I believe everyone in the Hodinkee audience would view Malaika's content completely different.

[@MeestroDavid]

All fair points, but I'd argue that the it's not an either/or choice between catering to enthusiasts and broadening the appeal of the content-certainly not as drastic as they made it. The community is so large and diverse that even something as simple as lowering the cost-of-entry by covering more affordable and interesting pieces would be a welcome step (and, no, I don't consider occasional nods to hyped G-Shock releases as evidence that they're not luxury-watch snobs). There's so much interesting history to explore, opportunities for education, and other ways to not just cater to enthusiasts of all tastes and income levels, but to share the passion with people who are just beginning to take an interest and draw them deeper. At the end of the day, it was the snobbery and the laser-focus on the worst flex/status-obsessed aspects of the community that made the whole thing embarrassing and unbearable. It didn't just show in the overtly vapid content-be it the fashion-spreads, videos fawning over celebrity collections of the same 5 watches, the cosplay diving/cycling/flying expeditions, etc-but even the "reviews" which (like all premium watch blogs and videos, to be fair) refuse to find significant fault in ANY luxury timepiece or challenge any marketing fictions laid out in the press release,. As a result, they offer nothing of value to enthusiasts and, as evidenced by their current freewill, anyone else, either.

[@ryana9783]

Hodinkee is like that one nerdy friend who manages to get in with the cool crowd and then slowly but surely abandons the real people in their life that don’t have the right social cred.

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Yep, this comment hits the bullseye. Well said.

[@TheVarskvlavtbichuna]

Absolutely right. Hodibkee simply got greedy I think. Hodinkee founders have ties with Wall Street traders if I’m not wrong. Corporate world saw growing segment and took over the watch enthusiast segment with the plan to mainstreem it and now they are pushing ever more luxury piece with higher pricetags. corporate luxury and corporate business taking over. But guess what we enthusiast can’t be fooled. We know what to buy and what to like, how to make icon. I bet many morons will lose money down the road.

[@bkhleung]

Good opinions and well articulated I guess my only gripe is the under exposed video

[@JohnPWatches]

Good catch

[@Thankyou_3]

Hi John, how come your video quality is little dark…maybe a lighting issue?

[@JohnPWatches]

Thanks for the feedback. Working out new gear.

[@Cmdtheartist]

"New at Dunder/Mifflin Paper Company....the Dunder/Mifflin Social Network: where the cool people go to talk about paper, life and all the whatnots!"

[@zachkramer1770]

I think the recent talking watches have been great like Ed Sheeran and Ronnie Fieg, but every article is advertising pre owned watches in their shop. It’s so annoying

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Hodinkee was publishing "unbiased" articles that promoted watches they were selling. This was like 10 years ago. It really bothered some of the watch enthusiasts like me.

[@andal7404]

Hodinkee's 'chat gatherings' at Watches and Wonders were a sad display of superficiality. The 'my favourite (often $100k plus) watches released' were especially cringeworthy.

[@DutchBulldog]

Hodinkee started going to shit when John Mayer and LVMH started investing in the company back in 2020. From that point onward Hodinkee started to try to appeal to a larger audience instead of what made it successful for so many years (watch enthusiasts and watch collectors). One of the first signs of its downfalls were that reviews started to feel more like advertorials instead of reviews. The editors could only name positive things about the watches that they tried on, which makes me feel that the only goal of those articles was to market this watches with high-quality wrist shots and the Hodinkee brand name slapped behind it. I enjoyed the recent Talking Watches episodes with Ed Sheeran and Ronnie Fieg. But I couldn’t care less about the television and sports celebrities that they brought on who label themselves as “collectors” while only showing hype pieces and talking about watches being good “investments”.

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

Yeah, I left Hodinkee years ago when they started publishing "unbiased" articles promoting the limited-edition watches they started selling. Bad juju. This turned off enthusiasts. On CNBC, guests' ownership of stocks is listed when they appear on screen, indicating any potential conflict of interest. Hodinkee should have done this.

[@stebesplace]

Hodinkee was always poised to be a lifestyle brand and you can see the evolution in their magazine. Regardless of who owns major stake, or acquisitions, they positioned themselves as a content generator of mid to high end watches, and enthusiasts are not always in that target segment. It was the travel clock that positioned them as the butt of the joke. And they never were able to reach the masses like LVMH thought they would, and instead only the enthusiast (who's now lost interest in the brand).

[@tuberaider]

They alienated their original reader base in an effort to expand their reader base. Whatever... They dug their own hole, but articles like the wife swapping thing was low - even by their new standards. Non-psychopaths do not typically treat people the same way they treat wristwatches. 🤔

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

True. I beat up my Rolex; I don't beat up my wife (although she is as tough as a Rolex, and as expensive).

[@Phuqqar]

When they started featuring not-so-subtle Leica adverts I abandoned them. I'm into photography, but that's not why I followed Hodinkee.

[@chrisandsneaky2453]

I'm a photographer too; to be fair, Leica is now selling overpriced watches with their logo on the dial so I guess they're semi-relevant to the watch world.

[@GrumblingForesight]

100% agreed, dont ignore/alienate your core audience. It baffled me to think how with the number of GMT watches that have been coming out in the past few years, none seems (at least to me) to been reviewed on video by James Stacy, Mr. GMT himself! I have owned and sold a Tudor GMT over the past couple of years and I still re-watch his Tudor GMT review video on the big screen from time to time just to experience it again. They have not only been losing top talents but they have also not been playing the ones they have to their strengths.

[@jeremysims3337]

Started going downhill when it changed from magazine to catalog

[@Mall_Watch]

Empty case and/or display only watches collectors understand. Who doesn't understand is the rolex normal historic customer who is going to walk in maybe 2 times in their lifetime for milestone purchases. Those people built rolex and rolex needs to fix this to keep them. They didn't get sustainability to 1m watches a year by selling to collectors. They are the opposite of hodinkee, so they have an equal but opposite death spiral they need to avoid.

[@fieldwalker]

Not sure what you’re talking about, I love the online J. Peterman catalog …

[@fieldwalker]

😜

[@MiriamFlax]

Can you make a video on everything you need to know about watches when making an ad for them

[@OPMDK]

Changes to return back to their core product, maybe position themselves like revolution with an eccentric charismatic millionaire type with information as a product targeted towards new money types would probably work if the corporate shells didn’t have accountants running the ship. Also, like politics, finding someone who is generally universally liked is a massive hurdle. Also, the $$$$$ travel clock…

[@20thcenturyboy85]

Thank you for your opinions and views on Hodinkee. They really went for the easy money with the recent expansion towards the casual consumer. Its difficult for a sales driven business to move away from pure aficionado content. Hope they figure out a balance. I enjoy their "Reference Points" videos about various classic wrist watches. It really helps in developing a love, recognition, and appreciation for vintage and modern time pieces.

[@mitchlee123]

A business doesn't need to be worth a billion dollars to be considered successful. Ownership wasn't content with being a blog and a retailer of accessories like watch straps. Greed caused the business to grow (and then implode) like a supernova.

[@KMV007]

There is a conflict of interest between reviewing watches and selling them at the same time.

[@sinjinadams2862]

My question is, why don't they go back to doing whatever made them great in the first place. Wouldn't this fix their problem and prevent them from going under. Or is it just too late.

[@spencerstein8525]

I think James Stacy still sticks to watch content....I skip over content by any other author/writer.

[@johnburgess6572]

I like Ben and Hodinkee but haven't followed too much lately. I liked it at the level where Ben did the interviews and it wasn't about his sweater or his car. Maybe there is a level at which they can return and be Hodinkee at their best. Ben used to talk about his family connection to watches, we like that !!!!!!!

[@AkuNoHana]

I had no idea all the things going on with Hodinkee. For last 2 year or so I've completely wrote them off as pretentious, tasteless, and cringe. I also used to find a lot of cool and neat watches on Crown & Caliber, and have bought so many from them. But I noticed also in the last 2 years I've stopped browsing their inventory as it has gotten more and more basic and derivative, basically Reddit watches. Now it all make sense.

[@timsmith645]

HUBRIS...they started to believe in their own PR (with the wealthiest guy on the Planet - LMVH owner, feeling their collar in the background) - what WAS their business model and what MIGHT be their current business model tells all we need to know! here's a clue --- IT'S ALL ABOUT THEIR FIXED COSTS......simples guys, don't try to over think this one....

[@kabatake]

I had stopped going to Hodinkee when it became too corporate, and I just did not trust what they were selling.

[@jonathansmith283]

JP - a good view expressed , good explanation . be safe ~ JDS/CT

[@JohnPWatches]

Thank you!

[@telegraphkid]

This was a great vid. To add to the many comments, yes I thought Jack Fosters departure was an enormous loss but I also really missed the adventure stories namely by Jason Heaton, Cole etc. Hodinkee has lost its sense of fun and the comments section does not seem to reflect that of a tight knit community anymore. As an previous avid reader since 2014, Hodinkee def lost my attention over the past year of so.

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

I remember the Bethany Frankel video. Most of the watches she discussed were gifted by whomever was her boyfriend at the time.

[@rs5419]

I followed Hodinkee for several years. It is a pretentious web site, talking about pretentious over priced watches, interviewing pretentious ego inflated watch owners. They would write 10,000 words about a new watch and no where would there be a price amount. You would have to search for 30 minutes to find the watch price on a watch they were promoting. Shouldn't the price be front and center??? Not in their world. And then the articles two years ago regarding those obnoxious Rolex designs, and I mean 100% obnoxious, Hodenkee tried to blow smoke up our asses telling us how creative they were and that they would be an investment in the future. Those and many other things made me want to puke when going to the web site so I quit going. !00% pure arrogance on the owner, the writers and every article they wrote. They single handedly artificially drove up the prices of Rolex, where. Rolex was already 40% higher than it should have ever been. Done with Hodinkee.

[@WestCoastAce27]

I think you’re too kind. Watching super rich celebrities gush about their flex watch collection (and how quickly they get ‘the call’) is just nasty and condescending. And not sure I’ll be hanging around for the potential redemption arc. One bit of advice - you put up numerous images with text but didn’t leave them up long enough to read.

[@dukirps]

LVMH don’t want/need to sell watches to people who will buy watches anyway.. they want non watch wearers to get into the hobby so they write articles for non watch enthusiasts

[@sebastianmackay5657]

I got into watches like two months ago so I'm new and saw some video from them but it got me confused bc hodinky means watches in Slovak and y is read like ee in English so I thought it was a Slovak Channel lol

[@abhaig]

Interesting video but comments about “corporate interests” are over-stated. No where do you mention that John Mayer and Tom Brady are investors - both are watch collectors and John is very knowledgeable. Chernin group was the lead investor, not LVMH. It’s funded by many individuals as well as VC - goal is to capitalize company so it can expand - quite common - they can’t be compared to Federico. Two very different operations

[@leonardoscharancysne5297]

I sincerely agree. We all have to remember that Hodinkee isn't a blog, it's a company, who needs working capital and profit. I have been reading their content for more than 10 years, and it's reasonable that I won't like all their posts, that's fine to me.

[@bobnewby9129]

The investment was the mistake. Kudos to Clymer for cashing in, but the investment and subsequent need to overly monetize the website has killed it.

[@TheAmbitiousPeasant]

I noticed this when Ben Clymer started to become more and more visible again. Doing the stuff he did himself when Hodinkee was just starting. Hope they break it off with LVMH (sorry, I have my very strong opinions re Bernard Arnault lol) and refocus on what they do best!

[@andrew811ful]

A lot of it had to do with “timing”… they expanded at the wrong time and incorrectly thought 2020-2021 would continue on

[@Robert.Dickson]

I used to subscribe to their magazine, which was high quality, but I think they disappeared up their own butt when they started selling Driving gloves at around $800 and let’s not forget the travel clock. Make no mistake, they were the voice among collectors and enthusiasts. You just have to look at who’s not there any more-Jack Forster, Stephen Pulvirent and Cole Pennington are the main names to leave. Most of the ones there now are fairly forgettable, although I have to give James Stacey credit for going strong, but for how much longer. It is sad to see the demise, but it has lost its core readership.

[@ultimaetsolder]

Not really a surprise. I like watches but they always seem like trinkets for the wrist, same as ladies and purses and shoes. Horological always makes me chuckle.

[@osobad1127]

Hood-wink-ee never liked them from the start

[@pureounce.9184]

A lot of speculation here. Like an awful lot. Very few people have any clue how a private company is really doing in truth. A lot of the complaints seem to stem from Hodinkee's dilution of its content. Which not only is understandable it was the goal from very early on. As watch-collecting, owning, and shopping becomes more mainstream - so will magazines' coverage of it. The amount of people who know about, can afford and want a niche brand has expanded, they are are not the hardcore collectors of yesteryear. They want a couple nice watches or few and understand there's a full world beyond Rolex. These people vastly outnumber hardcore collectors, so naturally Hodinkee will want to cater to these types of customer.

[@SoCalWatchReviews]

John is a great story teller ❤

[@ivansmith4242]

Bah they don’t need regular people. Their average customer has a salary of 500k a year and a net worth of several million dollars.

[@twosecondswatch]

I think as a company, they are successful and very similar to how many brands outside the watch world grow and get acquired by investors. That’s normally when things change, and normally they will start alienating their core audience of people who supported the company in the same place. It’s kinda sad but I guess that’s how the world of capitalism works. When it goes mainstream, it will always ditch the people who supported them at the beginning. 😢

[@investoriespodcast7744]

John Nails it! spot on.

[@chateaubullion2560]

I think I stopped reading Hodinkee articles around the time they started selling $5000 alarm clocks.

[@ai-rz7ty]

Listen, like it or not, Hodinkee has changed, trying to position themselves to a broader audience. The only people upset are the people who want Hodinkee to be the small niche brand it started from but we all know what happens if you stay small. Keep your personal feelings out of it b/c it’s business and let’s see if they can become better what they are now. Not trying to be mean but most people won’t know what Del Rey watches are. Only enthusiasts will. Hodinkee has a much broader audience now so they are susceptible to more opinions. That’s something they have to except. They need to do better, I agree. Especially on the customer connection side. You can’t even talk to a representative on the phone anymore. What is that? But C,mon, much of the watch community has gotten here through Hodinkee. Let’s not forget. But I’m with the frustrated people who know Hodinkee should be better.

[@terrysky83]

With such fierce competition in the media market, e.g. blogs, videos, pod casts, any downfall is more likely fatal. Hodinkee's fate certainly isn't good. Thankfully we have Watchfinder from England 😁

[@DGoetz26]

Used to love Hodinkee. Haven’t bothered with anything Hodinkee related in years now. They went away from everything that made them different and interesting.

[@bbrebozo6417]

The “life style brand” label is usually used as a compliment (for brands like Ferrari or Rolex). There’s nothing more pathetic than a brand that thinks it’s a “lifestyle brand” when it isn’t. Interesting how many of the watch brands that enthusiasts like to disparage as high priced & poor quality, belong to the same conglomerate that destroyed hoestinky.

[@christophercostanzo2208]

Spot on. Hodinkee had a strength for enthusiast content. Not dabbling in the saturated grey market. Not catering to virtue signaling. Go back to enjoying horology content for what it is and not a pontification on how a watch movement might be contributing to the melting of the glaciers or how a GMT is racist.

[@TheLute70]

Excellent John. Very insightful.

[@albertomoro86]

Rather then doubling down on the watch geeks’ niche (because guys, we gotta be honest here, ours is a niche market) they tried to expand the pie going to lifestyle and selling watches to then understand that those were not where their core fans wanted to go. Hope they will learn the lesson before will be too late.

[@ClubBlau]

TBH I have heard of them but never seen their content at all... I like watchfinder, andrew morgan, and some of the smaller channels. I guess I'll continue to do what I was already doing and not watch them.

[@classicsciencefictionhorro1665]

What does the word Hodinkee mean? Sounds Indian (from India).

[@baze3SC]

"Hodinky" is a word that means "watches" in Czech and Slovak languages. Hodinkee is a transcripton that accounts for English spelling.

[@TuxBearlux]

I do Watch swapping ❤😊😊

[@regsantotomas]

Hodinkee’s trajectory towards desired but ultimately unsustainable growth resulted in a loss of identity.

[@nizarmurar]

Many thanks, John You are absolutely genius. Nizar

[@JohnPWatches]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching!

[@nizarmurar]

@JohnPWatches Dear John, I just informed Venezianico, very promising micro brand to contact you and have you as their consultant in away or another . I believe that you are the best consultant, and they are the best microbrand . You both deserve each other. With love and admiration Nizar

[@KezAH-GT]

Your right there talking watches videos came an absolute joke all it was were celebrities and their Daytonas and nothing ever interesting or unique in those videos. You think if they were really enthusiasts and had all the money in the world they would have more then 10 Daytona and a Royal Oak

[@RunningFast]

Just left a maison LVMH acquired. I promise you, when LVMH comes in all the good people leave and whats left are a bunch of new execs focused on impressing LVMH and all the old people not talented or driven enough to find a new job.

[@seancatacombs]

When you take on corporate investors like LVMH the business isn't yours anymore. Stable incremental growth YoY is no longer enough. Every quarter you're going to need to reiterate your plan for how you're going to "10x" readership and convert that readership to watch shop sales or ad clicks at a higher % than last quarter. If you don't do this you are failing and will be made to change editorial stuff dramatically to try and adjust. Unless Ben or the staff buy back the company from the investors, I don't see an offramp to the decline here

[@FFL3001]

Hey.... what to you mean?!?!.. we don't look like this?!?!

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

😂😂😂

[@THX-C]

Hodinkee is currently for sneaker blockheads that will pay $1500 for that overpriced quartz Kith watch. It’s really sad. They screwed C&C and then had to lay off a lot of watchmakers.

[@AcmeRocket]

That Chopard fashion design one was the worst. So bad.

[@Ryan_Tinney]

Spot on video.

[@JohnPWatches]

Thank you

[@fourlakes]

Never was a fan of Hodinkee. I enjoyed some of the talking watches videos, but that was about it. Never was a fan of the blogs, or the limited edition crap.

[@cedarcanoe]

The moment investors (LVMH) came on board, shit started.

[@LouisGiliberto]

The truth in this video made me sub to your channel. Thank you for calling them out.

[@Lifeperhour94]

At the beginning it was nice. Any self respecting bloke read fratello these days. I’ve been sort of thinking maybe I should do this myself and start writing watch articles.

[@Ervinyj]

I’m not sure about this theory, anything that ‘L wee’ touch, seems to go down hill…

[@Bhethar]

That’s the problem with ma t companies. It’s no longer about the craft, it’s about milking the readers

[@ms.bunniesarecute2287]

Listen to rich entitled men moan and groan about anything is a joy. Im here for whatever, as long as it makes them annoyed 😂

[@mikefleissner4415]

Thankyou JonP

[@wiwatchguy8798]

Wow. Imagine being so bereft of actual meaningful content that you have to put this out. What’s more is he doesn’t even get the facts straight. Not only does he claim an article is about wife-swapping, an article that doesn’t even mention wife-swapping, but shows an article that’s a “Hands On” article about a watch while saying their content isn’t as much about watches anymore. I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised considering he cites Chopard as the author of a piece that was actually in fact written by one of their editors. He literally states that it’s a wife-swapping article, which isn’t even in the article, and then seconds later says “it’s not just about wife-swapping” and that it’s a “passing comment”. For starters, it can’t be both. It’s either an article about wife-swapping or a passing comment about wife-swapping in an article. Can’t believe that needs to be clarified. Anyway, as for the comment in the article that is in question, it literally says nothing about actual wife-swapping. I’ll leave it there, but so much wrong with this video it’s incredible.

[@james12361224]

Yeah totally true. I heard they laid off more people, now only 30 out of 150 prior to layoffs are left

[@DecemberNames]

they should rename and restart as "watches and wife swapping". you are welcome hodinkee. you owe me one.