This week, we speak with Benjamin Clymer and Jeffery Fowler of Hodinkee, the preeminent website for enthusiasts of modern and vintage wristwatches. Clymer, who’s been dubbed “The High Priest of Horology,” founded the site in 2008 and is currently executive chairman; Fowler was appointed Hodinkee’s chief executive officer in 2022. Hodinkee’s ambition is to become the global leader in watches, content, and commerce.
Anticipating getting laid off during the GFC, Clymer took a buyout from UBS in 2008 and used the cash to launch a blog dedicated to his enthusiasm for wristwatches and vintage timepieces. The site became the go-to info source for watch enthusiasts and collectors. It was the first site really dedicated to promoting the watch industry. Hodinkee was a consultant to Apple in the design of the Apple Watch.
He explains how the site was profitable from its beginning, with Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Rolex as advertisers. But the industry looked askance at online as a quirky sideline and failed to recognize its potential as an information source and retailer. It took the industry the better part of a decade — and a pandemic — to recognize the power of the internet to drive enthusiasm and sales of watches.
Clymer tells the story of getting a random mail from a reader — “some accountant in Texas named John Mayer ” — who asked him to telephone to chat about watches. As it turned out, it was not the Texas accountant but rather, John Mayer the rock star. “I’m coming into town, let’s record something,” Mayer said. Rolling heavy with a big bag of watches, they set up a camera, and recorded a video of “Talking Watches.” Hodinkee posted it on YouTube where it became an instant viral sensation, launching a new series that features musicians, athletes, and comedians talking watches. It quickly became a staple of the site.
A transcript of our conversation is available here Tuesday.
You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here.
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business next week with Julian Salisbury, Chief Investment Officer of Goldman Sachs Asset & Wealth Management, with $737 billion in assets under management. He is a member of the Management Committee and Co-Chair of the Asset Management Investment Committees, (private equity, infrastructure, growth equity, credit, and real estate).
2013: Talking Watches with John Mayer
2,344,287 views Sep 25, 2013
Well. You asked for it. You got it. Today we are proud to launch an entirely new HODINKEE original video series. We’re loosely calling it “Talking Watches,” and these videos are just that – us, talking watches with our friends, new and old. Basically, we will use these monthly – yes, you’ll get a new episode each month from here until eternity – videos to give you insight into the minds of watch collectors you might not come across in your daily life. Guys like John Mayer.
