Horological Meandering

The distinction between Hodinkee's watch-related musings and its shop is not a hard firewall in the way that, say, Time & Tide tries to maintain. aBlogtoWatch attaches disclaimers in front of sponsored articles so that readers know what they're in for, as in the current puff piece written for them by Bvlgari's marketing department. There is no need for such caveats from Hodinkee because adverticles are its bread and butter.

The lines are blurred further by the special editions that Hodinkee produces in conjunction with brands: Swatch, Grand Seiko and Gronefield being three recent examples. These are intended to curry favour with - and access to -brands. We can expect ZERO critical engagement out of these projects and MAXIMUM 'industry influence' for Hodinkee. That's why they are celebrating so effusively the recent Phillips auction where two of their products did well.

This heedless commercialism has translated into the way Hodinkee deals with criticism. The travel clock fiasco was a stand-out example of this. The most telling moment in this episode was the open letter written by its COO in its aftermath. There was no admission that they had been caught with their heads up their backsides and had committed an error of judgment that only arrogance can produce. Hodinkee demonstrated it has a tin ear, but will feel justified because it sold every one of those things. This makes a gullible audience as culpable as Hodinkee of making this type of business viable.

It won't stop. Hodinkee's venture into watch insurance ought to raise alarm bells. Beyond the actual offer, it is going to monetise user data, just as it subordinates every other aspect of its operations to making money. I can say this with some assurance based on two foundations: (a) how Hodinkee has operated to date; and (b) a porous privacy policy ripe for exploitation, one that would not be permissible in Europe.

There will be half-hearted statements about objectivity and integrity if/when LVMH takes up an ownership stake. I don't attach much value to this.

Industry consolidation has already had an effect on watch design. The skeletonised outputs from Tag Heuer, Zenith and Hublot are essentially the same thing at three different price points. Expect the same flattening out in this corner of watch 'journalism.'

The saddest thing about what Hodinkee represents is that it trades on intangibles: our irrational love for watches. That it monetises it so nakedly should be offensive to more people than it is. I don't have an issue with businesses making money: that's what they're for. It's the lack of transparency and dissembling that offends. If they simply said "We make money out of your love of watches" that would be a start. But we live in an age of surfaces, so branding to conceal motives and deflect criticism are the order of the day.

More posts: Grand Seiko

  login to reply