Horological Meandering

They are a business and in the business of making money via advertorials... its nothing new, the printing press has been selling good reviews for years. How many brands would continue to advertise with newspapers, magazines or sites like Hodinkee, if they really wrote the truth about how bad a particular product was or how a competitors was better?
Hodinkee have just expanded to selling advertising and paid reviews of watches as well as selling watches. To me, it makes great business sense to get as many income streams as possible for their business to maximise profits, they are not an independent source of knowledge or a community sharing good/bad and personal thoughts, they are a business.
Interesting that you noticed the review on the week before the release, but guess it is like a subliminal teaser... just to get your brain starting to tick!
Cheers
Andrew

It sounded scary that big businesses would take advantage of kids watching TV and could control your mind that way. then I grew up and realized it wasn't so scary but definitely a slimey practice. I read that the UK bans it, not sure if US does too.

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They have said multiple times that they want to be the go to source for information on watches. And I don't mean just reviews, I mean they want to be a factual horological reference.

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I don't think Hodinkee pulls punches about what offerings they like and which ones they don't regardless of the brand.  If they do a collaboration piece it's because they favor the reference, not the brand.  Although I'm sure we'll see them continue to roll out limited editions with many different brands.

I have been reading them since years. All this has been pretty clear to me when I see a guy who could not afford a basic three hand Lange, traveling now with a Dufour in his arm.
I am happy for him since he loves watches indeed imo, but it does make me realize that he is not doing independent watch journalism.
Anyway, I still think what they did with VC will open eyes in the watch industry, and will contribute to the sales' model shift, so overall I think noone will bother about the independence of their work.
And just to be complete about ethics, I personally have huge doubts on the independence of watch auctions, where specific watch houses break records for no reason, after specific points in time. The most obvious one of them started breaking records from a specific point in time, so something was decided there.
Just look at Heuers with Mr Biver at the helm. They are auction darlings now from being in the dumps till a few months ago. So much for independence and free market forces.
All the best,
Alex

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And they compensate him for that.
Have a great one my friend,
Alex

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Confining myself to possible reason for TAG Heuer or Heuer prices strengthening at auctions recently.

TAG Heuer recently set out a new policy to be the guardians of their own patrimony.
This means they will attempt to restore rather than replace vintage parts.

They have a Heritage department headed by Catherine Eberle-Devaux and museum with timepieces owned or loaned to the brand by FoTH (friends of Tag Heuer).

New re-editions in tribute to but evolution from vintage pieces raised interest in the original watches.

All these give collectors confidence in the continued viability of their "babies". Hence the prices rising.

Regards
MTF

But the recent prices of +200K, and considering the jump is of 20-30 times within weeks or at best months, does not reasonate with the business person in me, and neither with the irrational watch collector in me.
It simply does not work like that.
For a brand to be taken seriously, it needs true manufacture pedigree, a recognizable and respected design ethos or style, a stable ownership, and a few more things, for manny a years before the market starts taking notice and react.
Here we have a brand whose modern designs are simply ugly or anonymous, movements are nowhere near Omega for example, and they are about to reissue one vintage-inspired watch.
I sincerely don't think anyone sane who would need to spend his own money, would spend 200K on a Heuer at an auction, unless it belonged to someone famous or so.
Hence, these recent records can only be triggered by the brand itself.
Just to be complete, they did not invent this game, so I don't blame them for anything. I just don't believe in these stories.
All the best,
Alex

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hat off
Respect
One of the best answers so far...i'm still reading it all

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chapeau ;-)

From being a watch blog to media partner with strong commercial ties to the manufacturer to watch (& accessories) store towards a trend gauge and trend setter.

All of the recent special editions, the Zenith, the Nomos, the VC, were outstandingly desirable watches with a superb appeal to great many of seasoned watch collectors (myself included). Hodinkee has proven time and time again that they understand the market, particularly the collectors, and that they thus could offer consultation and guidance on future watch development.

There was no single mistake I am aware of recently.

Thus, next to being a watch resource of significant outreach and impact, they can offer a lot of additional added value to the brands - value that come from a deep understanding of the inner workings of a watch geek, unfiltered by retailer, sales people or marketing departments.

As a consequence, Hodinkee's importance to the brands can only grow, and this not only to those they already worked with. Their clout grows tremendously, they have proven they *got it*.

I am watching this with great fascination. As (commercial) blogs get slowly being sidelined by watch companies going inboxes with blog like contents and imagery, Hodinkee has managed to counter this by offering unprecedented expertise combined with an impact to match, which in turn gives their expertise the necessary market force.

As much as I dislike the commercial ties and the repercussions this needs to have on content, I admire heir business acumen.

Thanks for bringing up this interesting read.
Magnus

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that free flowing reporting with now (or at least very little) commercial interest such as this site we increasingly be sidelined and be given, as a consequence, less reseources from the brands and less access and information.
One absolutely outstanding advantage with commercial watch blogs is that brands have tremendously more control over what is communicated and how. With a more anarchistic forum such as ours, much less so. Guess what they like more, particularly if a blog can steer the entire value chain from idea to development to marketing to communication?

This message has been edited by MTF on 2017-02-12 14:13:49

They obviously have a great momentum and have the need too carry it on.
I read Hodinkee in the same light as reading Revolution, GMT, Luxury in the Financial Times, etc, etc. They are adverts for brands who pay to have articles written, either directly or via advertising. They are written by very knowledgeable and passionate journalists or collectors, but of course paid to write 'nice things'. It is their job. It's the difference between an open and informative forum (which has both positive and negative) and a professional blog/advertiser/website/business. The days of personal blogs diminish (watches, luxury, etc) as brands start to pay, advertise, give free trips or products.
Let's see what is next and well done to Hodinkee.
Cheers
Andrew

In a nutshell, I say demand more from Hodinkee before they become an even bigger goliath in the industry. They are a polished operation and their content side of the house acts like journalism, a very slickly well-produced one at that. So if it quacks like a duck and swims like a duck and looks like a duck, then it's a duck. For goodness sakes, they have a recurring article called "Breaking News" and staff titles of various Editor positions. If they pick and choose the trappings of professional journalism, they need to follow all the way with the ethics of standard journalism and tell your readers/viewers when there could be self-interest. I hear the other side of the argument that it's imputed what they are & do and it's generally done by others so just get along with the fun. Let's demand a little bit more because Hodinkee is sophisticated enough to do it. It's not a part-time gig by some beer buddies.

Here's why I'm peeved at Hodinkee: they create well-written and well-produced content. We consume it and we form opinions as a result of it. It may be small or it may not. We perhaps enjoy it at some level. And that enjoyment influences to some extent how we'll spend our money on a watch. It influences the ultimate true value of a watch then because it helps you make up your mind. They may be one of many factors. Then they start to sell a watch from one specific manufacturer and the initial thought is nice & cool. But think about it further. How fair & balanced have the content been created all that time in the past? Has there been a wink-wink that "one manufacturer has been shown in a generally positive light" over a sustained period of time? And your eyes have been turned somewhere it would not have been otherwise. And does that wink extend to you, that there is an assumption that you like to be creatively steered down this path to ultimately the full reveal of the shiny object in the gift shop and you should pull out your wallet. That realization should put a pause in you. I don't like to be nudged after the fact by the jolly ruddy faced guy who winks at me and says he put a little kicker in my drink. Look, if Hodinkee sold watches from every manufacturer for whom they create content, it would be fine. It would be a consistent clear market & sell message and everyone would understand quickly that it's advertising in the guise of journalism. But they don't and they agggressively push out new content daily about many things and they need to be good guys and raise their hand and say "hey guys I might want to sell you something this one time so read this about who makes it and other cool things they make".

Where is the bias? because they featured this watch in another article or the Zenith before the LE ? It makes a lot of sense to educate the potential buyer about a watch. I don't really see any evidence of bias or anything to suggest that their journalism is less professional.
Is a bit like the Rolex Daytona that Ben and others loved. A lot of people had a problem with that but why? How can you not say what you like with such emotional items. Let's not forget that they do report watch news but, in many pieces, they clearly show their opinions. Not different than opinion pieces in several newspapers.
I would really hate if hodinkee would stop this collaborations for the so called pure readers that, often, do not contribute at all to the site. For once a watch enthusiast like myself could get a LE watch (not this one, a more humble Zenith and the Nomos) by the virtue of being loyal and faster when it was available to order. No schemes with the AD, no privileges. A very democratic way to acquire a watch that would be missed if is no longer there.
The site would gain nothing without the collaborations. All this alleged bias is just..alleged as there is no evidence whatsoever that they favour one manufacturer or another. Even if in some pieces they clearly state their own opinions this is entirely fine to me and it should be to all readers.
Buy always what you liked and not what is reported or hyped by "neutral sources" that simply do not exist. A great watch to someone is terrible for someone else. You have certainly the right to "demand" certain things (even if demand might be the wrong word in this context) but what about the other readers like myself? We don't have the rights to enjoy a special edition watch ? All this because of an totally unproven (and very unrealistic) bias.

I think what I read you saying is Hodinkee has done a public good by promoting watches for everyone to consider and even better they have promoted some new versions of watches that they sold themselves and many people like and cannot get anywhere else. I am not arguing for an end to the Hodinkee special watches. I've said that I wish Hodinkee success to contribute to the economy.

I'm saying Hodinkee should directly tell the reader when they promote the merits of a watch manufacturer from whom they get a cut of profits. In the US, the ethical standards of journalism (I am paraphasing and this is my opinion because I am not a Journalism professor) have two big hallmarks: independence and transparency.
What I saw with Hodinkee's VC watch release was the appearance that their past editorial coverage of VC watches was also guided by the known benefit of future direct income to sell a watch made by VC. It does not appear now in hindsight that Hodinkee was fully independent and transparent when they wrote those VC-related articles over the past year. It may not be a significant point to some PuristS. It is to me.

"should directly tell the reader when they promote the merits of a watch manufacturer from whom they get a cut of profits. " They do tell to each reader when the watch featured in an article is a special edition Hodinkee or not. When is not, there is no bias or agenda but of course they might like some watches more than others. This is the whole point of such a site, reviews etc. Even here you have featured forums, advertisers, moderators etc. but it doesn't mean that their reviews or moderation style is clouded.
I disagree with your assessment but I respect your opinion even if is from the opposite angle.

I think this is important, you have made a good point here. However, perhaps HODINKEE are helping us in a way. They steered me on to Grand Seiko, that was a good idea! I think they were genuinely right to do so, the believe in the brand and rightly so.

I do agree though, they need to be more direct. They need to say very loudly and clearly, we are receiving financial benefit from this brand for this article.

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you rant about nothing.

Most people have quite a few detailed opinions about the issue, regardless on how they stand to the issue. I also think it is not a rant, judging by tone as well as on the succinctly presented arguments (which are per se debatable).
Kind regards,
Magnus

is invariably done throughout. Manufacturers advertise in the watch magazines and receive favorable press. The poster here knows this site sells VC watches and apparently all kinds of watches. To assume Hodinkee is unethical or dishonest and deliberately misrepresented their review of a VC product is not appropriate in my view. All of these sites and media outlets are paid by the watch manufacturers through advertising and other promotions. All those expensive dinners at the ritziest places with all the press present. They are doing that just to be nice. I do not think so. If you want to publically disparage Hodinkee why not present hard facts of misrepresentations and the falsehoods made in connection with the VC watch in question. What a novel idea.