Hodinkee Names New Editor-in-Chief

Hodinkee has named James Stacey its new editor-in-chief.

Stacey, who joined the watch-enthusiast site as a contributor in 2017, will be tasked with returning Hodinkee’s editorial offer to its former agenda-setting status while modernising its approach in a space that has become more crowded and social media-centric since the company’s peak in the late 2010s. He will work closely with founder Benjamin Clymer, who rejoined the company as president following its acquisition by British retailer Watches of Switzerland Group in October.

“[Stacey] understands the core of the brand in a way very few people do,” said Clymer. “He gets what made Hodinkee special when we were doing things that really changed the game.”

Launched in 2008, Hodinkee was a pioneer in coverage of watches online. The company cultivated a community of collectors and devotees at a time when the market was taking off, attracting high-profile investments from LVMH Luxury Ventures and celebrities including NFL quarterback Tom Brady and singer John Mayer. But more recently, Hodinkee has struggled. After a poorly timed attempt to build a retail business with its acquisition of used-Rolex seller Crown & Caliber in 2021 — just before the start of a market slump that saw watch prices plummet and sales slow, particularly in the secondary market — Hodinkee has cycled through leadership, layoffs and faced critique online by former fans.

“Hodinkee was distracted,” said Clymer. “The eye wasn’t on the prize in terms of meeting people where they were.”

Now the site has “a certain amount of stability” under Watches of Switzerland, according to Stacey. Stacey will refocus on what he says Hodinkee does best: new-release news, expert-led product reviews, original photography, getting access to tastemakers and products like its “Talking Watches” video series and its bi-annual magazine. At the same time, he has his sights set on beefing up Hodinkee’s social-media strategy — including on TikTok, where many young collectors gather — and sees opportunity in pursuing new projects, like streaming.

“We want to continue to lead the charge in exploring the watch world, while finding ways to not always be preaching to the choir, and finding new people and bringing them in,” said Stacey.

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Watches of Switzerland Acquires Hodinkee

The deal aims strengthen the British company’s online presence in the US, leveraging Hodinkee’s strong editorial content despite the latter’s struggles in the used watch market.