Hodinkee Was Just Bought by the Watches of Switzerland Group

Two of the biggest names in the watch world have just linked up—but not on something like a limited-edition timepiece.

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The Watches of Switzerland Group , the largest luxury watch retailer in the United Kingdom, acquired the editorial company Hodinkee on Friday. Hodinkee will remain an independent media organization under the Watches of Switzerland Group umbrella, and all of the company’s staff will remain headquartered in New York City. Ben Clymer, who founded Hodinkee back in 2008, will return as CEO after leaving that role in 2020.

“At its core, Hodinkee was founded on a passion for watches that has never wavered. Brian Duffy and David Hurley, both of whom I’ve known for the better part of a decade, share the passion that launched Hodinkee,” Clymer said in a statement. “I’ve seen how they have disrupted the watch retail world at scale, and I am honored to align Hodinkee with Watches of Switzerland. I genuinely can’t wait for the future.”

The Watches of Switzerland Group currently oversees six different brands: Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb, Goldsmiths, Mayors, Betteridge , and Analog:Shift . It also owns the exclusive distribution rights for Roberto Coin in the United States, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean. Now it’s making a push into editorial with the Hodinkee acquisition, which the group hopes will be a mutually beneficial relationship for the two companies.

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In its announcement, the Watches of Switzerland Group said it aims to support Hodinkee’s status as a leader in the watch community, and to help further its content in the horological space. In return, the Watches of Switzerland Group will gain further insight into and access to that same community of watch lovers. Additionally, Hodinkee offers watch and jewelry insurance to its users, and now the Watches of Switzerland Group will work on that program as well.

“The Watches of Switzerland Group prides itself on its adeptness in the retail industry. The Group stays at the forefront of the luxury industry,” Duffy, the CEO of the Watches of Switzerland Group, said in a statement. “As part of this strategy, we align ourselves with brands who inspire us, and whose partnership offers a mutually beneficial outcome. Hodinkee distinguishes itself in the world of horology, and while our goal is to provide Hodinkee with a home to continue to flourish, we are proud to gain valuable insights from their groundbreaking team and operation.”

The new partnership acts as a melding of the minds between two of the most well-known brands in the watch world. Hodinkee had previously dabbled in retail, both with limited-editions in partnerships with well-known companies and when it purchased pre-owned dealer Crown & Caliber in 2021, but ultimately offloaded the business in 2023 after facing challenges in the shifting luxury market in the post-pandemic era. Interestingly just as the brand that started out as an editorial source on watches returns to its journalistic roots, it’s purchased by a gargantuan but much respected watch retailer. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article , it is alleged that Hodinkee has faced numerous challenges in scaling and developing its business in recent years. Nevertheless, it is widely recognized for kickstarting the recent renaissance in watch collecting over the last decade, especially the last five years, so it’s no wonder Watches of Switzerland was interested in keeping it ticking. We’ll be curious to see how it manifests moving forward.

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