One week into shelter-in-place restrictions and HoDinkee’s founder Benjamin Clymer has a plan! “I would encourage you, if you are looking to buy a watch, to buy it new and authorized,” his open letter pleads, “as those sales help retailers, distributors, and manufacturers stay afloat.” Save the watch industry! Buy from HoDinkee at full retail! Not kidding . . .
Continue reading “HoDinkee’s Clymer: My Plan to Save the Watch Industry!”
The Truth About Watches has been reporting on the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the watch industry since it first reared its ugly head in December. HoDinkee’s been predictably silent on the subject – given their closerthanthis relationship with the main playas. Post Baselworld cancellation, HoDinkee can’t ignore the story. They’re ridiculously late to the party, but they brought some interesting info . . .
Coronageddon claimed Watches and Wonders and Baselworld. Both held off on deep-sixing their events as long as they could. Shortly after they pulled the plug – and not-so-coincidentally – the Swiss government banned all large-scale public gatherings. So that’s that. And then a conglomerate of Swiss watchmakers decided to create a new event with limited-size groups: Geneva Watch Days. Here’s part of their press release . . .
Continue reading “Geneva Watch Days 2020 – Cynical, Stupid, Deadly and Doomed”
“The coronavirus is keeping Chinese tourists away from its London boutiques, British retailer Watches of Switzerland said,” reuters.com reports, “but local demand for Rolex sales is so strong it is making up for the decline.” And once that demand is satisfied? The Asian Rolex market’s coronavirus-caused disappearance spells good news for people waiting for a Rolex, bad news for Rolex resale . . .
A Grand Seiko SBGZ003 for sixty grand? WTF? I’m having a hard time understanding Grand Seiko. I love their craftsmanship and minimalist design – excluding any of their pieces with a power reserve indicator on the dial. Which is all of the “lower-priced” Spring Drive models. Which this anniversary model doesn’t have. But the question remains: what drugs is Seiko taking? Let’s take a look at their justification . . .