# Hodinkee 8 Day Travel Clock - Thoughts?



## Dorian Galt

The latest from Hodinkee..








HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock Limited Edition


Our Take The HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock is the result of our lifelong admiration for vintage clocks. After discovering a reserve of 96 new-old-stock movements a few years ago, we knew it was our opportunity to bring one of our favorite horological creations of the past back to life. The...




shop.hodinkee.com













Love it? Hate it?

Vintage travel clocks are often in the hundreds $$$s.


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## arcadelt

Dorian Galt said:


> Love it? Hate it?


Soooo expensive.


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## Glencoe

$5,900????? Is it made from the hide of a dodo bird?


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## sticky

It looks nice, very nice actually, but if I were dropping that sort of money on a timepiece I’d sooner buy another Rolex.


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## Lcater95

This would be interesting at $1000 not $6000! Probably the one Hodinkee limited edition they will struggle to sell out of.


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## mav

Cool concept, but I'll pass. Anyways my Big Pilot doubles as a desk clock, travel clock.


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## Dorian Galt

It is definitely a lot of money, and will be interesting to see if this is one that breaks the "sold out" / flipping trend. 

I do think the font is very stylish, and interesting especially after watching the episode on Hoefler on the Netflix series "Abstract: The Art of Design". 

I also see a similar clock by Pontifa online for <$200. The movement winding and setting gears do not look to be exactly configured as the Hodinkee clock, but it gives you a sense of the movement cost/market value.

For the money, I would also rather prop up a $5,900 wristwatch on the desk/bedside table!


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## Aspyred

I was actually thinking about picking up a vintage clock and so when I saw Hodinkee's, I thought, "perfect, maybe it'll be pricey, but let's just see!"

*$5,900?*

I think I was mad at my screen for a moment before the better of me reminded me that luxury watch prices are like this for most people.


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## emgee79

Lcater95 said:


> This would be interesting at $1000 not $6000! Probably the one Hodinkee limited edition they will struggle to sell out of.


They only made 100 of their $12,000 hourglasses that were released in 2017, and they are still in stock as of today, according to the website so it seems their ability to sell out of pretty much anything in a matter of minutes is limited to wristwatches.


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## Lcater95

emgee79 said:


> They only made 100 of their $12,000 hourglasses that were released in 2017, and they are still in stock as of today, according to the website so it seems their ability to sell out of pretty much anything in a matter of minutes is limited to wristwatches.


I had no idea that was a thing haha


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## sirjohnk

It's a bit of a head-scratcher. They must have incredible belief in their brand to do this. 
If it was co-branded with Zenith or LeCoultre or similar then maybe starts to make sense to me, but like this, I dunno...


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## wgroves

As if it wasn't hard enough to justify watch purchases to the general public...

"Yeah, but the alarm tone is so rich. It's a much nicer waking-up-in-a-hotel-and-not-realizing-where-you-are experience than something as pedestrian as a phone alarm."


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## John MS

It looks very attractive. However if I was in the market for a vintage style travel clock I would probably restore something like a 1920's Waltham with a dual mainspring 37 movement in a good leather case. I love those long cathedral hands on a gold dial with Arabic numbers. Or restore a vintage Pontifa powered travel alarm.


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## iddaka

I would rather have two Cartier Basculante for that money.


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## brucethemanlee

sirjohnk said:


> It's a bit of a head-scratcher. They must have incredible belief in their brand to do this.
> If it was co-branded with Zenith or LeCoultre or similar then maybe starts to make sense to me, but like this, I dunno...


It's called hubris.


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## imagwai

I can imagine it being bought as a gift for the mega-rich. And then left in a drawer. Doubt there's much value retention at that price, but then that may not concern the few who will buy it.


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## TreyH

I like everything but the price tag. 

I wish them luck.


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## PeteJ

Dorian Galt said:


> The latest from Hodinkee..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock Limited Edition
> 
> 
> Our Take The HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock is the result of our lifelong admiration for vintage clocks. After discovering a reserve of 96 new-old-stock movements a few years ago, we knew it was our opportunity to bring one of our favorite horological creations of the past back to life. The...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shop.hodinkee.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 15361070
> 
> 
> Love it? Hate it?
> 
> Vintage travel clocks are often in the hundreds $$$s.


Lovely looking clock, really like the design, it's sleek, classy - something is really like to see on my desk.

However.... the price is just ridiculous. For six thousand dollars there are any number of things I could better spend my money on.

I worry that the market for this isn't as large as the limited run.


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## lehippi

Dorian Galt said:


> The latest from Hodinkee..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock Limited Edition
> 
> 
> Our Take The HODINKEE Eight-Day Travel Clock is the result of our lifelong admiration for vintage clocks. After discovering a reserve of 96 new-old-stock movements a few years ago, we knew it was our opportunity to bring one of our favorite horological creations of the past back to life. The...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shop.hodinkee.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 15361070
> 
> 
> Love it? Hate it?
> 
> Vintage travel clocks are often in the hundreds $$$s.


Exactly what I first thought when I saw it. Vintage travel clocks cost several hundred dollars. Would much rather buy one of those than pay a $5,900 Hoodwinkee tax. On the topic of the actual color scheme, yuck. What is up with them and their obsession of making everything 50 shades of grey?


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## jcush

My first thought was "why would anyone need that when they have a phone?" Then I looked at my wrist to see what time it was and remembered the answer.


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## MikeWatchUK

Madness. Absolute madness. Hodinkee going downhill.


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## OedipusFlex

This truly baffles me. And I think the way it was promoted shows they weren't so sure of it either. There is almost no narrative (the primary way they sell their LE) and as far as rich people buying things for the cool factor alone...there is no cool here. Plus, travel clock in the age of pandemics is just...poor timing (ha).

Too bad.


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## finnegans

MikeWatchUK said:


> Madness. Absolute madness. Hodinkee going downhill.


My initial thoughts exactly, though maybe with an expletive in there somewhere. This is out-of-touch-with-reality pricing.


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## mav

1930s Jaeger-LeCoultre 8 Days Travel Alarm Clock "Ados"

Who would have ever thought Hodinkee would homage something?


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## LearnedwatchHand

Their instagram post on this clock has comments turned off - Hodinkee themselves must be expecting the backlash. The decimal typeface isn’t exclusive and is available to buy online - the rights for using it in a 98 unit limited run product cannot be that high. 

While the clock does look very nice I would love to know what their margins are on this one.


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## Aspyred

LearnedwatchHand said:


> Their instagram post on this clock has comments turned off - Hodinkee themselves must be expecting the backlash. The decimal typeface isn't exclusive and is available to buy online - the rights for using it in a 98 unit limited run product cannot be that high.
> 
> While the clock does look very nice I would love to know what their margins are on this one.


Wow, had no idea the typeface was non-exclusive. That's a blow because they dedicate quite a bit of screenspace to highlighting how important it is to the clock.

How embarrassing.


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## AzHadEnuf

I get nervous leaving a $400 IPad in a hotel room while I’m out. I’d be a wreck leaving my $6,000 Travel Clock in the room. At 6 grand you would think they would have provided a pic of the movement. Nuts!


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## mleok

Like all things Hodinkee, it exacts a high stupidity premium...

I can get a LeCoultre 8-day travel alarm clock on eBay for $300,









Lecoultre Vintage 8-Day Folding Brass Travel/Desk Alarm Clock | eBay


Lecoultre Vintage 8-Day Folding Brass Travel/Desk Alarm Clock . Running great and alarm works. I have no service record for this one. Dial and hands are in very good condition. Case has wear to the gold finish but still shows well. Please examine all photos. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.



www.ebay.com


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## aparezco




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## aparezco

mav said:


> 1930s Jaeger-LeCoultre 8 Days Travel Alarm Clock "Ados"
> 
> Who would have ever thought Hodinkee would homage something?


I'd for sure get this JLC for €675 before getting the Hodinkee clock


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## mleok

Let me add that that price is about what JLC is asking for their classic Atmos, which is a far cooler clock, which is powered by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure or temperature, albeit something which cannot easily be moved. All it takes is a one Centigrade change in temperature or a 3 mmHg change in pressure to power it for two days.


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## LearnedwatchHand

AzHadEnuf said:


> I get nervous leaving a $400 IPad in a hotel room while I'm out. I'd be a wreck leaving my $6,000 Travel Clock in the room. At 6 grand you would think they would have provided a pic of the movement. Nuts!


On the plus side, I'm sure an iPad is much more likely to be stolen than a desk clock. After all, what thief would expect a desk clock to be priced at more than 10 iPads?


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## stlwatchlvr

I was so excited to get the announcement that there was a new limited edition. This was very disappointing. I mean, what the heck. Who needs a $6K travel clock. That's what your iPhone is for..


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## chriscumming

I think this, while expensive, is a super creative, mold breaking idea. Saying you could look at your phone applies as much to watches as it does to travel clocks. Saying you'd buy another Rolex misses the point as well. This is a bespoke piece, with incredible attention to design and aesthetic and is a fresh approach to tracking time and collecting. I probably won't buy one at the price (too late anyway) but congrats to the people that did - a truly unique piece and well executed concept.


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## BuckTick

I do love the idea of a travel clock. I used to travel with one of those clamshell Swiss army clocks pre-mobile phone so I didn't have to trust the hotel alarm clock.

Partially inspired by this HODINKEE article and my fascination for a 24hr hand, I picked up a well maintained 37500 off of eBay.










I get to enjoy this clock on my desk every day. I'm surprised I haven't accidentally let it burn through its 8-day power reserve but so far in the last 3 months I've managed to give it a crank every few days. I am blown away by its accuracy. Over the last 105 days it is only 6.4s fast....










You can find one of these without too much difficulty if you keep your eye out for one, then build an enclosure for travel and be way ahead of the game. There is no alarm but it does have a chronograph!


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## Dorian Galt

...and they are now sold out. I guess there was a market! 

I do appreciate everyone sharing less expensive, very interesting, and horologically significant alternatives. Thanks!


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## skim0039

It looks nice but IDK about $5900 nice. I wonder how many were made?


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## mleok

Dorian Galt said:


> ...and they are now sold out. I guess there was a market!


This reminds me of a quote attributed to Einstein, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."


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## manofrolex

mleok said:


> Like all things Hodinkee, it exacts a high stupidity premium...
> 
> I can get a LeCoultre 8-day travel alarm clock on eBay for $300,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lecoultre Vintage 8-Day Folding Brass Travel/Desk Alarm Clock | eBay
> 
> 
> Lecoultre Vintage 8-Day Folding Brass Travel/Desk Alarm Clock . Running great and alarm works. I have no service record for this one. Dial and hands are in very good condition. Case has wear to the gold finish but still shows well. Please examine all photos. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.com


Yes but is it wrapped in goat leather ?


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## lucaloren

Well....it has sold out. It goes to show that there are lot's of folks with high disposable income. Love the design but could never justify the $.
Good on Hodinkee, they are a business after all, they have obviously done their market research and have actually got it right with this product.


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## LosAngelesTimer

lucaloren said:


> Well....it has sold out. It goes to show that there are lot's of folks with high disposable income. Love the design but could never justify the $.
> Good on Hodinkee, they are a business after all, they have obviously done their market research and have actually got it right with this product.


I'm the most free market, capitalist mofo out there but I don't see why we should celebrate such an unfortunate collision of hucksterism and conspicuous consumption.


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## AC_Rider

Very nice looking clock. VERY expensive clock. Honestly, I can't imagine why it costs anywhere near what it does, especially since it bears the name of a website on the face. But, to 96 people, apparently it's worth the cost. Especially to those who hope to immediately flip it for 25%-50% more than they paid for it as soon as they get it.


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## yinzburgher

_



It's built from PVD-coated steel that has been upholstered by hand with goat leather dyed our signature shade of HODINKEE grey.

Click to expand...

_Who knew there was a Hodinkee grey?! No lume shot is a little disappointing. Price isn't bad but I'm waiting for the 10 day power reserve because I usually take longer holidays. That new font alone is worth $2K.


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## LosAngelesTimer

In addition to Hodinkee, Worn & Wound turned off comments on their Insta post about the CoDV (Clock of Dubious Value). This makes me pine for a legitimate watch journalism outlet, one that doesn't cave at the first sign of controversy.


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## dm13

$5900 Travel alarm... that's all? 










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## riff raff

Agreed. I worry about forgetting my $100 Kindle.
I can't imagine anything more useless then a hand-wind travel alarm clock, at almost any price.
My Samsung woke me today from a dark hotel room with a soft build-up of soothing alarm that gets progressively louder, I'll stick with it.



AzHadEnuf said:


> I get nervous leaving a $400 IPad in a hotel room while I'm out. I'd be a wreck leaving my $6,000 Travel Clock in the room. At 6 grand you would think they would have provided a pic of the movement. Nuts!


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## mav

LosAngelesTimer said:


> In addition to Hodinkee, Worn & Wound also turned off comments on their Insta post about the CODV (Clock of Dubious Value). This makes me pine for a legitimate watch journalism outlet, one that doesn't cower and cave at the first sign of controversy.


As much as I like Hodinkee, they stopped being true watch journalists a long time ago, the minute that they started selling watches.


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## LosAngelesTimer

mav said:


> As much as I like Hodinkee, they stopped being true watch journalists a long time ago, the minute that they started selling watches.


Agreed. I credit W&W for getting me back into this hobby a few years ago but they're little more than de-facto marketers for the brands they feature. There is hope, however. New writers like Zach Kazan and Ed Jelley seem to be objective or at least subjective in a way that doesn't look like they've been bought and paid for. It remains to be seen if that veneer of independence will hold true if/when they're tasked with covering a model that's for sale in the Windup Watch Shop.


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## dipdream

Hodinkee branded travel clock for $5900?!? Not. A. Fan. However, it sold out rather quickly so there’s clearly a market for it.


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## bob_sacamano

lucaloren said:


> Well....it has sold out. It goes to show that there are lot's of folks with high disposable income.


I don't know that I would say "lots."


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## RidingDonkeys

dipdream said:


> Hodinkee branded travel clock for $5900?!? Not. A. Fan. However, it sold out rather quickly so there's clearly a market for it.


I wouldn't call it quickly. Most of their offerings have sold out in minutes. This one languished for hours.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk


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## dipdream

“This one languished for hours.” Haha, true.


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## talljosh

Moreover, they said clearly that they only have a small proportion of these clocks available right now, so it is likely the initial allocation that has "sold out".


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## MediumRB

TreyH said:


> I like everything but the price tag.
> 
> I wish them luck.


I don't wish them luck. Nothing but a money grab.


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## One-Seventy

Covid will make the already-rich even richer - everything always does - so it's not about that. But this one just smacks of money-laundering. Take a bag of filthy cash, buy a half-pallet of Hodinkee's worthless dreck, stick it on eBay for some drooling hipster to buy at 80 cents on the dolla and not believe his luck, and eh wallah! as they say.


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## bob_sacamano

One-Seventy said:


> Covid will make the already-rich even richer - everything always does - so it's not about that. But this one just smacks of money-laundering. Take a bag of filthy cash, buy a half-pallet of Hodinkee's worthless dreck, stick it on eBay for some drooling hipster to buy at 80 cents on the dolla and not believe his luck, and eh wallah! as they say.


That's not how money laundering works.


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## WatchOutChicago

I'm generally a fan of theirs but this is out of control. It is simply gouging and hard to argue otherwise. Sure, they sold out quickly as to be expected since the herd following is strong with them but overall they're being absolutely skewered about this hence their decision to disable comments on it on IG.


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## six4watchguy

Limited Edition piece for people with throwaway money to put in their library. Cool for what it is, kinda the same concept as the new moonwatch.


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## emgee79

It's not price gouging because the travel clock is not a necessity. it's not as if they have the only toilet paper in town and they are charging $200 a roll. it's a luxury product and pretty clearly marketed as one. 

personally I'm not a fan of the clock and I was surely not their intended market for it, but everyone can just relax. they sold some very expensive clocks to some very rich people. there's not much more to it than that.


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## skim0039

This picture cracks me up. Looks like he's already wearing a watch, but pull out his clock to check the time while traveling? I would like to know the story behind this man.


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## Ginseng108

This thing itself is absurd in concept if not execution. The pricing was absurd to the point of being surreal. The campaign was shameless and I feel harms their brand, which I felt was diluting anyway. 
The shark has been jumped and now my regard for this blog is solidly in negative territory.

But can you imagine the snickering going on behind the scenes after this sold out? How many flavors of "there's a sucker born every minute" do you think were voiced that day?


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## John MS

lucaloren said:


> Well....it has sold out. It goes to show that there are lot's of folks with high disposable income. Love the design but could never justify the $.
> Good on Hodinkee, they are a business after all, they have obviously done their market research and have actually got it right with this product.


+1
Hodinkee has had other well-done high-end projects with a tightly focused appeal. I have no doubt the owners will enjoy the retro design and use of a quality vintage movement. Even if it never sees the inside of a hotel room.


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## finnegans

The comments on their Instagram were a bloody dumpster fire and they just noped the whole thing:


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## One-Seventy

mcmeador said:


> That's not how money laundering works.


The money that comes from from PayPal would be legitimate, no? In this scenario the goods weren't stolen. Who else just bought half a million dollars' worth of travel clock small enough to fit inside a duffel bag?


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## tarancholula

Good for them, if they can sell it. Definitely not for me and a travel clock right now comes off a bit tone deaf to the world. Maybe not the world they're aiming at though, so... _shrug_


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## bob_sacamano

One-Seventy said:


> The money that comes from from PayPal would be legitimate, no? In this scenario the goods weren't stolen. Who else just bought half a million dollars' worth of travel clock small enough to fit inside a duffel bag?


But the money used to purchase the clocks in the first place, for which there would be a paper trail, wasn't legitimate. The point of money laundering is to make the money appear to have come from a legitimate source before you begin openly using it in the financial system.


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## lucaloren

LosAngelesTimer said:


> I'm the most free market, capitalist mofo out there but I don't see why we should celebrate such an unfortunate collision of hucksterism and conspicuous consumption.


Let's be clear, I am not celebrating anything, as I said I could never justify the $. I am just saying that they got their marketing right as evidenced by the fact that they sold all their units. 
The issue of hucksterism and conspicuous consumption is much broader than this example and applies to many other items both in the watch world and others.


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## Baldrick

My beef with this isn't with Hodinkee (yes, as releases go, it's boring, vastly (cynically?) overpriced, technically and stylistically unimpressive and overall more than a wee bit s#!t€, but they aren't forcing anyone to buy it and anyone who does...Well, its their money).

What depresses me more is the number of watch media outlets that have reported this release without any critical analysis whatsoever. Not necessarily _criticism_ - there may be someone out there who loves it and can genuinely, hand-on-heart make a case for it - but at least some meaningful commentary or analysis. The price and movement alone are worthy of at least some comment.

The fact that comments are disabled on several sites suggests they know it's a dumpster-fire, but aren't prepared to address that in any way their articles or allow that to be the message "below the line". It's so depressingly cynical.

I can read a press release as well as the next guy, thanks, try doing a bit of journalism for a change.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## mav

The jokes aside, while I appreciate the craftsmanship, quality and effort that went into this item, I have several issues with it...

Price. $5900?! Astronomically priced! Maybe $1000, maybe?

Poor timing. With COVID-19 is still raging, at least in the US, most aren't traveling right now or in the foreseeable future. I used to fly once a month before COVID, and now they couldn't pay me to get inside a flying germ filled tin can for several hours, even in 1st class. The ones that can, flying in their private jets to their private islands, are the obvious audience for a $6K travel clock, but for the rest of us, it's a bit of an "f you".

Turning off their IG comments and W&W doing the same. As a marketing exec in my day job, if you hit controversy and haters, the last thing that you want to do is to turn off comments or engage. Just simply let it run its course, thank for ones providing constructive feedback and ignore the rest. I suspect H paid W&W for their post, since that product and its price is far outside of the range that they usually cover.

Lastly, it's a homage of the vintage JLC travel alarm clock. I dislike homages and would have never thought Hodinkee, who rarely covers homages if at all, would homage something themselves.










Oh and this JLC travel alarm clock is available on Ebay for $650! Vintage Jaeger LeCoultre Folding Travel Alarm Clock Swiss Made | eBay


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## zeitstuck

Very well said Baldrick. This fiasco has been the death knell of Hodinkee's credibility. Their objectivity has already been compromised by selling watches in their store that they also write about. There is a conflict of interest there that precludes any objective journalism. If you are an AD for Omega and are financially invested in Omega doing well how can you be expected to be impartial in your analysis of any Omega watch? You can't, regardless of how many times Ben Clymer says that you can. On top of that now you have this clock which at best is profoundly lazy and at worst is an absolute scam. How can anyone possibly trust their next value proposition article after this? I can't. And to add insult to injury they shut off comments. I am no troll, and I am not for personal attacks, but if I am allowed to comment on a post and say that I love it I should be allowed to comment on a post and say I don't like it because xyz. They are manipulating the narrative because, as you said, they know this is an absolute dumpster fire.


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## zeitstuck

lucaloren said:


> Let's be clear, I am not celebrating anything, as I said I could never justify the $. I am just saying that they got their marketing right as evidenced by the fact that they sold all their units.
> The issue of hucksterism and conspicuous consumption is much broader than this example and applies to many other items both in the watch world and others.


I am very skeptical that they actually sold out, despite what the shop website says. It is very plausible that it is a just move to save face. They are controlling the optics on this one. They shut off comments, didn't they? It isn't far fetched to believe they made the product _appear_ to be sold out when in fact it wasn't. By doing so they would suggest that they actually made a decent product which appealed to enough people and this wasn't just a money grab.


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## manofrolex

Baldrick said:


> My beef with this isn't with Hodinkee (yes, as releases go, it's boring, vastly (cynically?) overpriced, technically and stylistically unimpressive and overall more than a wee bit s#!t€, but they aren't forcing anyone to buy it and anyone who does...Well, its their money).
> 
> What depresses me more is the number of watch media outlets that have reported this release without any critical analysis whatsoever. Not necessarily _criticism_ - there may be someone out there who loves it and can genuinely, hand-on-heart make a case for it - but at least some meaningful commentary or analysis. The price and movement alone are worthy of at least some comment.
> 
> The fact that comments are disabled on several sites suggests they know it's a dumpster-fire, but aren't prepared to address that in any way their articles or allow that to be the message "below the line". It's so depressingly cynical.
> 
> I can read a press release as well as the next guy, thanks, try doing a bit of journalism for a change.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


You make a great point about the neutrality of watch journalists in general and as soon as they sell watches through their website they are all in business w the watch brands they represent and the ones they secretly hope one day to represent so a catch 22 it is. How to be objective without losing your big brand stash of goodies ...
Prob w ho is that no matter what they release it is all amazing from the peanut gallery and the writers alike and God forbid you disagree . Try posting a negative comment about a watch over there and see if it makes it through ...

Regarding this idiotic clock in a world where most can't even travel anyway (read poor release timing ) I don't find it particularly attractive and the branding of a website is silly on such a thing and the price well we know . 
So as much as I love to see a small company succeed I just don't love what ho does. Plenty of folks here have called them out on overpriced and misrepresented used watches they sold . They do however have decent writers but the bias is pretty evident throughout


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## manofrolex

zeitstuck said:


> Very well said Baldrick. This fiasco has been the death knell of Hodinkee's credibility. Their objectivity has already been compromised by selling watches in their store that they also write about. There is a conflict of interest there that precludes any objective journalism. If you are an AD for Omega and are financially invested in Omega doing well how can you be expected to be impartial in your analysis of any Omega watch? You can't, regardless of how many times Ben Clymer says that you can. On top of that now you have this clock which at best is profoundly lazy and at worst is an absolute scam. How can anyone possibly trust their next value proposition article after this? I can't. And to add insult to injury they shut off comments. I am no troll, and I am not for personal attacks, but if I am allowed to comment on a post and say that I love it I should be allowed to comment on a post and say I don't like it because xyz. They are manipulating the narrative because, as you said, they know this is an absolute dumpster fire.


#neverreadahead
Well said Z


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## manofrolex

zeitstuck said:


> I am very skeptical that they actually sold out, despite what the shop website says. It is very plausible that it is a just move to save face. They are controlling the optics on this one. They shut off comments, didn't they? It isn't far fetched to believe they made the product _appear_ to be sold out when in fact it wasn't. By doing so they would suggest that they actually made a decent product which appealed to enough people and this wasn't just a money grab.


I made that point in another thread my guess they sold 10 and voila sold out and since no one knows how many they truly made upfront then bingo...sold out


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## IronHorseWar

Baldrick said:


> My beef with this isn't with Hodinkee (yes, as releases go, it's boring, vastly (cynically?) overpriced, technically and stylistically unimpressive and overall more than a wee bit s#!t€, but they aren't forcing anyone to buy it and anyone who does...Well, its their money).
> 
> What depresses me more is the number of watch media outlets that have reported this release without any critical analysis whatsoever. Not necessarily _criticism_ - there may be someone out there who loves it and can genuinely, hand-on-heart make a case for it - but at least some meaningful commentary or analysis. The price and movement alone are worthy of at least some comment.
> 
> The fact that comments are disabled on several sites suggests they know it's a dumpster-fire, but aren't prepared to address that in any way their articles or allow that to be the message "below the line". It's so depressingly cynical.
> 
> I can read a press release as well as the next guy, thanks, try doing a bit of journalism for a change.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


I did a small writeup on this catastrophic release and the response of the community if anyone's interested:









Hodinkee's Travel Clock: Limited Edition FAIL - Wristocracy


Early Thursday morning, fans of Hodinkee were notified of a new article and a new product by the watch magazine: a quirky mechanical desktop travel clock. Many watch fans down on their luck in "these COVID pandemic times" grew a broader and broader smile as they scrolled through the article,…




wristocracy.com


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## Nordlys

zeitstuck said:


> I am very skeptical that they actually sold out, despite what the shop website says. It is very plausible that it is a just move to save face. They are controlling the optics on this one. They shut off comments, didn't they? It isn't far fetched to believe they made the product _appear_ to be sold out when in fact it wasn't. By doing so they would suggest that they actually made a decent product which appealed to enough people and this wasn't just a money grab.


This. If their hubris prevented them from realizing their folly pre release, I'm sure they quickly came to and realized it was a dumpster fire as soon as the IG/Reddit/Forum comments started rolling in. Better to say it was immediately "sold out" to save face rather than letting it languish on their site like the ridiculous hourglass. They even said in the release notes "We've secured a number of clocks for immediate delivery today, and more will be coming in shortly." Perhaps they just sold the few they had in stock and then scrapped the rest of the project.

Also, perhaps the "Sold out - Join Waitlist" button will lead some idiots who were on the fence to suffer a case of FOMO and say "OH NOOOO, I MUST HAVE ONE!!!" Then Hodinkee will contact them a few hours later and say: "Oh wow, it must be your lucky day. One of our customers JUST cancelled their order this very second, so it can be yours today!"


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## John MS

IronHorseWar said:


> I did a small writeup on this catastrophic release and the response of the community if anyone's





IronHorseWar said:


> I did a small writeup on this catastrophic release and the response of the community if anyone's interested:


So far I see nothing that shows this offer to sell a small number of retro style alarm clocks has resulted in a disaster with tragic consequences. No evidence of a catastrophe where there have been large (or even small) amounts of damage, loss, injury, etc., of any kind.

The seller presumably could be damaged in the future if the product did not sell. Given their history of sucessfully selling a variety of time keepers I doubt that is the case. Purchasers could be damaged by non-delivery but their history argues against that. Do you have any evidence?


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## mleok

Nordlys said:


> This. If their hubris prevented them from realizing their folly pre release, I'm sure they quickly came to and realized it was a dumpster fire as soon as the IG/Reddit/Forum comments started rolling in. Better to say it was immediately "sold out" to save face rather than letting it languish on their site like the ridiculous hourglass. They even said in the release notes "We've secured a number of clocks for immediate delivery today, and more will be coming in shortly." Perhaps they just sold the few they had in stock and then scrapped the rest of the project.
> 
> Also, perhaps the "Sold out - Join Waitlist" button will lead some idiots who were on the fence to suffer a case of FOMO and say "OH NOOOO, I MUST HAVE ONE!!!" Then Hodinkee will contact them a few hours later and say: "Oh wow, it must be your lucky day. One of our customers JUST cancelled their order this very second, so it can be yours today!"


I still vividly remember as a kid visiting the Chinese Gardens in Singapore, and there was a vendor there selling a toy sword that could swing out and become a two bladed sword (it was based on a TV drama that was popular at that time). In any case, he said it was the last one he had, so we bought it, and as we were getting ready to leave, I saw that he has another one on display.

That taught me that sellers will exploit the fear of missing out to manipulate buyers into making rash, impulse driven decisions.


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## hendryyyy

jcush said:


> My first thought was "why would anyone need that when they have a phone?" Then I looked at my wrist to see what time it was and remembered the answer.


Yes but a travel clock? Who would really need that for $5,900? You put it on your hotel room to check the time? You could just check your wrist. They're overpricing it up to a point it's just stupid


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## jcush

hendryyyy said:


> Yes but a travel clock? Who would really need that for $5,900? You put it on your hotel room to check the time? You could just check your wrist. They're overpricing it up to a point it's just stupid


Yeah I'd never buy it. I agree the price is outrageous for what it is, and wouldn't bring a travel clock with me to a hotel even if it was free. I'm just saying that most of us don't buy a watch because we need them, i guess it's the same as a clock.


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## One-Seventy

$5,900.


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## triz

I think it could have been less controversial in a nicely finished metal, like machined aluminium or a nice rosewood. This glued-on leather finishing will not stand up to several trips. But the price is still sick for what it is. There is no fine craftsmanship to see and you need a key to wind it??


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## greedy

Dorian Galt said:


> ...and they are now sold out. I guess there was a market!
> 
> I do appreciate everyone sharing less expensive, very interesting, and horologically significant alternatives. Thanks!





jmanlay said:


> I made that point in another thread my guess they sold 10 and voila sold out and since no one knows how many they truly made upfront then bingo...sold out





Nordlys said:


> This. If their hubris prevented them from realizing their folly pre release, I'm sure they quickly came to and realized it was a dumpster fire as soon as the IG/Reddit/Forum comments started rolling in. Better to say it was immediately "sold out" to save face rather than letting it languish on their site like the ridiculous hourglass. They even said in the release notes "We've secured a number of clocks for immediate delivery today, and more will be coming in shortly." Perhaps they just sold the few they had in stock and then scrapped the rest of the project.
> 
> Also, perhaps the "Sold out - Join Waitlist" button will lead some idiots who were on the fence to suffer a case of FOMO and say "OH NOOOO, I MUST HAVE ONE!!!" Then Hodinkee will contact them a few hours later and say: "Oh wow, it must be your lucky day. One of our customers JUST cancelled their order this very second, so it can be yours today!"


Stupid cash grab. For me is the equivalent of balenciaga and Virgil Abloh making fun of their customers with their ironic pieces.

I am inclined to agree that they "sold out" without selling the intended number of pieces.

If I wanted to buy a clock, I would get the Atmos.


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## mav

One-Seventy said:


> $5,900.


Thanks for sharing this. If you look up @perezcope on IG, he has a pretty valid theory on how H acquired these Pontifa (I'M A SCAMMER) movements and the same movements were found in AP clocks that they used as free customer swag.


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## manofrolex

mav said:


> Thanks for sharing this. If you look up @perezcope on IG, he has a pretty valid theory on how H acquired these Pontifa (I'M A SCAMMER) movements and the same movements were found in AP clocks that they used as free customer swag.


From the moment they put up that one movement pic I knew it was a clock but the end result is a sham . Just taking people for a ride and fabulous craftsmanship On that goat leather


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## mav

jmanlay said:


> From the moment they put up that one movement pic I knew it was a clock but the end result is a sham . Just taking people for a ride and fabulous craftsmanship On that goat leather


And glued on goat leather at that... 😂


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## bob_sacamano

zeitstuck said:


> I am very skeptical that they actually sold out, despite what the shop website says. It is very plausible that it is a just move to save face. They are controlling the optics on this one. They shut off comments, didn't they? It isn't far fetched to believe they made the product _appear_ to be sold out when in fact it wasn't. By doing so they would suggest that they actually made a decent product which appealed to enough people and this wasn't just a money grab.


I don't think it would make sense to pretend to sell out to save face. That would prevent actual sales, which is what they are counting on. There's no guarantee that someone willing to pull the trigger that moment would bother joining a waiting list, so faking a sellout could do more harm than good.


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## Ginseng108

IronHorseWar said:


> I did a small writeup on this catastrophic release and the response of the community if anyone's interested:


What's the gist of your write up? Give me something to decide whether I should click through.


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## hrant

Watches today are large enough to serve as travel clocks. Therefore, this one from Hodinkee is a "pass" in more ways than one.


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## Nordlys

I'll just leave this here (remove the space between "d"s in "reddit." Not sure if we can post links to other forums here):
red dit.com/r/WatchesCirclejerk/comments/hxetzs/hodinkee_travel_clock_unboxing_limited_edition/


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## Nordlys

The truth is revealed:


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## mav

bob_sacamano said:


> I don't think it would make sense to pretend to sell out to save face. That would prevent actual sales, which is what they are counting on. There's no guarantee that someone willing to pull the trigger that moment would bother joining a waiting list, so faking a sellout could do more harm than good.


From my professional experience, I believe that they sold out of the few that they have in stock. And they updated it to sold out, join the waitlist to keep tabs on anyone else interested. When and if more are made, those on the waitlist will be contacted privately via email, given a special privatized link to order. That's probably their strategy from the start.

Since they stated that they had only a few on hand for immediate shipment, I can't imagine them charging and collecting people's money for product that isn't made and ready to ship for an unspecified amount of time, especially the highly demanding audience this product is targeted towards. If they can't deliver quickly, then they could be looking at an avalanche of credit card chargebacks, PayPal disputes and bad customer reviews in the weeks to come. That would be far more damaging, long term, than the rest of us making fun of their ridiculous clock.

This is how many companies and startups manage successful product launches that seemingly sell out within minutes. Plus the sold out thing generates additional hype and demand.


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## bob_sacamano

mav said:


> From my professional experience, I believe that they sold out of the few that they have in stock. And they updated it to sold out, join the waitlist to keep tabs on anyone else interested. When and if more are made, those on the waitlist will be contacted privately via email, given a special privatized link to order. That's probably their strategy from the start.
> 
> Since they stated that they had only a few on hand for immediate shipment, I can't imagine them charging and collecting people's money for product that isn't made and ready to ship for an unspecified amount of time, especially the highly demanding audience this product is targeted towards. If they can't deliver quickly, then they could be looking at an avalanche of credit card chargebacks, PayPal disputes and bad customer reviews in the weeks to come. That would be far more damaging, long term, than the rest of us making fun of their ridiculous clock.
> 
> This is how many companies and startups manage successful product launches that seemingly sell out within minutes. Plus the sold out thing generates additional hype and demand.


I agree with you. I'm just saying I don't think it would make sense for them to pretend to sell out of them when they actually have them available just so that it doesn't look like an embarrassing failure.


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## Okapi001

mav said:


> Lastly, it's a homage of the vintage JLC travel alarm clock. I dislike homages and would have never thought Hodinkee, who rarely covers homages if at all, would homage something themselves.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh and this JLC travel alarm clock is available on Ebay for $650! Vintage Jaeger LeCoultre Folding Travel Alarm Clock Swiss Made | eBay


I would say firsty, not lastly ;-) This put everyhing in perspective. For 1/10th you get an original, not a "hommage", from one of the best watch manufacturers. You can add $1000 for a professional restoration (including some exotic leather), and you will still be at less than 1/3h of a Hodinkee's clock.

BTW, as I understand, the clock is not actually sold-out. Only the initial batch of 96 clocks is sold, more are coming and there is a wait list open.


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## zeitstuck

bob_sacamano said:


> I don't think it would make sense to pretend to sell out to save face. That would prevent actual sales, which is what they are counting on. There's no guarantee that someone willing to pull the trigger that moment would bother joining a waiting list, so faking a sellout could do more harm than good.


I disagree. Firstly, it definitely improves the optics, because the argument people keep saying over and over again is "Hey, they sold out so they must know what they are doing." If that LE clock never sold out it would be further proof that this thing is a sham. And Hodinkee does care about optics (they turned off instagram comments because people were reacting negatively). Secondly, it would not entirely prevent sales. If anyone really liked this clock they could join the waitlist on the H shop. Then Hodinkee can send them a private email saying, "Hey! We actually had a few order cancellations and can offer you this travel clock for purchase at this time." They will lose some customers, but it doesn't entirely prevent further sales. And lastly, the markup on this thing is so ridiculous that if they actually sold 5 they are already in the black. Taking all that into consideration, I can definitely see them making this calculated move to save face.


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## bob_sacamano

zeitstuck said:


> I disagree. Firstly, it definitely improves the optics, because the argument people keep saying over and over again is "Hey, they sold out so they must know what they are doing." If that LE clock never sold out it would be further proof that this thing is a sham. And Hodinkee does care about optics (they turned off instagram comments because people were reacting negatively). Secondly, it would not entirely prevent sales. If anyone really liked this clock they could join the waitlist on the H shop. Then Hodinkee can send them a private email saying, "Hey! We actually had a few order cancellations and can offer you this travel clock for purchase at this time." They will lose some customers, but it doesn't entirely prevent further sales. And lastly, the markup on this thing is so ridiculous that if they actually sold 5 they are already in the black. Taking all that into consideration, I can definitely see them making this calculated move to save face.


No, it doesn't entirely prevent sales, which I wasn't suggesting, but it could turn certain people away who figure there's no point in a waiting list because there's probably already too many people in front of them. It would also prevent impulse purchases. When you're trying to sell a $5,900 clock that most people think is a joke, you can't afford to miss out on even one sale.


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## ABM001

Or you can try this one from Pottery Barn:









Pottery Barn Travel Alarm Clock Battery Operated Quartz Leather Hard Case | eBay


Pottery Barn Travel Alarm Clock. • Luminescent clock hands & numbers. • Unique design with the back “rolling” to create the base of the clock when opened.



www.ebay.com





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## mleok

bob_sacamano said:


> I don't think it would make sense to pretend to sell out to save face. That would prevent actual sales, which is what they are counting on. There's no guarantee that someone willing to pull the trigger that moment would bother joining a waiting list, so faking a sellout could do more harm than good.


They are selling an image, it's better for them to take a small loss on their cheaply produced, massively overpriced travel clock, then to shatter the illusion that everything they make is so desirable that they sell out within a matter of hours if not minutes.

Companies like LV would rather burn their excess inventory than allow them to be sold at a discount, or languish in their stores.


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## bob_sacamano

mleok said:


> They are selling an image, it's better for them to take a small loss on their cheaply produced, massively overpriced travel clock, then to shatter the illusion that everything they make is so desirable that they sell out within a matter of hours if not minutes.
> 
> Companies like LV would rather burn their excess inventory than allow them to be sold at a discount, or languish in their stores.


That ignores that they still have a limited edition $12,000 hourglass available for sale in their shop after over 3 years. If they're not going to pretend to have sold out of that, I doubt they're going to pretend to sell out of a $5,900 travel clock in less than a day or two before it's even had a chance to actually sell out. It would hardly be "languishing" at this point if it were still available.


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## turkeymonger6

I'm not into it...It's another thing to lug around while traveling and if i'm spend that much $ you bet I rather be adding another wrist watch to my collection instead. I guess many disagree since this is sold out.


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## zeitstuck

bob_sacamano said:


> That ignores that they still have a limited edition $12,000 hourglass available for sale in their shop after over 3 years. If they're not going to pretend to have sold out of that, I doubt they're going to pretend to sell out of a $5,900 travel clock in less than a day or two before it's even had a chance to actually sell out. It would hardly be "languishing" at this point if it were still available.


The difference is they didn't get as much blowback from the hourglass community for that one ?. And it isn't simply price. That hourglass was designed by Marc Newson- a designer who has worked with JLC, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc. While the price is still very high--and not my cup of tea--there is some value there. I won't reiterate what many of people have said about this travel clock (include @perezcope on instagram) but the value proposition of this piece is very questionable. And it is this overwhelming negative feedback which makes this case different from the hourglass. The "sold out" imagery is a response to that negativity. It validates what they did. It is their counterpoint for all the negativity from the watch community. It allows them to say that we get many people don't like it, but there was a niche that did and we tailored it to them. The optics would be worse if, in the face of all this negativity, it never sells out or sits for months--regardless of whether you believe them or not


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## bob_sacamano

zeitstuck said:


> The difference is they didn't get as much blowback from the hourglass community for that one ?. And it isn't simply price. That hourglass was designed by Marc Newson- a designer who has worked with JLC, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc. While the price is still very high--and not my cup of tea--there is some value there. I won't reiterate what many of people have said about this travel clock (include @perezcope on instagram) but the value proposition of this piece is very questionable. And it is this overwhelming negative feedback which makes this case different from the hourglass. The "sold out" imagery is a response to that negativity. It validates what they did. It is their counterpoint for all the negativity from the watch community. It allows them to say that we get many people don't like it, but there was a niche that did and we tailored it to them. The optics would be worse if, in the face of all this negativity, it never sells out or sits for months--regardless of whether you believe them or not


You make good points and we can argue about it all day, but the only people who actually know are the folks at Hodinkee. I personally really don't find it hard to believe that they sold out of a partial allotment out of a total of less than 100. It would only take a microscopic portion of the watch community to do so.


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## manofrolex

bob_sacamano said:


> You make good points and we can argue about it all day, but the only people who actually know are the folks at Hodinkee. I personally really don't find it hard to believe that they sold out of a partial allotment out of a total of less than 100. It would only take a microscopic portion of the watch community to do so.


That is a whole lot of morons in my book but hey 96 morons is sooo much lower than what's out there ...


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## mleok

zeitstuck said:


> The difference is they didn't get as much blowback from the hourglass community for that one . And it isn't simply price. That hourglass was designed by Marc Newson- a designer who has worked with JLC, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc. While the price is still very high--and not my cup of tea--there is some value there. I won't reiterate what many of people have said about this travel clock (include @perezcope on instagram) but the value proposition of this piece is very questionable. And it is this overwhelming negative feedback which makes this case different from the hourglass. The "sold out" imagery is a response to that negativity. It validates what they did. It is their counterpoint for all the negativity from the watch community. It allows them to say that we get many people don't like it, but there was a niche that did and we tailored it to them. The optics would be worse if, in the face of all this negativity, it never sells out or sits for months--regardless of whether you believe them or not


Also, that hourglass probably does have much more intrinsic value and the production cost as a fraction of the price on that item is probably much higher than the travel clock. In any case, I signed up for the wait list just out of curiosity, and I'll report back if they are magically able to secure new stock of their overpriced travel clock.


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## Okapi001

I don't think any magic will be needed. It is written clearly that they "secured a number of clocks for immediate delivery today, and more will be coming in shortly.". So this first batch is sold out, and the waiting list is for clocks "coming in shortly". We can only guess how many were already produced and sold, perhaps no more than a dozen.


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## hendryyyy

Fair point. Yeah i can agree with you on that. Like another poster said, if it was a collaboration with JLC or other reputable watch brands, I think the community will accept it. But having a $5.900 clock with the word Hodinkee on it, rip off


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## Dorian Galt

The plot thickens...








A Quick Note To Our Readers: Travel Clock Edition


Yes, we heard you. Our man Eneuri has some thoughts.




www.hodinkee.com





IMHO there are not any particularly strong arguments, besides, to paraphrase, "we really wanted to do this, and we worked hard on it".

To address the price, Hodinkee (at best) hints at high productions costs, relying on an indirect reference to the producer's ("their") other products.










Is "their" referring to "L'Epee" (mentioned four paragraphs earlier)? So the price is high because a boutique firm sourced the (NOS) movements and built it to Hodinkee design? Perhaps I am reading incorrectly. But why not call it an L'Epee New Old Stock Pontifa, Hodinkee Edition? I guess that does not roll off the tongue.

---

I also do not think they addressed the issue of "did it sell out?". The website shows that it did, but is that for the first shipment? A first shipment of how many?

---

Overall, I get it, this is a fancy accessory for people than can afford it and like the aesthetic. The letter shows that they recognize a lot of its followers did not appreciate the product or its rollout. In their 'continued dialogue', I hope they realize that the more frequently they focus on the aesthetic loving well-off, the more they disparage the horologically inclined enthusiast, who may not have as deep of pockets. Or maybe they have simply chosen one among the two and that is their path.

---
Someone should buy one just to take a picture of the movement. ;-)


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## fallingtitan




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## mav

fallingtitan said:


>


You should stop self-promoting your YouTube videos everywhere on WUS and actually contribute written content.


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## roadcykler

Just think of the places you could actually travel to for that kind of money.


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## roadcykler

jcush said:


> My first thought was "why would anyone need that when they have a phone?" Then I looked at my wrist to see what time it was and remembered the answer.


Not the same. When you want to know the time, you turn your arm and not have to reach in your pocket. When you want to set an alarm, you have to handle your phone just as you would that clock.


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## capitalEU

I like the design, but it's obviously way overpriced to me. Better to get an Atmos.
I could see this design work well on a watch however.


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## Bizcut1

Ridiculous posers. Have had about enough of these guys and the products they roll out and their prices...hard pass!

SMH.


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