Hodinkee

Reminiscing about my childhood, I asked my parents to search my old closet looking for my $20 Casio Twin Graph watch that I bought with my own money when I was 12 years old. When my parents told me they couldn’t find it, I started searching online for a replacement. I was very surprised to discover that my cheap Casio watch was now considered “hard to find” and was fetching a price of $450.   

Despite the fact that many people can now tell time by glancing at their phone, there is a thriving subculture of people who feel passionate about traditional watches. More than an object that keeps time, traditional watches hold memories and tell stories. Many of us can recall the gold watch on our grandfather’s wrist. We think fondly of the watch we wore on our wedding day. We can still remember the watch that gave us that lucky feeling as we interviewed for our first job. Of all the precious heirloom items that get passed down through the generations, a beloved watch is often one of them. 

Founded in 2008, Hodinkee has become an indispensable resource for modern and vintage watch enthusiasts. If you visit its website or click on its YouTube channel, you’ll find a plethora of information about watches (horology). There is a traditional magazine you can find as well, but it started as an online company and that is where it is best situated. In 2019, Hodinkee was named one of Fast Companies’ “Most Innovative Companies in Media,” and you can also find it on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

One of my favorite Hodinkee videos to watch is called “Talking Watches.” Just like my love of the Casio Twin Graph, Hodinkee hosts sit down with a variety of famous people to talk about their favorite watches. Guests have included John Mayer, Brooke Shields, Ronny Cheing, J.J. Redick, Andre Iguodala, Jack Nicklaus, Mario Andretti, David Robinson, and Bethany Frankel, to name a few. Their watch collections come with stories about special moments on the concert stage, significant career accomplishments, eBay finds, and birthday gifts.

Other media produced by Hodinkee that is worth noting includes “A Week on the Wrist” (impressions after wearing a watch for a full week), “Watching Movies” (watches that make an appearance in favorite films), “Steal vs. Splurge” (similar looking watches at very different price points) and “Buying, Selling, & Collecting” (read the article that sneaks a peak at the watch collection of President Joe Biden).

Now that I’ve told you about Hodinkee, you can spend hours clicking around, watching, and reading about one of humanity’s most important and interesting inventions—the wrist watch.  For me, I need to continue scouring the internet to find my childhood Casio Twin Graph for less than $450. (YouTube, Hodinkee.com)