The site sold all 36 of the exclusive timepieces, raising $1.6 million
Hodinkee sold out the limited edition $45,000 Vacheron Constantin watch created exclusively for the site in just 30 minutes.
The Richemont-owned watch brand produced 36 of the stainless steel timepieces, titled the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 Limited Edition. Overall, the little experiment raised $1.6 million. There are currently 120 people on the waiting list, says Stephen Pulvirent, Hodinkee managing editor and director of operations.
“Wow!” the watch brand crowed on its Facebook page. “The @Vacheronconstantin Cornes de Vache 1955 Limited Edition for Hodinkee SOLD OUT in 30 minutes. Congrats to the lucky 36 owners!”
The watch brand did not return requests for comment, but Vacheron’s North American president Vincent Brun told Bloomberg: “We wanted to make this digital step in order to increase brand exposure in the world and reach out to watch lovers we did not necessarily speak to until now.”
This is also not the first time Hodinkee has hooked up with an established brand: Last year, it offered a limited edition piece produced by Zenith, and it’s also done watches with Nomos Glashütte and MB&F, says Pulvirent. He adds the site is planning more collaborations, but it “does not share the exact plans in advance.”
He doesn’t believe the venture represents a conflict: “We don’t think there’s any more conflict than there would be with any publication that accepts advertising, for example. We take great care to make sure that our team of writers and editors understand their editorial independence, and we are no less—or more—critical of brands with whom we collaborate than those with which we do not. Creating incredible, honest editorial content has always been our Number One mission, and it remains that way today.”
Vacheron Constantin is just one of a number of watch brands exploring online sales. Just recently, IWC Schaffhausen announced it was selling on Yoox Net-a-Porter.
In 2015, Hodinkee merged with Watchville and received Silicon Valley backing.
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(Photo courtesy of Hodinkee)
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