HODINKEE Podcasts

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This is the main feed for all of Hodinkee's podcasts, from "Hodinkee Radio" to new and special presentations subscribe here for discussions about the latest watch releases, interviews with notable collectors, and a whole lot more.

  1. The Business of Watches [014] Baume & Mercier CEO Michael Guenoun Talks Strategy On The Eve Of The Brand's Sale By Richemont

    3D AGO

    The Business of Watches [014] Baume & Mercier CEO Michael Guenoun Talks Strategy On The Eve Of The Brand's Sale By Richemont

    On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, a brand that's very much in the news. We're in Meyrin, just outside of Geneva, to talk to the head of Baume & Mercier, the near-200 year old brand that's just been sold by Richemont to Italy's Damiani Group. Michael Guenoun speaks passionately and with conviction about the pressures the brand faces due to the strong Swiss franc, rising costs, and its commitment to remaining in the approachable-priced segment of the watch market.  Guenoun highlights the brand's rich history, its model lines, and its strategy for retail, distribution, and pricing. Recorded before the sale of Baume & Mercier was announced officially, we asked him if the brand was up for sale, and his answer is worth tuning in for. The conversation gives the listener a sense of where Guenoun and his team expect the brand to be and achieve under new leadership for a deal that's still short on details, but is expected to close this summer and take Baume & Mercier under a new corporate umbrella with a company that is based in Italy rather than in Switzerland like Richemont. But first, we're joined by a very special guest for his take on the latest business headlines in the watch world. Adrian Barker is the man behind Bark & Jack - the popular and influential YouTube channel and accessories shop selling straps, coffee mugs, and other products.  It's a big moment for Adrian as he's just about to launch his first watch collaboration - a dive watch with U.K. brand Christopher Ward.  Adrian gives us the lowdown on what he learned from the collaboration process with the watchmaker and what he's doing with the design to make this very much an expression of his own personal taste and philosophy on what makes a proper watch. We also talk about Patek Philippe's recent decision to roll back prices in the U.S. in response to lower tariff rates, while implementing another price increase in other markets.  Show Notes 0:57 Adrian Barker and Bark & Jack  1:34 Visit Glasgow 2:23 Christopher Ward  3:11 ETA SA  5:00 The story of Christopher Ward and CEO Mike France  9:20 Who Makes Christopher Ward Watches (Bark & Jack)  12:08 Bark & Jack products 14:05 Patek Philippe  17:37 Richemont Sells Baume & Mercier  20:04 Damiani Group  22:55 Michael Guenoun (World Tempus)  23:30 History of Baume & Mercier  25:25 Riviera collection (Monochrome)  26:51 Clifton Baumatic  28:00 Baumatic movement (Caliber Corner)  38:30 TimeVallee  45:30 As China Retreats And The U.S. Wobbles, Is India The Next Great Hope For The Luxury Watch Market?  49:20 Richemont maisons  53:55 Who wants to buy Baume & Mercier and why? 55:04 Watches and Wonders 2026

    58 min
  2. The Business of Watches [013] Norqain CEO Ben Küffer On The NHL Partnership And The Challenge Of Standing Out In A Crowded Market

    JAN 28

    The Business of Watches [013] Norqain CEO Ben Küffer On The NHL Partnership And The Challenge Of Standing Out In A Crowded Market

    On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, we head to Nidau, Switzerland, where we sit down with Ben Küffer, the young Chief Executive Officer of family-owned watch brand Norqain. It's a frank discussion of the challenges of starting a brand and creating a signature watch–the Norqain Wild One–at a time when the industry is crowded with competitors, and it's tough to stand out. We focus on Norqain's unique strategy of recruiting former and current professional athletes as not only brand representatives, but also investors and executives. The big news is Norqain's deal to be the official luxury timepiece of the National Hockey League, an agreement guided by former NHLer and Norqain co-founder Mark Streit with some help from superstar and company investor Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  We also discuss the surprise success of Norqain's 'Enjoy Life' Freedom 60 chronograph that struck a chord with consumers with its ice cream-themed colors and endorsement by Mark Wahlberg to become the brand's top-selling watch. Despite that success, and perhaps in a bid to play the scarcity card, Norqain now says it plans to discontinue the model, at least for now.  But first, we're joined by TanTan Wang, who is back from Colorado, and some quality time with Oris's new Big Crown Pointer Date 'Bullseye.' We also talk about the recent headlines in the watch world, including the proposed sale of Richemont's Baume & Mercier to Italy's Damiani Group, as well as Omega's very commercial 300M diver, which it is launching for the Milano Cortina Winter Games.  Show Notes  1:57 Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye  3:15 TanTan's essay and the fight against watch snobbery  3:47 Richemont Sells Baume & Mercier  5:43 Omega Releases A White Ceramic Seamaster 300M For Milano Cortina 2026  9:40 Norqain 10:22 Mark Streit  11:10 Norqain Scores Multi-Year Sponsorship Deal With NHL Aimed At Vaulting Swiss Brands To The Big Leagues  12:03 Sidney Crosby Partners With Watch Company Founded By Former NHLers (ESPN)  18:00 Talking Watches With Jean-Claude Biver  19:55 Norqain Wild One  20:25 BIWI SA  26:00 Hands-On with the Norqain Wild One (Fratello)  30:40 Hands-On With the Norqain Freedom 60 40mm Enjoy Life (Fratello)  35:55 Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono 42mm  37:31 Swiss watch export statistics  39:44 Swiss watch industry employment  45:00 Stan Wawrinka  51:30 Norqain world and values

    1 hr
  3. The Business of Watches [012] Manuel Emch, The Head Of Louis Erard And 'The Numbers Guy' At Kollokium, On How To Build A Successful Swiss Watch Brand

    JAN 21

    The Business of Watches [012] Manuel Emch, The Head Of Louis Erard And 'The Numbers Guy' At Kollokium, On How To Build A Successful Swiss Watch Brand

    On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, we wrangled some time with someone who was born into the world of the Swiss watch industry but who has taken an outsider's path to business success. Manuel Emch is the managing director of Louis Erard and also one-third of the radical upstart micro-brand Kollokium. We sat down last year, and Emch outlined his circuitous route and unique approach to building and selling watch brands.  But first, Hodinkee Magazine's editorial director Malaika Crawford drops in to give her take on Louis Vuitton's latest novelties and La Fabrique du Temps with a behind-the-scenes look at the atelier and its skilled artisans and craftspersons. Plus–what is Rolex telling us with its latest group of Hollywood testimonees?  Show Notes  1:35 LVMH Watch Week 2026  2:15 La Fabrique du Temps 8:30 New Rolex Testimonees in 2025  11:00 Louis Erard  11:20 Kollokium  12:00 Grenchen, Switzerland 13:26 HEC Lausanne 16:00 Nick Hayek Sr.  18:19 Jaquet Droz (Hodinkee)  22:50 Jaquet Droz website  27:30 Romain Jerome   36:20 Louis Erard (Hodinkee)  45:20 Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein  54:00 MB&F  58:10 Swatch AI Dada  59:45 Kollokium (Hodinkee)  1:02:00 Kollokium short film  1:07:10 Tupperware  1:13:07 Louis Erard Regulator

    1h 25m
  4. The Business of Watches [011] The Head Of Montblanc's Timepieces Division Laurent Lecamp On Minerva, Hairsprings, And What's Next For The Brand

    JAN 14

    The Business of Watches [011] The Head Of Montblanc's Timepieces Division Laurent Lecamp On Minerva, Hairsprings, And What's Next For The Brand

    On this week's The Business of Watches, we head to Villeret, Switzerland, and the storied Swiss watchmaker Minerva. The brand, founded in 1858, is truly the jewel within Montblanc's watchmaking division, which itself is part of Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont. Laurent Lecamp is the man leading Montblanc and Minerva's watchmaking operations, and he sat down with us for a detailed discussion on Minerva and what he's doing to satisfy the clients that he calls "fans" and not customers. Montblanc and Minerva won't be participating in Watches and Wonders this year, and Lecamp outlines the different paths that the brands are taking within the Richemont group. He also talks about his penchant for running extreme marathons, sometimes wearing a Minerva or Montblanc timepiece.  But first, a new format to start the show. We're joined by Hodinkee senior business editor, Mark Kauzlarich, to chew over some of the business headlines making news in the watch world. We talk about potential executive changes in the top job at TAG Heuer and also discuss what we think the business strategy might be behind Omega's new Speedmaster that boasts a ceramic bezel, lacquered dial, and a new price tag.  Show Notes 0:30 Montblanc / Minerva 0:45 Audemars Piguet And Ten More Brands To Join Watches And Wonders For 2026 1:00 Minerva Is The Watchmaking Jewel Within Montblanc And Showcases Its Talents With A New Art Piece (Hodinkee) 2:00 Business Montres  3:50 TAG Heuer  5:20 LVMH Watches and Jewelry  7:10 Jean-Christophe Babin (Instagram)  8:50 The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Black & White (Hodinkee)  12:00 Hands-On The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean For 2025 (Hodinkee) 15:30 Villeret, Switzerland  16:36 Laurent Lecamp (Instagram)  17:40 GIA (Gemology Institute of America)  19:50 Cyrus Watches 23:00 Example of Minerva bezel  26:00 Montblanc's New Minerva Monopusher Chronograph (Hodinkee)  28:20 Montblanc Club M58 (Watchonista)  43:12 Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles (YouTube) 48:10 Richemont  51:00 Montblanc Ice Marathon (Revolution)

    54 min
  5. The Business of Watches [010] Ming Executives Ming Thein And Praneeth Rajsingh Talk Design, Manufacturing, Pricing, And What's Next For The Innovative Brand

    JAN 7

    The Business of Watches [010] Ming Executives Ming Thein And Praneeth Rajsingh Talk Design, Manufacturing, Pricing, And What's Next For The Innovative Brand

    On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, we sit down with the principals of Horologer Ming and there is plenty to talk about. Founder and creative head Ming Thein explains his unique design and engineering process, while Chief Executive Officer Praneeth Rajsingh discusses financial challenges and financing solutions the small company has utilized to keep the business humming. We dive deep into the manufacturing process of the titanium, 3D-printed Polymesh bracelet that has the watch world buzzing, get an audio-only sneak peek at an upcoming release, and also hear about plans for a value-priced subsidiary brand they have in the works. We hope you enjoy the conversation. There is a lot to unpack! Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn. Show Notes 4:50 Dubai Watch Week 6:47 Ming and the Alternative Horological Alliance 10:30 Computer Aided Design 12:20 Ming Polymesh  33:20 Apple Watch 39:00 Accredited Investor  42:20 Project finance  49:25 Swiss watch CEOs talk about component suppliers 54:00 Ming 17.01 (Hodinkee)

    1h 4m
  6. The Business of Watches [009] Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta Drives Double-Digit Sales Increase For Brand's 150th Anniversary Year

    12/24/2025

    The Business of Watches [009] Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta Drives Double-Digit Sales Increase For Brand's 150th Anniversary Year

    On this week's episode of  The Business of Watches, we sit down with Ilaria Resta, the Chief Executive Officer of Audemars Piguet.  Among the strategically important years in the brand's 150-year history, 2025 may rank among the most significant. Not only did it mark a century-and-a-half anniversary, it demanded a strong and determined leader to navigate through a mille feuille of challenges. Amid U.S. tariffs, record prices for gold, an extremely strong Swiss franc, and an overall downturn in market demand, Resta and her team from Le Brassus grew sales by double-digits, up 12%, as of the end of October compared to the year before, according to the brand. That's more than CHF 2.3 billion in sales, according to analyst estimates.  That's no small achievement considering the extraordinary headwinds facing the industry. Overall, Swiss watch exports are set to decline for the second year in a row in 2025. Under Resta's leadership, AP is bucking the trend and then some. In this episode, we talk about the notable product releases from AP this year, including its innovative perpetual calendar and the highly wearable, groundbreaking RD#5; how she intends to manage production; the evolution of the brand; and possible changes to model lines. A long-time senior executive in the consumer goods industry, Resta discusses what makes the watch industry unique and what it needs to do to appeal to the next generation of clients. Show Notes 3:50 Audemars Piguet at Dubai Watch Week 5:27 AP Perpetual Calendars in 38mm  7:50 Book round-up featuring Audemars Piguet The Watch  9:10 Swiss Watch Exports 11:52 Royal Oak Offshore  15:30 Audemars Piguet says CEO Staying (BoF)  17:33 AP Certified Pre-Owned  19:30 Dubai Watch Week CEO Roundtable 22:25 A Plea For Proportionality (Hodinkee)

    29 min
  7. The Business of Watches [008] Hind Seddiqi: The Driving Force Behind Dubai Watch Week

    12/10/2025

    The Business of Watches [008] Hind Seddiqi: The Driving Force Behind Dubai Watch Week

    On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, a frank discussion with one of the most powerful women in the world of horology. Hind Seddiqi is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Watch Week, an event that's grown and matured to become one of the few truly top-tier events on the watch sector calendar. As CEO of the biennial gathering, Seddiqi oversees the team that decides which brands get to exhibit their wares, which executives and collectors get to speak on the industry panels, and exactly how the massive show is staged, presented, and organized.  This year's Dubai Watch Week was the most successful edition yet and marked a new era of international profile for an idea launched a decade ago by the United Arab Emirates retailer Ahmed Seddiqi as a way to showcase watchmaking and inform locals about the industry. Housed in a new, larger, and purpose-built venue near the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Watch Week 2025 welcomed a record 49,000 visitors this year, a 113% increase from the previous edition. The event, marking the 75th anniversary of the Seddiqi family retail empire, saw a wave of collector groups fly in from around the world to attend a show that offers up close and personal access to many of the biggest names in watchmaking, from Max Büsser to Roger Smith, to Rexhep Rexhepi, and the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid.  Hind Seddiqi says one of her biggest challenges now is preserving the casual, spontaneous, and intimate feel of Dubai Watch Week as demand for a place at the table continues to rise. She talks about Dubai, its torrid growth (and punishing traffic) and the city's increasingly important role in the international economy and how she plans to manage the demands and expectations of a massively popular event.  Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn. Show Notes:  3:08 Dubai Watch Week 4:32 Ahmed Seddiqi  5:03 A Rare Look Inside The Incredible Collection Of Mohammed Seddiqi At Dubai Watch Week 9:09 Dubai Watch Week Masterclasses 10:31 Audemars Piguet "House of Wonders" at Dubai Watch Week  12:15 Dubai population growth (Gulf News)  16:05 Francis Ford Coppola's Personal 'FFC' Sells for $10.755 million, The Most Expensive F.P. Journe Ever Sold 17:30 Dubai Mall  20:50 Rolex CEO Says Brand Won't Significantly Expand Own Retail And Will Continue To Work With Authorized Dealers 23:15 Top Swiss Watch CEOs Talk Leadership And Strategy Amid Industry Challenges At Dubai Watch Week 26:30 Tudor Launches New Ranger In 36MM At Dubai Watch Week

    33 min
  8. The Business of Watches [007] James Lamdin Of Analog Shift On The Vintage And Pre-Owned Market And Why All Authenticity Guarantees Aren't The Same

    11/24/2025

    The Business of Watches [007] James Lamdin Of Analog Shift On The Vintage And Pre-Owned Market And Why All Authenticity Guarantees Aren't The Same

    James Lamdin is a sage voice of reason and experience in the vintage watch market. He's earned those titles through his years in the business. A co-founder of the OG collector meetup RedBar Group, Lamdin went on to found Analog Shift, the vintage and pre-owned dealer acquired by Watches of Switzerland (also the parent company of Hodinkee) in 2020. In a conversation recorded live in front of an audience at UBS House of Craft in New York City in October, Lamdin breaks down the vintage and pre-owned watch market, how we got here, where we've been, and where we're likely going. He also gives plenty of useful insight on what it means for a second-hand watch to be truly authenticated and how collectors need to stay curious to get the most out of their watch-collecting journey.  Lamdin proves himself a wealth of knowledge when it comes to used timepieces and what anyone should be thinking about when they're considering buying pre-owned. We had a blast recording this episode, especially taking questions from the audience. Be sure to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to respond.  Show Notes 00:30 James Lamdin and Analog Shift  2:00 Bloomberg.com 4:15 The Biggest Ever Boom In Swiss Watches is Coming to an End 4:45 Watches of Switzerland Group USA Acquires Analogue Shift 6:09 Secondary Market Rolex and Patek Price Rise, Fall and Recovery 10:00 U.S. Tariffs Impact On Secondary Market  12:11 Under The Radar: American Watches 16:00 RedBar Group  20:40 Omega Speedmaster Professional  23:00 Rolex Certified Pre-Owned  25:15 There are not enough watchmakers 35:54 Secondary Watch Market To Top New Sales By 2033 At $85 Billion  39:13 Neo Vintage Watches  41:01 The Military Industrial Complex  44:24 Cartier Tank Americaine Diamond 48:31 Ebay Authentication For Watches

    50 min
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This is the main feed for all of Hodinkee's podcasts, from "Hodinkee Radio" to new and special presentations subscribe here for discussions about the latest watch releases, interviews with notable collectors, and a whole lot more.

Information

  • Creator
    HODINKEE
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    294
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 HODINKEE Podcasts
  • Show Website
    HODINKEE Podcasts

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