Jack Forster joins Watchbox as Global Editorial Director

[Ichiran]

Jack and Tim in 1 team, that's music to me!

[brandrea]

I’ve always appreciated Jack, he’s legend IMHO

[JParm]

Love Jack! It is sad to see all of the people that have left Hodinkee though...the site really has lost its luster to me (old news, I know).

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Love Jack! It is sad to see all of the people that have left Hodinkee though...the site really has lost its luster to me (old news, I know).

I agree, but I always appreciated Jack's articles. I felt he was a genuine watch lover.

[Cmmatthews]

Originally Posted by gnuyork

I agree, but I always appreciated Jack's articles. I felt he was a genuine watch lover.

What has happened to Hodinkee over the last ~2 years has been like watching a family member slowly deteriorate or something. It's genuinely sad, as someone who has been reading the site since ~2010 or so to see what it's become. It was instrumental in taking me as someone who was a watch enthusiast to someone who was a watch obsessive.

Obviously its a clear strategy on their part to de-emphasize the quality of the watch journalism in focus of more lifestyle type stuff and move the site to more mainstream appeal, but for those of us who remember the quality of the talent they had then (seriously, go back and look at some of the names of people writing content...I just re-read the 5270 review written by none other than Paul Boutros) to what they have now, it's shocking. Several others have quietly left recently as well.

Jack was truly the last of the great watch journalists there. If Watchbox wants to pick up the mantle here and bring in that level of talent, godspeed, but I'm going to pour one out for Hodinkee of old.

[Chewbacca]

Smart. He helped give Habakee cred with the editorial direction to start selling watches and add Ltd ed partnerships (puke, blahhh) and that pays the bills and adds more enterprise value for a brand, which he’d never see at sale. Let’s see how many others follow him.

[Speed]

So he’s doing a reverse Hodinkee…

Going to a watch seller to create great watch content.

Hodinkee of course started out with great watch content…and started selling. The beginning of the end???

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Speed

So he’s doing a reverse Hodinkee…

Going to a watch seller to create great watch content.

Hodinkee of course started out with great watch content…and started selling. The beginning of the end???

I believe this is sound thinking.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Ichiran

Jack and Tim in 1 team, that's music to me!

Music? Did someone say music?

Congrats to Tim and Jack, this is HUUUUGE news.

Long ago during the dot com boom a website called eTown was the same review/sales scheme for consumer electronics. They burned through tens of millions. Anyone heard of eTown?

[HMHM]

The editorial side of Hodinkee can no longer be objective following the investment of LVMH. That’s why they can no longer write factual articles and instead have to resort to lifestyle, mainstream editorial so that they can continue to claim themselves as being unbiased journalists. I’m glad Jack left. My interest in Hodinkee declined after SJP left. This is almost the final nail in the coffin.

[Speed]

Originally Posted by HMHM

The editorial side of Hodinkee can no longer be objective following the investment of LVMH. That’s why they can no longer write factual articles and instead have to resort to lifestyle, mainstream editorial so that they can continue to claim themselves as being unbiased journalists. I’m glad Jack left. My interest in Hodinkee declined after SJP left. This is almost the final nail in the coffin.

I think Hodinkee *wants* to go on this direction. They see more revenue opportunity down this road. We’ll see.

It will be interesting to see what Jack contributes at WatchBox. I watch a few Tim Mosso videos on watches they sell…but I never go to WatchBox to read indie content. I’ll have to find (more) others sources for that.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Speed

I think Hodinkee *wants* to go on this direction. They see more revenue opportunity down this road. We’ll see.

IPO at some point or fatten the pig for sale?

[Speed]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

IPO at some point or fatten the pig for sale?

I don’t think an IPO is in the future…but certainly more investor $ and possibly a sale to a media company other suitor.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by HMHM

The editorial side of Hodinkee can no longer be objective following the investment of LVMH. That’s why they can no longer write factual articles and instead have to resort to lifestyle, mainstream editorial so that they can continue to claim themselves as being unbiased journalists. I’m glad Jack left. My interest in Hodinkee declined after SJP left. This is almost the final nail in the coffin.

This is a big point to make. Jack strikes me as a person of some character towards his craft and this hanging over his head would be cringe for him I’m sure.

[Blansky]

Don't know if I care one way or the other on Jack moving or not since these are all commercial enterprises posing as informational or people believing they're informational.

Hodinkee running daily articles on various watches .......and "oh, by the way we have that one in stock.....".

I'm not sure I see Watchbox as any different an animal. Jack will just be like the salesman at the store that takes the time to explain his watch stock for you.

Do we fall in love with these guys because the sales guy at the watch store no longer can or cares to explain watches to you??

[Speed]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Don't know if I care one way or the other on Jack moving or not since these are all commercial enterprises posing as informational or people believing they're informational.

Hodinkee running daily articles on various watches .......and "oh, by the way we have that one in stock.....".

I'm not sure I see Watchbox as any different an animal. Jack will just be like the salesman at the store that takes the time to explain his watch stock for you.

Do we fall in love with these guys because the sales guy at the watch store no longer can or cares to explain watches to you??

Well...I think Jack is an excellent writer. The best Hodinkee had. However, I agree with you on what that site has become.

Jack does seem to be going in a bit of a different direction. He's headed to a site which has sales as its (current) Job 1.

[JParm]

Originally Posted by Speed

Well...I think Jack is an excellent writer. The best Hodinkee had. However, I agree with you on what that site has become.

Jack does seem to be going in a bit of a different direction. He's headed to a site which has sales as its (current) Job 1.

That's what I loved about his material on Hodnikee - he's pure longform and never felt like a salesman to me. You can truly see the passion and attention to detail there, which is not something that I see from anyone else (maybe Ariel at ablogtowatch or SJX at times).

It will be interesting to see how he fits in.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

That's what I loved about his material on Hodnikee - he's pure longform and never felt like a salesman to me. You can truly see the passion and attention to detail there, which is not something that I see from anyone else (maybe Ariel at ablogtowatch or SJX at times).

It will be interesting to see how he fits in.

It will be interesting. You wonder if he chased the money, or if he felt sort of used by Hodinkee who brought him in as a knowledge resource and it almost emerged into shilling for Hodinkee evolution to 'sales'.

It's hard to see his role as not much different than at Hodinkee, even though Hodinkee became perhaps not what he signed up for.

[Cmmatthews]

Originally Posted by Blansky

It will be interesting. You wonder if he chased the money, or if he felt sort of used by Hodinkee who brought him in as a knowledge resource and it almost emerged into shilling for Hodinkee evolution to 'sales'.

It's hard to see his role as not much different than at Hodinkee, even though Hodinkee became perhaps not what he signed up for.

Well I hope the guy gets paid at least. I'll reserve judgement to see what he does there.

But even Tim's 5-7 minute videos on a watch are generally more fact based and interesting than the vast majority of other video content on watches out there even despite him selling.

[Speed]

Funny.
No word or announcements at Hodinkee. A member commented on an unrelated story about 90’s watches saying “What, nothing re: Jack, just shop this story?”

Looks like a mod deleted the comment

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Speed

Funny.
No word or announcements at Hodinkee. A member commented on an unrelated story about 90’s watches saying “What, nothing re: Jack, just shop this story?”

Looks like a mod deleted the comment

[Chewbacca]

I’m so applying to Mod at Habookie. Gonna show those elitists who runs what on the boards.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

I’m so applying to Mod at Habookie. Gonna show those elitists who runs what on the boards.

Finally there'd be some sanity at Hodinkee.

Remember to take your dustbuster to your interview. And wear clean underwear.

[Speed]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Finally there'd be some sanity at Hodinkee.

Remember to take your dustbuster to your interview. And wear clean underwear.

And practice up talking. They love that.

[White Collar Boy]

I hope he keeps writing as well. He is streets ahead of any competition IMO.

[djnick]

Originally Posted by White Collar Boy

I hope he keeps writing as well. He is streets ahead of any competition IMO.

someone from WB commented on the video that he will continue writing for 3rd parties

[Speed]

Originally Posted by djnick

someone from WB commented on the video that he will continue writing for 3rd parties

Something tells me the ‘Dink will not be one of said 3rd parties.

[Fifteen]

He has joined Tim at watch box. Very interesting

[illiguy]

Wow. I will miss the Stephen Pulvirent, Cara Barrett, James Stacey, and Jack Forster era of Hodinkee.

[Irydium]

I've always enjoyed Jack's articles. In the past few months I've found myself visiting Hodinkee a lot less as their scope has expanded to a lifestyle magazine with less focus on the nitty gritty of watches.