Benjamin Clymer Explained

Benjamin "Ben" Clymer
Occupation:Executive chairman of Hodinkee
Known For:Founder of Hodinkee, watch expert and entrepreneur

Benjamin "Ben" Clymer (born 1982) is an American businessman known as the executive chairman and founder of Hodinkee, a luxury watch and lifestyle website.[1] He is an authority and influencer in the world of watches.[2] [3]

Education and early life

Clymer was born in 1982, and grew up in Brighton, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York. As a youth, he was an avid collector, and first became interested in mechanical watches when his grandfather gave him an Omega Speedmaster MK40.[4] [3]

Clymer graduated from Brighton High School in 2001. He earned his bachelor's degree at Syracuse University and his master's degree at Columbia University School of Journalism.[5]

Career

After graduating college, Clymer worked as a project manager at Swiss investment bank UBS.[3] When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Clymer took a severance package from UBS and enrolled in Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism to earn a master's degree.[6] While at Columbia, also in 2008, he founded Hodinkee as a fan site and blog for watch aficionados. In 2012, Clymer launched Hodinkee's e-commerce platform based on Shopify, and in 2013, Time named Hodinkee one of the 50 best websites in the world.[7] [5]

In December 2013, The New York Times dubbed Clymer "The High Priest of Horology", noting his watch and style consulting work with brands including Club Monaco and Gilt Groupe.[3]

By 2015, Hodinkee was known as the most respected influential online resource in the traditional watch industry.[6]

In 2018, at age 35, Clymer was named to Crain's New York Business 40 Under 40 list.[8] In December 2018, Clymer led the collaboration efforts on the Slim d’Hermès Limited Editions with French luxury goods company Hermes' creative director Pierre-Alexis Dumas.[9]

In September 2020, Clymer was named to Fortune 40 under 40 list, in the category of Media and Entertainment.[10]

Personal life

Clymer is an avid collector of watches and cars, and his collection has been featured in GQ and The Wall Street Journal.[2] [11] [12] Through their shared passion for watches, Clymer has struck up friendships with other well known watch collectors such as musician John Mayer and actor and comedian Aziz Ansari.[3] [13] Clymer's vintage Porsche 356 Zagato Coupe was featured in The Wall Street Journal[1] He is also the proud owner of an un-pristine 1967 Porsche 911S.[14] Clymer is engaged to Cara Barret who also used to work at Hodinkee and lives in Manhattan.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: It's a Brand-New Porsche From 1959 . The Wall Street Journal. 2020-02-04 . 2020-05-12.
  2. Web site: Pocket Guide: Hodinkee's Benjamin Clymer . The Rake. 2017-08-01 . 2020-05-12.
  3. Web site: The High Priest of Horology . The New York Times. 2013-12-20 . 2020-05-11.
  4. Confessions of a Watch Geek . The New Yorker. 2017-03-20 . 2020-05-11.
  5. Web site: Brighton graduate's love of high-end watches pays off in popular website Hodinkee . Democrat and Chronicle. 2018-01-22 . 2020-05-11.
  6. Web site: Mr Ben Clymer . Mr. Porter. 2015-07-29 . 2020-05-11.
  7. Web site: Hodinkee's Ben Clymer: Flipping from advertising to commerce revenue is difficult . Digiday. 2018-08-14 . 2020-05-11.
  8. Web site: Benjamin Clymer, 35 Founder, CEO, Hodinkee . Crains New York. 2018 . 2020-05-12.
  9. Web site: Hermès Teams Up With Hodinkee For Slim d'Hermès Limited Editions . Barrons. 2018-12-13 . 2020-05-12.
  10. Web site: 40 Under 40 - Benjamin Clymer. The New York Times . 2020-09-02 . 2020-09-22.
  11. Web site: 8 Stylish Guys on Their Biggest Bargains and Stupidest Splurges . Wall Street Journal. 2018-03-28 . 2020-05-12.
  12. Web site: The 7 Most Insane Watches We Spotted at This Morning's Patek Philippe Event . GQ. 2016-10-13 . 2020-05-12.
  13. Web site: Aziz Ansari Talks Watches With Hodinkee . Hypebeast . 2018-01-10 . 2020-05-12.
  14. Web site: 2022-05-25 . DRIVERS: Ben Clymer and his 1967 Porsche 911S . 2022-05-26 . HYPEBEAST.