The combined company was unprofitable in 2021, 2022 and 2023, resorting to multiple rounds of layoffs to reduce expenses.

Hodinkee also faced issues related to audience trust in its effort to ramp up the commerce element of its business. The publisher had historically recommended watches to its audience and generated affiliate revenue when those recommendations led to purchases.

After Hodinkee acquired Crown & Caliber, it began recommending more Crown & Caliber watches. This made audiences suspicious that Hodinkee was promoting Crown & Caliber inventory rather than recommending the best products on the market.

These issues, along with declines in traffic and negative audience feedback, led Hodinkee to reconsider its commerce operation and return its focus to content.

“For now, we’re gonna take a beat and return to our roots and focus on what we do best—writing about watches—as we plan what might come next,” Clymer wrote. “And trust me, something will come next.