If you’ve been following luxury watches online, you probably know the name Crown & Caliber. Maybe you’ve even bought or sold a watch through them. So, when whispers started swirling about changes at the brand, a lot of people wondered—are they shutting down? The answer is pretty straightforward: No, Crown & Caliber isn’t going out of business. But the story does come with some real changes that are worth talking about if you’re interested in watches, online marketplaces, or even just how businesses adapt when things get bumpy.
A Quick Refresher: What is Crown & Caliber?
Crown & Caliber isn’t just another online watch seller. They’ve been a big name in the pre-owned luxury watch market for more than a decade. When they started out, their whole pitch was simple—buy and sell authentic, high-end watches online, with transparency and trusted service thrown in.
Collectors and casual buyers both liked their style: You could send in your watch, get an honest quote, and either accept the cash or trade up for something new. The site built a reputation for handling everything in-house, from authentication to service.
During the late 2010s, Crown & Caliber expanded quickly. They produced YouTube videos, educational articles, and interviews with watchmakers and collectors. Even if you never bought from them, odds are you came across some of their brand content if you watched watch reviews or looked up how to care for your Rolex.
The Hodinkee Year: Peak Watch Hype
Hodinkee, basically the most famous digital magazine and shop for watch lovers, saw big potential in Crown & Caliber. In early 2021, with the market for luxury watches hotter than ever before, Hodinkee bought Crown & Caliber and made it part of their growing online shopping empire.
At the time, this seemed like a perfect match. Hodinkee had readers and watch expertise; Crown & Caliber had a system for buying, selling, and authenticating watches at scale. Together, they could reach more collectors and, hopefully, do more business.
But markets don’t stay red-hot forever. Just as quickly as they joined forces, the luxury watch bubble started to deflate. Prices for some used models fell. Some buyers got cold feet. Hodinkee tried to pivot, but even with a famous brand, cost-cutting came calling. There were layoffs, management changes, and lots of speculation about what might come next.
Selling to European Watch Company: What Happened?
By late 2024, things came to a head. Instead of trying to tough it out or keep pouring resources into the Crown & Caliber platform, Hodinkee decided to make a move. They sold the brand and its online platform to European Watch Company, a respected Boston-based dealer in the luxury pre-owned watch game.
Now, European Watch Company isn’t a stranger to serious collectors—they’ve been in the business for more than 30 years and run their own successful site. But the deal didn’t mean taking over absolutely everything. They bought the Crown & Caliber name, the e-commerce platform, and the rights to keep using the brand. But they didn’t take on Crown & Caliber’s existing inventory, meaning any watches left in the pipeline would be handled separately.
So, why did this happen? The honest answer comes down to timing and market conditions. Hodinkee had expanded quickly, probably with the assumption that demand for luxury watches—especially used Rolex, Omega, and similar brands—would stay strong. Instead, that demand cooled off, and carrying lots of inventory got more expensive. In that environment, selling Crown & Caliber to another specialist made sense.
How Crown & Caliber’s Operations Are Changing
So, let’s talk about what’s different for Crown & Caliber customers or anyone just following the brand. First off, the Crown & Caliber name is sticking around. You’ll still see the familiar site, logo, and most of their content.
But here’s the new twist: European Watch Company is shifting how the business works behind the scenes. Instead of Crown & Caliber stocking and warehousing a huge inventory of watches themselves, more of the operations will tie in with European Watch Company’s broader network and inventory approach.
That means if you browse Crown & Caliber’s site, you’ll likely be shown watches available directly through European Watch Company, or even be transferred to their main website if you want more options. It’s like merging two big online closets, but without losing the old Crown & Caliber look and feel.
For buyers and sellers, the process may look similar on the surface. But things like shipping, authentication, and payment might now be handled by the European Watch Company team, using their systems. This may speed up transactions or offer a broader selection, but it probably feels a little different than the old Crown & Caliber system.
If you were a fan of their videos or educational posts, you’re in luck. European Watch Company says they want to keep those pieces going. So expect the articles, buying guides, and watch explainer videos to stick around.
What This All Means for Crown & Caliber Fans
It’s tricky when a familiar brand gets bought or changes how it works. Loyal customers want to know: Will I get the same service? Will my transaction be safe? Is this still the brand I trust?
For Crown & Caliber, the answer looks pretty solid—just with some new touches. The big message is that they aren’t closing up shop or disappearing. Instead, they’re merging into a bigger, established pre-owned watch company. That means you’ll still be able to browse, shop, or sell under the Crown & Caliber name.
One noticeable shift is the inventory model. Since European Watch Company didn’t buy Crown & Caliber’s leftover watches, the site now acts more as a front-end or access point to EWC’s broader collection. You might see even more watches than before, but with a slightly different process and shipping details.
The blog, videos, and watch guides aren’t disappearing, either. If you’re one of the folks who just liked reading or watching their content to learn more about watches, that’s set to continue. European Watch Company has actually said they want to maintain and even build out that part of Crown & Caliber’s online footprint.
When you look at how other online businesses have handled transitions—think about e-commerce brands that get folded into bigger outfits or relaunched under new ownership—it’s often the brand name and content that survive, while the logistics get streamlined behind the scenes. That seems to be the approach here, too.
European Watch Company’s Plans for the Future
If you’ve never heard of European Watch Company, just know they’re watch people through and through. They have a long track record in the pre-owned market, and their client base includes seasoned collectors as well as newcomers.
Their plan with Crown & Caliber is pretty classic for an acquisition like this: keep the brand’s personality and stay visible online, but fuse the best parts into their own platform. This kind of “dual brand” move lets them expand their audience while making the back-end operations more efficient.
What’s in it for you? Probably a wider selection, more content, and reliable service backed by a company that’s already been at it for decades. And importantly, the people behind both companies know that reputation is everything in the watch world. They want to make sure people still trust Crown & Caliber when looking for advice, verification, or their next purchase.
If you want an example of a business staying present while adjusting under the hood, you might check out how some other e-commerce brands have kept their websites and articles running through acquisitions. For some good stories and resources, watch how online business publications like Sera Business have covered these transitions before.
The goal for European Watch Company is to make the transition feel as smooth as possible. They’re hoping the trust that Crown & Caliber built over the past decade won’t be lost, but carried into a new era.
So, What’s the Status Right Now?
As of mid-2024, here’s what’s actually happening. Crown & Caliber is not going away, disappearing, or shutting down. Instead, it’s switching over to new ownership and changing the way it handles inventory, customer service, and online shopping.
You’ll still see their name and get access to expert resources. But your actual transaction may be processed (in whole or in part) by European Watch Company, depending on what you’re looking for.
If you’ve used Crown & Caliber in the past, your experience going forward will look a little different. But the core idea—trusted source for buying, selling, and learning about luxury watches—remains.
So, if you’re in the market for a watch, need to sell one, or just like reading about mechanical timepieces, Crown & Caliber is still around. It’s just now operating under a bigger umbrella, with some tweaks to its process. For now, it seems like this approach is the brand’s best shot at moving forward in a tougher market, without letting what made them popular fade away.