The G-SHOCK Ref. 5600 by Ben Clymer
The first watch bearing the Hodinkee founder’s name is a handsome beater.
Ben Clymer is a watch guy through-and-through, as evidenced by this watch that bears his name (image: Hodinkee).
Ignore the fancy wool herringbone jacket. That watch on Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer’s wrist is meant to take punishment. It’s based on the rugged G-SHOCK Ref. 5600 that’s beloved by military, emergency services personnel, and other no-nonsense type folks. Also, unlike Clymer’s own Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5004A-001 that costs an astounding $310,000, this one will nary dent your bank account at a mere $185. We’re not sure if this is refreshing or just weird.
Whatever the case, it’s a unique piece that nods to Clymer’s watch passion origins. He recognizes the fact that nobody really needs a watch, which is quite a humble admission. But, if you decided you wanted a watch, it might be something like this. It’s actually curated by the help of musician John Mayer, who is a dyed-in-the-wool watch guy and regularly contributes to Hodinkee. This model is the third and final model in the latest G-SHOCK collaborations with John Mayer. This one gets a resin case clad in Hodinkee’s signature gray color, along with a dark gray strap and an olive green logo’d keeper that matches the watch’s dial.
The dial has something unique in the backlighting… the Hodinkee ‘H’ in orange. It’s only visible when you activate the backlight, and it’s a subtle nod to the brand. The three cities on the dial, NYC (New York City), Tokyo (TYO), and Atlanta (ATL) don’t make it a GMT, by any means. Those point to the offices of Hodinkee (NYC, ATL) and Casio’s HQ (TYO). Flip the watch over, and you’ll find a Latin saying, Esse Quam Videri, which means “I sound pretentious”. Actually, it translates “To be, rather than to seem,” Clymer’s mantra, borrowed from famed watch guy, Henry Graves, Jr. The caseback also has words directly from Clymer, “With Immense Gratitude and Appreciation”, meant for loyal Hodinkee fans over the site’s past 15 years.
The first two models in the series are now sold out, but the Ref. 5600 by Ben Clymer is still available on Hodinkee. $5 of every watch sold will go to directly to The Horological Society of New York. You get a pretty special watch for not very much coin.