I first started following Toby Bateman when he joined Hodinkee during COVID. His selfies have always brought a smile to my face even though he describes them as “grumpy,” and his watches are a classic approach to design that I certainly appreciate. I was eager to speak with Toby about his various CEO roles at extremely different companies: HODINKEE was obviously watch-based, Vollebak - an incredibly tech-centric apparel brand, and now Mr. Porter, the menswear site he actually helped launch in 2011. This conversation is very heavy in fashion and watch talk. We chat about running Holiday promotions, approaches to our own personal style, and we even touch on a couple of cars in his life. We both looked down and realized an hour and twenty minutes went by, so it’s fair to say this was an effortless discussion and I hope to host Toby again. I hope you enjoy it.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

Toby Bateman

@tobybateman

Mr. Porter

https://www.mrporter.com/

@mrporter

@mrp