marc ecko

If there was ever a "niche mainstream" watch brand, it would be Marc Ecko. They take all the weirdness they would like to put in their clothes but don't... and throw it into their timepieces. Some are cool, and some are just plain weird, but in the end, you do notice them. New for the brand is the Downtown Meets Uptown watch set. Two watches come in the set and are meant to serve as items that can be "worn from the boardroom to the after party." I think that Marc Ecko is getting a little bit overambitious as to who their demographic is when making this statement! Especially considering that the majority of their market is aged 15-35 (their own numbers). You know lots of 15-25 year olds "in the boardroom?"

Marc Ecko watches are like a design game - as though one is trying to make a bad boy image out of something preppy. The watches are visually pleasing. not for everyone's taste, but OK. To be honest, I am not sure which watch is the "Downtown" model and which is the "Uptown" model. But does it matter? With at least one of them, you know you'll have a timepiece that will go with your argyle or plaid print clothing. On the larger side, the watches are 47mm side in steel (one with gold tone applied), with quartz movements inside. Not sure about other details or pricing information. A very positive thing I can say is that Marc Ecko is bundling the watches together. Trying to remind young watch lovers they you need more than a single watch. No better way to educate people on the merits of having different watches for different occasions than by selling them two at a time.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

This holiday season the Mark Ecko brands are doing a very appealing series of giveaways. Each day they are giving away a different item (apologies but you've missed a few of the days already) that is cool by itself, but made more desirable by some enhancement. For example, the pictured Ecko Boba Fett hoodie is signed by the guy who played Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch) in the classic trilogy. Nice! Other giveaways include items such as an Ecko Playboy shirt signed by Hugh himself. You get the idea right? Aside from apparel there is also a watch - but mostly they are pop culture themed clothing and shoes.

The giveaway is held at the ShopEcko.com website here. You need to go there to enter, and you apparently must re-enter each day for that day's giveaway. They really want you revisiting that website a lot to check out the various Ecko sub-brands. Worth checking out.

In the case of hip-hop clothing designer Marc Ecko, it's hard not to blame the real estate. The NY Posts reports that Ecko has been forced to give up control of his own trademark in a move to stave off a total meltdown. He signed over a 51 percent interest in the Marc Ecko brand to Iconix, a New York company that owns brands like Joe Boxer, Candie's, Rocawear and London Fog for $63.5 million in cash plus $90 million in financing for a newly formed joint venture.

Ecko's penchant for lavish spending led him to invest in some pretty pricey properties. He is currently trying to lease out space in his 280,000- square-foot headquarters in Midtown. The building includes everything from a recording studio to a basketball court. As Ecko told the Post, he's had "a crazy, wild ride." Part of that wild ride also includes his 30-acre estate in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The estate known as Stronghold was bought by Ecko and his wife, Allison for $7.4 million in 2005. Since then they've spent in excess of $20 million in construction costs to renovate and update the home. The estate, which was originally was built by Prudential Insurance founder and US Sen. John Dryden in 1899, is not for sale but it might not move quickly if it was placed on the market. It's the sort of white elephant which has a tendency to linger in the MLS.

While the construction on the house was taking place Ecko and his family stayed in a four-bedrom Colonial home next door. That home was listed for sale in March for $1.299 million. The home is on five acres and has been renovated with a gourmet kitchen. It includes a master bedroom suite with a walk-in closet, a downstairs recreation room and a bonus room with daylight windows and a full bath. It remains on the market with a reduced price of $1.099 million.

Earlier this month the NY Post reported that fashion designer Marc Ecko had listed a colonial home he owns in New Jersey for $1.299 million in order to help satisfy more than $2.1 million in construction liens for his New Jersey castle, Stronghold. Now the Post reveals that Ecko has more problems than just his castle, which he reportedly has spent nearly $22 million fixing up.

The Post says that Ecko has hired investment bank Peter J. Solomon to help refinance at least $170 million in debt. The debts are owed to a couple of important business partners. If he can't find a willing lender, Ecko may have to sell off some assets. Like many fashion outfits, the Marc Ecko brand took a hit during the past retail season. The Post's sources say the company owes more than $100 million to Li & Fung, a global trading company that helps manufacture Marc Ecko products. He also also defaulted on a term loan of more than $70 million from a syndicate led by commercial-lending giant CIT and although he won forbearance on the loan, CIT will have to be paid by summer.

Michael Golden, chief marketing officer at Marc Ecko Enterprises, shrugged off concerns to the Post saying that the company is still strong. Rumors persist that the company is trying to lease out part of its new York City headquarters. A few years ago, Ecko contemplated offers from Jones Apparel Group and Tommy Hilfiger in the $500 million range but would be hard-pressed to find a similar deal now.

If only there was a Luxist for bona fide street pimps - items like this would be the main attraction. I think that Marc Ecko has officially priced their Prez watch right out of their core market with a price starting at over $4,000 for this limited edition watch in either gold or silver. Inside is most likely a quartz movement, and the surfaces are studded with Swarovski crystals, but no diamonds. Really not a single diamond for $4000 bucks? Overall, each watch has 1,454 set stones making for what is bound to be a shiny, shiny looking watch.

In what can be described only as "drug dealer chic" the Prez watch certainly makes a statement about its potential owner. I am reminded by wheel spinners when I look at this watch, only with more unwanted pizazz. It is as though there is a blingy party in front of my eyes, and all the world's tasteless elite at gathering 'round. Feel free to disagree with my position on the watch, but you can't deny "gaudy" is the Prez watch's middle name. Availability is limited to select David Morris Stores at Selfidges London, Birmingham, and Manchester in the UK.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.