At 16, Michigan student Mason Maressa had saved $3,500 from working while attending high school. He could have used the money to buy a car. Instead, he spent it on a vintage Rolex Air-King, a decision that later became the starting point of his watch business.
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According to Entrepreneur magazine, Maressa was already interested in luxury goods, especially watches. A few days after the watch arrived, he listed it for sale online. He eventually sold it for about $4,000, making roughly $500 in profit.
The amount was not enough to change his life, but the sale showed Maressa that there could be an opportunity in a market he already understood and enjoyed. Rather than spending the money he made, he put it into another watch and continued buying and selling.
That process gradually became a business. As Maressa bought more watches, he also learned about the pre-owned luxury watch market. Pricing, condition, references, market demand, authentication and customer relationships became part of his work.
For the next several years, he continued trading watches while expanding his inventory. What began with one Rolex gradually became a larger operation, and by his late teens, the watch business had become a serious venture.
From online sales to a physical store
The next major step came when Maressa decided to take the business beyond online transactions. In January 2025, Clocked In opened a brick-and-mortar store at 601 S Beacon Blvd, Suite 103, in Grand Haven, Michigan.
The store operates by appointment only. It specialises in pre-owned luxury watches, with brands including Rolex, Omega, Tudor and other recognised names in the industry.
