Five years after buying his first Rolex at 16, Maressa says Clocked In has crossed $10 million in cumulative sales
At 16, Michigan student Mason Maressa had saved $3,500 from working while attending high school. He eventually sold it for about $4,000, making roughly $500 in profit.
Maressa was already interested in luxury goods, especially watches, according to Entrepreneur magazine. 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. A few days after the watch arrived, he listed it for sale online. 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.
Five years after buying his first Rolex at 16, Maressa says Clocked In has crossed $10 million in cumulative sales. He is now 21.
Clocked In says building customer trust became an important part of its growth. Its current business model also includes unworn pieces, according to the company’s website. Clocked In says its customer base includes collectors and enthusiasts from West Michigan and beyond.
The store also gives customers the chance to sit down, handle different watches and compare them before making a purchase. This is particularly relevant for a market where individual watches can cost thousands of dollars. Pre-owned luxury watches can differ from one another even when they are the same model and year. Their condition, completeness and value can vary, making the reputation of the seller important to buyers. Maressa wanted the buying process to be approachable for both experienced collectors and people purchasing their first Rolex. Customers can ask questions, compare different watches and understand the differences between pieces without already being experts in the field. The company buys, sells and trades pre-owned timepieces with customers and other participants in the watch industry. The company describes itself as a luxury watch dealer focused on authentication, quality and customer service. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
In January 2025, Clocked In opened a brick-and-mortar store at 601 S Beacon Blvd, Suite 103, in Grand Haven, Michigan. 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. The next major step came when Maressa decided to take the business beyond online transactions. 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. The store caters to experienced collectors who may already know the reference they want, as well as people buying a luxury watch for the first time.