Since Eleven James appeared on the scene five years ago, the company has enjoyed lots of positive media buzz and was covered by the likes of Business Insider, Forbes, and the New York Times (not to mention right here on HODINKEE). The idea to rent timepieces on a short-term basis was a novel one for the at-times stodgy watch business and followed in a path paved by the likes of Rent the Runway and the original incarnation of Netflix. But whereas fashion and media are, by their very definitions, ephemeral, fine watches tend to be viewed as more products meant to last a lifetime. The idea of experiencing a variety of watches on a revolving basis certainly seems to have appealed to Eleven James's customers, but one wonders if offering financing on one nice watch would be a better strategy for purveyors of permanent luxury items. Only time will tell, but this seems like a strange end to a very interesting story.