Explore the Shinola Watch Brand

Explore the Shinola Watch Brand

Detroit-based Shinola is a luxury design brand with an unwavering commitment to crafting products that are built to last—from timepieces to leather goods, jewelry to audio. Founded in 2011, the company operates an in-house watch and leather factory on the fifth floor of the historic Argonaut Building, where its team of artisans hand assembles luxury timepieces and sews premium leather straps. Shinola creates opportunities for its team members through skilled training and partners with legacy companies around the world to manufacture specialty items. With quality at its foundation, Shinola celebrates thoughtful design and the beauty of industry through every product it makes.

The original Shinola shoe polish brand was founded in Rochester, New York in 1877, and went out of business in 1960. The modern company was founded in 2011 by Tom Kartsotis under his investment company, Bedrock Manufacturing (now Bedrock Brands). Kartsotis, previously a founder of Fossil Group, wanted to create a high end American watch manufacturing brand to rival Swiss watchmakers at a lower price point. Bedrock decided to acquire the Shinola brand after an associate used the World War I-era expression "You don't know shit from Shinola" as a rejoinder to Kartsotis' stated ambitions for the company. Unexpectedly, the joke generated a serious discussion about restoring the Shinola brand.

^{The newest Shinola Monster: A Bronze Watch inspired by Detroit Rumrunners}

The Kingpin Of Your Collection

The Bronze Monster is a special-edition automatic timepiece that features a bronze case with a stainless steel caseback plate. Bronze is known to tarnish, creating a rich patina over time. A glossy black dial is punctuated with Super-LumiNova indices, a calendar aperture and a diver-down flag as the 12 o’clock marker. The gift set also includes two straps: a quick-release leather strap in teak and a khaki G10 nylon strap.    

^{The Runwell 47mm}

Built to last, and named accordingly, a classic timepiece assembled from the finest components available in the world. Features of The Runwell include a sapphire crystal, Super-LumiNova hands, and a solid stainless steel PVD gunmetal case. Three hands and a subdial are driven by the Argonite 1069 high-accuracy quartz movement.

The Birdy 34mm 

The Birdy has the world on a string. This playful, yet powerful evolution of a classic features all the signature Shinola details like a bold dial in white mother of pearl, coin edge bezel and wire lugs — but keeps life interesting with a modern, stainless steel and PVD gold bracelet. It’s a tale of epic proportions, alternative dimensions and meticulous craftsmanship.