Shinola Runwell 47mm

Shinola. Yes you can giggle about the name, but let's move on... Shinola was (re)formed to make the best possible products for reasonable prices, and specifically in the USA. Once a producer of shoe polish the still new and hot brand makes a range of items but primarily timepieces. 

They build their watches in Detroit, Michigan, with a good old "Born in the USA" mentality. The team spirit is all about rolling up your sleeves and supporting America, and being proud of our domestic abilities to make a great watch. Sounds great, doesn't it? It is an interesting concept that for now relies on mostly foreign-made parts (such as the kits to produce Swiss movements) that are assembled in Motor City.

If you are conscious, and live in the USA, you can't help but see Shinola ads... everywhere! I, of course, had to see the watch in person. Most intriguing is that the watch is made in America, and at that, in Detroit. To see the watches, I ventured to a place you'd usually not associate with the Detroit of today. I went to Saks 5th Avenue here in New York City.

I found the Shinola display, and was immediately drawn to the Runwell 47mm with the black matte case and the natural-colored leather strap. As the salesman handed it to me, I was really shocked. I knew that the watch was $600.00 and truly expected to think "oh, that's cute." I say this because my tastes usually run four to six digits to the left of the decimal point. The watch was handed to me, and I was truly overwhelmed. I loved the size of the case (47mm), the weight, the dial, the strap, the buckle, the back, the lugs, the band... I was, as the English say "gobsmacked." I then decided to find the flaws. I stood with the very patient salesman for about seven minutes, examining every detail. What did I find? Considering the price, nothing really in my opinion.  The only way to improve the watch was to swap out the quartz movement with an automatic one, but then it would not be a $600.00 watch. The case, quality design, and execution deserve an automatic movement. As I learned though, that is in the works!