Can you imagine a shoe polish company turning into a watchmaker that sells its “Built in Detroit” quartz-powered watches for $500-$1000? Well, Shinola, previously a maker of “America’s Largest-Selling Shoe Polish”, is just that company. After their brand was acquired by an investment group, the famous trademark suddenly appeared not only on watches but also on bikes, all sorts of premium-priced leather goods, and even soft drinks. With this limited-edition Shinola Wright Brothers (ref. S0100052), the Detroit-based brand starts a whole series of timekeepers paying homage to famous Americans who gave humanity the wings to fly.
Presented in a cushion-shaped case reminding those gorgeous timekeepers that were all the rage back in the 1970s (it is particularly close in styling to the beautiful Heuer Camaro chronograph), the watch features an easily recognizable design of its classic-styled dial. There is also their traditional back cover that one could even call “signature” if the brand was a little bit less obscure than it actually is.
The watch features the same Argonite 705 quartz movement that animates a number of their other, less expensive timekeepers.
The caliber is basically a rebranded Ronda 705 movement (it, for example, powers the last year’s Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision military-styled watch).
The mechanism has a good reputation thanks to its simplicity which makes maintaining and repairing the caliber easy for a skilled hand. However, the movement is also delicate and difficult to work on: your serviceperson can easily damage it if they don’t know what they are doing.
Each mechanism is assembled by hand from over 50 Swiss-made parts. Well, if that means that Shinola individually tests and inspects each and evert caliber for flaws, then I can only say kudos to the Detroit-based company, although I would prefer the watch to simply use a time-proven ETA automatic or a hand-wound caliber.
However, it must be noted that there is a fat fly lying in the ointment.
While the movements are Swiss and the assembly labor is local, the cushion-shaped steel case, the propeller-shaped hands, and even the synthetic sapphire crystal come from China. While I have nothing against the country, their factories have a reputation of attempting to cut corners wherever they feel an opportunity to cut them while getting away with it, so, frankly, I wouldn’t be comfortable owning this timepiece knowing that something wrong may happen to it at the worst moment possible.
Still, the main element -the movement- is dependable and, if you happen to live in the United States, changing a cracked crystal could be fast and easy.
So far, Shinola plans to make no more than 500 individually numbered watches. They will arrive in special wooden gift boxes and will be accompanied by some of the brand’s leather accessories.
If the MSRP of $1000 is not too much for you and you don’t think that a “real” watch must always carry the over-hyped “Swiss Made” inscription on the dial, you should definitely try one of these beauties and also support the struggling Motor City.
See also: Cimier Time Square Chronograph Automatic
Photos: Shinola Watches
WWR verdict
Originality 4/5
Build Quality: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Legibility: 5/5
Value for Money: 3/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Shinola Wright Brothers (S0100052) specification
Price: $1000 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz, Caliber Argonite 705 (based on Swiss Ronda 705 ebauche), assembled in the US
Power reserve: 60 months
Movement decoration: Nickel-plated
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 40.00 mm
Lug width: 24.00 mm
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Dark brown leather strap
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Solid, engraved