This is the Shinola Mechanic watch, also known as the Mechanic 3H 39mm watch. It’s powered by a hand-wound Swiss-made SW210-1 mechanical movement and it features timeless mid-20th century design cues.
Shinola is a Detroit-based company that has made a significant impact in the watch industry, alongside its later expansion into other product lines like bicycles, leather goods, and journals. Founded in 2011, the company’s establishment was part of an effort to reinvigorate American manufacturing, with a particular focus on Detroit’s long history of industry that has fallen by the wayside in recent years.
The brushed stainless steel case features an exhibition case back to show the operation of the movement.
The brand name “Shinola” actually dates back to a much earlier period. The original Shinola was a well-known shoe polish brand that was established in the early 20th century, famous for the phrase “You don’t know sh*t from Shinola,” which was popularized during World War II. The modern company adopted this name with a nod to American heritage and the ambition of reviving traditions of American-made goods.
From its inception, Shinola aimed to differentiate itself by emphasizing quality, craftsmanship, and the story of Detroit’s history and subsequent resurgence. The company started producing watches in 2013, with its manufacturing operations located in the historic Argonaut Building in Detroit, where it established a state-of-the-art watch factory.
Shinola’s watchmaking venture was notable for its collaboration with Ronda AG, a Swiss movement manufacturer, which helped train Shinola’s Detroit workforce in the art of watch assembly. Beyond watches, Shinola expanded its product line to include bicycles, leather goods, journals, and even ventured into hospitality with the opening of the Shinola Hotel in Detroit.
The Shinola Mechanic Watch
The Shinola Mechanic watch was developed by the Detroit-based design team as a faithful homage to the watches worn by engineers, mechanics, and other hardworking Americans in the early-to-mid part of the last century.
From 10 paces the watch looks like a remarkably well-preserved original from 70-80 years ago, but it benefits from a modern parts and a modern SW210-1 mechanical movement from Switzerland, offering decades of reliable service.
The vast majority of wristwatches, pocket watches, and clocks during this period were manual winding, with automatic mechanical movements not becoming commonplace until much later.
The Shinola Mechanic watch has a brushed stainless steel rounded square case with polished accents and a sapphire crystal up top. It also has an exhibition case back, so you can see the movement as it works. It has a domed steel alabaster dial with old radium-colored Super-LumiNova lume on black numerals for excellent legibility in all lighting conditions.
The watch is powered by a Swiss-made SW210-1 mechanical movement. It’s a classic hand-wound movement with 18 jewels, 28,800 vph, and a 42 hour power reserve.
The tapered cattail leather strap is crafted in Shinola’s Detroit factory, it comes with a watch box is built from premium wood , each of these watches is made in Detroit by American workers, and they’re engineered to be heirloom pieces that will last for generations.
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