About Us
WHY BUILD A WATCH FACTORY IN DETROIT?
Why not accept that manufacturing is gone from this country?
Why not let the rust and weeds finish what they started?
Why not just embrace the era of disposability?
And why didn’t we buy a warmer coat before we moved here?
Through several Detroit winters, we’ve asked ourselves these questions.
And worked not to find our answer, but to build it.
2011
In 2011, we arrived in Detroit with the idea to build a company focused on building high quality manufactured goods and manufacturing jobs—but no name.
As the story goes, the discussion around this nom de plume got a touch heated, leading a team member to exclaim, “You don’t know sh*t from Shinola!”
Shortly thereafter, we had a name known the world over, with roots in American manufacturing, and synonymous with quality—and Shinola Detroit was born.
2012
THE LONG HISTORY OF
DETROIT WATCHMAKING
HAS JUST BEGUN
In 2012, we transformed 12,000 square feet of raw space into a state-of-the-art watch factory in Detroit. The first to be opened in the United States in nearly fifty years.
Our Detroit headquarters occupies 95,000 square feet in The College for Creative Studies, within the historic Argonaut Building.
2013
THE RUNWELL
It was the newspaper ad seen around the country, introducing the watch that started it all.
In March 2013, we introduced a small limited-edition run of a watch called the Runwell, a timepiece that captured our commitment to classic design, quality construction and American manufacturing.
HOME SWEET HOME
Shortly after the success of the Runwell, we opened our first-ever brick and mortar store at 441 West Canfield Street in Detroit, Michigan.
WE GIVE YOU THE BIRDY
Our first Shinola designed specifically for women was a beautiful, playful, one-of-a-kind timepiece.
On July 18th, 2013—just as it was about to ship—the city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy. Newspapers and outlets around the nation penned headlines that dismissed the city we now called home—the one that many of our employees had grown up in, lived in, and worked in for decades.
We decided to announce our latest Detroit-built pride and joy with a special message for naysayers. In the New York Times.
2014
COMMITTED TO CRAFT
To craft enduring, functional, and beautiful leather goods, we’ve partnered with a hand-selected group of manufacturers in America and abroad who share our unwavering commitment to quality.
May 2014, we announced the opening of our very own in-house leather factory, where many of our leather straps and small leather goods are sewn.
2015
THE ERA OF
DISPOSABILITY IS OVER
On the day pre-sales began for the world’s latest piece of wearable tech, we ran an ad for the original type—featuring our flagship Runwell. Just smart enough.
2016
THE NEW SOUND OF
DETROIT CITY
In 2016 Shinola launched its audio collection and continues to work with decades-old leaders in the audio industry based in the U.S.
THE ART OF
Shinola jewelry, crafted in America with the finest U.S. and imported metals and stones, was launched in 2016 with the mission to celebrate minimalist design and personal style.
2017
THE SHINOLA MONSTER
AUTOMATIC DIVE WATCH
To celebrate the beauty and rich diving history of Lake Erie and the Great Lakes, we introduced the Lake Erie Monster Dive Watch. This timepiece celebrated two exciting milestones for Shinola—our first Dive watch, and the first Shinola watch with an automatic movement.
In the years since, the Shinola Monster Automatic Collection has honored the stories of the Great Lakes and confirmed our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, design, and innovation.
2018
DETROIT'S LIVING ROOM
After years of planning and two years of construction,
The Shinola Hotel stands eight stories tall on the 1400 block of Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit.
The first Shinola Hotel is a symbol of skill at the largest scale,
a dream built with steel and strengthened with teamwork.
2019
DETROLA
Launched as the Official Watch of Something™, Detrola brings vibrant colors and fun details to the Shinola family of quality—plus a platform for expression and education.
2020
ALOHA FROM DETROIT
Built to meet the needs of open-ended adventures on land and in water, The Duck was launched to be an everyday skin-diving, bike-commuting, seafaring, backwoods-camping, adventure-proof timepiece.
2021
FIRST AUTOMATIC
CHRONOGRAPH
In May of 2021, we released our first automatic chronograph,
a highly technical milestone achievement in our watchmaking.
Lap 01 of the Canfield Speedway sold out at a record pace.
BUILT TO LAST
From the beginning, we’ve designed, collaborated on, and curated a collection of finely crafted items ranging from games and sporting equipment to furniture collections and power ports.
Along the way, we’ve worked with more than 1,000 specialty fabricators and manufacturers—a network of friends across the U.S. from Largo, Florida to Los Angeles.
Through our partnerships with these family businesses and iconic brands alike, we seek to showcase and honor the beauty of American design.
