A JOURNAL BY SHINOLA DEDICATED TO JOY OF CRAFT

The Architecture of a Timepiece: Introducing Bixby

BY Taylor Rebhan

Shinola’s latest timepiece features a rectangular case that’s anything but square.

A women’s watch design at Shinola starts with a question.

Who is she?

Designers pictured an independent woman who was the in-between. On a scale from the casual, everyday classic Derby to the ultra-luxe, elevated Book, she would fall right in the middle.

She’s a touch more buttoned up than a denim shirt, but not so extravagant as an evening gown. Tailored and tomboyish, she seeks a mature structure—both studious and elegant, like a finely crafted Oxford shoe made feminine.

She appreciates delicacy—but also structure.

And it’s that in-between balance that gave rise to the architectural lines of the Bixby timepiece.

The rectangular shaped case is an image with a historic legacy. These lines come straight from the grid of a city layout—it’s a format that speaks to strength and organization.

Yet, Bixby is also offset with softness. The cushion-set dial is reminiscent of diamond settings that combine the dazzling edges of a prism with a gentle bend. Historically, rectangular watches have been very linear—think Cartier’s Tank timepiece, inspired by hard military liens—where Bixby has flow.

Married together, Bixby is a duality of structure and femineity, formality and informality.

Bringing it all back together is the traditional Shinola wire lug, harkening to the design roots of Runwell. In Bixby, it’s thinner, more delicate. And still iconic.

Even the bracelet is different: Seven links add structure, but in a subtle way. Its flexibility at so many points creates a beautiful drape, like a ribbon.

It’s architecture in motion. Built to last generations. And crafted specifically with a character in mind: The one who brings two worlds together, seamlessly, with elegance.

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