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PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:26 pm 
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Hi Guys,

Just got the heads up on something I think is special. What do you think?

Shinola have only been making watches for about a year, but it seems to be a good news story for the USA all the way along the line. Its all about Detroit and finding new ways of using an incredible array of talented people in the demise of the auto industry there. Its not a charity though, its a serious watch making business.

With the demise of Australias Auto industry about to hit (most of which is in my home state of Victoria) I am incredibly compelled to take notice of this development. Not being a native of the US, I can only go on what I read. So please excuse me if I might sound a bit off the mark. But the notion of moving into a GM Icon like the Argonaut building and employing 260 local people for watch design and assembly is a good news story indeed, and flies in the face of those who leave to make stuff offshore.

The company want to encourage local businesses to start making parts for their watch designs as well, with the idea that it is a more or less all American affair somewhere in the future. Great news. At the moment they assemble Rondo movements and buy from elsewhere in the world the other parts to make there watches, but would like to go local eventually (Bremont anyone?). Even the leather straps are made locally by the Horween Tannery, so they are serious about helping locals with employment and to turn a great City around. As we would say in Oz, Good on em!

the make other items, including bikes, but they are certainly into watch making in a big way. The Brakeman and Runwell are great starts, even if the Birdy is a little polarising with its lanyard strap (just joking). Pricing is reasonable and you have got to hand it to them for trying. I salute them for their efforts and I wish them well in the future. If only that could happen here, it would be a miracle and a blessing for Australia to have something similar occur.

Take a look if you are not familiar and tell us what you think.

http://www.shinola.com/

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:53 am 
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They have been getting a ton of coverage in the magazines over the last 12 months or so, and I hope that they do well. I'm not sure how truly committed they are to the watches, they are producing bicycles and leather goods as well with more planned expansion. The Detroit / made in USA connection is obviously driving publicity, but if we are honest that's just an assembly exercise, all of the parts are shipped ready to be out together - including completed (quartz) movements.

From a watches standpoint there are a lot of US based quartz brands who are wondering why they aren't getting the same amount of coverage (and the answer to that might be that Shinola is paying for some of it).


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 5:28 am 
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Being from Detroit originally I want to see them do well. I like the looks of several offerings, but at the price and Quartz it makes me shrug. I'd rather have one of their bikes. They are a bit more unique than their watches. Still with the Detroit connection I could see myself owing one some day. Anything that shines a good light on Detroit is greatly needed these days.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:44 pm 
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im close to detroit. imo its part of the whole "hipster, rebuild detroit" fad junk. Everything they make is overpriced compared to what else is out there... again imo


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:31 pm 
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There's a phrase for my opinion. If you like these watches, you don't know sh*t from shinola.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 6:07 pm 
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With the tagline "Where American is Made." Shinole is what I think is the Chipotle of the watch industry. They do not build but assemble watch parts from other manufacturers (not sure about the case though). They are trendy, has a good product, socially conscious (respectable), and building manufacturing of the low-end of the high-end market. They are primary a quartz watch maker that competes other quartz makers offerings. I wouldn't be fooled by their marketing, they are not a independent but owned by Bedrock Brands and was started by a founder of the Fossil brand of watches, Tom Kartsotis. We have to see if his expertise can move the company forward and get the online love that SevenFriday has gotten, especially from the higher end watch enthusiast.

Nevertheless, any effort to to build new, socially conscious and sustainable industry in a depressed area is always a good thing.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:50 pm 
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Irrespective of the company's background/intentions/on-shore construction ethos, etc, I'm afraid to say the designs do absolutely nothing for me. I could think of a huge number of other watches I'd rather have in their price range......

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:13 am 
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Driver8 wrote:
Irrespective of the company's background/intentions/on-shore construction ethos, etc, I'm afraid to say the designs do absolutely nothing for me. I could think of a huge number of other watches I'd rather have in their price range......

I'm inclined to agree, I'm not a fan of the designs. When I look at value, the little voice in the back go my head usually asks if it offers the same value for money as a Seiko SKX007.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:35 am 
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They do nothing for me either. To me a Seiko is far more genuine than this make believe operation of Made in Detroit watches...


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:40 am 
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I'm not going to comment because I don't know s**t from shinola

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