Watches made in the U S of A.

Somewhat of a brag, but otherwise something I really, really like.

How many of you are aware of Shinola?

This is the same Shinola in the saying "you don't know E36 M3 from Shinola" who makes shoe polish.

Back in the great ression, a group of people decided that it was good idea to make watches in the US. Not just the US, but in Michigan. In downtown Detroit. They managed to get the brand Shinola (with the agreement to keep making shoe polish, as well as other leather treatment goods).

So in 2011, Shinola started making watches in Detroit. If you are from the area, it's the Argonaut Building that used to be a GM research building, and it now part of the Center for Creative Studies.

This isn't just taking a movement and putting it into a case, they actually assemble the movement. They only do quartz movements so far, but they tell me that a mechanical watch is in the plans- but it's like 4x as many parts as in the quartz movement. All the parts do come from Switzerland, but assembled here.

My very sweet wife got us a tour of the factory last week on my birthday. Oh so very, very cool. And since we've been watching Shinola for a couple of years, it was time to finally get a watch. It's no Timex or Citizen, but it's also not anywhere close to a Rolex.

Shinola also makes bikes- frame made in Wisconsin, designed to their spec, and assembled in Detroit. They also do leather goods, sourced from a tannery in Chicago. And, of course, still do a lot of polish and other leather goods.

I'm so geeked to have a Shinola watch, it's not even funny. My next watch will be a mechanical watch from Shinola, so I'm really hoping that they do one.

(not sure who else makes watches in the US- Hamilton is one brand I know of, but they stopped making watches in Pennsylvania quite some time ago)

Thanks! I love to buy american stuff, from bikes, to cars, to cheap clothes (was pleasantly surprised American apparel is actually made in usa). Just bought one of the USA moto x phones.

I'm not into watches, but I'll have to check out their bikes. Probably a Waterford frame.

I get the "made-in-the-USA" thing but I have a mental roadblock when it comes to spending more than $100 on a quartz watch, no matter who made it.

I'm sure they're very good watches, it's just that watch with a battery in it always makes the think "Timex".

I'd like to have a look at their automatics when they come out, nice watches are a vice of mine.

FWIW, my Swiss automatic is still running after 50 years.

Neat looking, but I didn't expect them to be that expensive. I'm anti watch/jewelry though so I am not their market. I've got at least 3 Fossil watches I've gotten as gifts over the years, a couple '90s Ironman, but they all drive me crazy being on my wrist. I got my first cellphone in 1999 and have been watch free since.

I'm bicycle ignorant, what makes those $2-3K bikes?

bigdaddylee82 wrote: I'm bicycle ignorant, what makes those $2-3K bikes?

Parts like these: http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SG-S700-Alfine-Black-CenterLock/dp/B004JKJOZY

They are also hand built, and appear to be lugged and brazed. Think Schwinn in their Chicago heyday, but with fewer E36 M3 components. These guys even make their own leather saddles instead of buying from Brooks.

One thing of note is that they only build townies. These are the second most popular hipster bike out there. Made in America, hand built as much as possible, and hipster vibe equals high bike cost.

what are these watches you speak of?

I get the "made-in-the-USA" thing but I have a mental roadblock when it comes to spending more than $100 on a quartz watch, no matter who made it.

One thing I think is funny is a lot of the "made in the usa" people that I knew also shopped at wall mart. Kind of defeated the purpose.

mrybczyn wrote: (was pleasantly surprised American apparel is actually made in usa).

despite what you think of Dov, his vertical integration model in downtown LA is pretty neat.

http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/vertical.html

Trans_Maro wrote: I get the "made-in-the-USA" thing but I have a mental roadblock when it comes to spending more than $100 on a quartz watch, no matter who made it. I'm sure they're very good watches, it's just that watch with a battery in it always makes the think "Timex". I'd like to have a look at their automatics when they come out, nice watches are a vice of mine. FWIW, my Swiss automatic is still running after 50 years.

If the only definition of a watch is to tell time and nothing else, one really can't justify anything more than even a $20 casio.

But it can be more than that- men don't wear jewlery outside of a wedding band, or sometimes necklaces. Watches can be that.

Shinola's watches are expensive compared to Timex, but really are on the low end if the premium scale. I asked once about a watch I thought looked nice, the guy took it out, had me put it on, and then told me that it was $15,000.

Shinola- http://www.shinola.com/

and the people I met there were super cool and nice. I will get more than one.

Those are good looking watches. I wish I could justify spending that on a second watch at the moment.

The bikes are neat, I'd never spend that kind of money on one but I can see the craftsmanship you get for it and if the market will bear it then more power to them.

Jealous. I'm a bit of a closet WIS, I dabble in microbrand watches (mostly Canadian oddly), but I only get to wear watches in weekends because of safety reasons with my job.

Hamilton is a sister company of Swatch but is based in Lancaster PA. Other US companies include Kobold, RGM and Lum-Tec (not a huge fan of them though) since you asked.

alfadriver wrote: If the only definition of a watch is to tell time and nothing else, one really can't justify anything more than even a $20 casio. But it can be more than that- men don't wear jewlery outside of a wedding band, or sometimes necklaces. Watches can be that.

I get that and I don't doubt that they're nice watches but they're quartz watches.

I'd like to see their automatics when they come out.

As for art/jewelery, I wear a 1963 Tudor Submariner daily.

I like automatics.

The0retical wrote: Jealous. I'm a bit of a closet WIS, I dabble in microbrand watches (mostly Canadian oddly), but I only get to wear watches in weekends because of safety reasons with my job. Hamilton is a sister company of Swatch but is based in Lancaster PA. Other US companies include Kobold, RGM and Lum-Tec since someone asked.

But all Hamiltons are made in Switzerland... Too bad about that, but I got one anyway.

This blog has watches that are US- http://www.americanologist.com/2014/06/update-10-made-in-usa-watch-brands-watch-where-your-watch-is-made/

Pretty interesting.

Trans_Maro wrote:

alfadriver wrote: If the only definition of a watch is to tell time and nothing else, one really can't justify anything more than even a $20 casio. But it can be more than that- men don't wear jewlery outside of a wedding band, or sometimes necklaces. Watches can be that.

I get that and I don't doubt that they're nice watches but they're quartz watches. I'd like to see their automatics when they come out. As for art/jewelery, I wear a 1963 Tudor Submariner daily. I like automatics.

I see your point. I'm far more into a automatic market than a quartz one, but really like the Shinola watch. Start with one, get the other if I like it.

I'm holding out for an RGM. I met the owner (who's initials make the company name) a few years back. While their watches aren't cheap, their company does a lot of interesting and even grassroots things. They're a world expert on rose engines at this point.

I can't do Shinola. They are basically assembling Swiss Ronda movements in the US and at that price they aren't even HAQ. Only way I am paying that kinda price for a quartz is if it a Grand Seiko. They are nice looking watches though. Which one did you get?

I would absolutely love an RGM though. They are beauties.

Trans_Maro wrote:

alfadriver wrote: If the only definition of a watch is to tell time and nothing else, one really can't justify anything more than even a $20 casio. But it can be more than that- men don't wear jewlery outside of a wedding band, or sometimes necklaces. Watches can be that.

I get that and I don't doubt that they're nice watches but they're quartz watches. I'd like to see their automatics when they come out. As for art/jewelery, I wear a 1963 Tudor Submariner daily. I like automatics.

Pics?

I'm a fan of Lum-Tec

Lucky guy Eric with the watch. I'm dropping broad hints that Santa could bring me a Shinola watch come the winter Solstic. She did get me the way cool Shinola wallet I asked for, for my birthday a few months ago.

Cheesey shot after going to the Shinola shop to get it. It was still the end of our never ending winter for those who think it looks bad down town.

Also speaking of Detroit watches. This company started up recently in Detroit.

http://detroitwatchco.com

Also there is Bernhardt who's watches are assemblied in the US.

This is the one I got. Not sure why it's a bad thing that they are assembling the parts from another company- they've only been making watches since 2011, and it does take time to branch out on their own. That, and at least they put them together here, as opposed to just buying the movement.

They do have plans for that, though. Hopefully, a mechanical movement by the end of next year.

thankfully, the only real problem Shinola has is their demand is much higher than what they can supply right now. With the right kind of growth, that's a great problem to have.

93EXCivic wrote: Also speaking of Detroit watches. This company started up recently in Detroit. http://detroitwatchco.com Also there is Bernhardt who's watches are assemblied in the US.

Looks like they buy the movement.

Hopefully that leads to assembling the movement, and then doing the entire engineering of the movement.

Still a very cool watch.

For a local, I also wish they were IN DETROIT. Birmingham isn't Detroit.

(and FWIW, Shinola employs people to do more than just watches- but that's just me noting that skilled labor is getting hired downtown)

I'm not loving the look of the watches. To me they all look like $50 Swatches in the same case with diff color faces and band styles. I am not a watch aficionado though so take that with the grain of salt you would if you knew I wore a Luminox space expedition carbon fiber watch with a business suit because... it's the only one I have that still tells time. The prices are not out of line with other timepiece jewelry that has some sort of marketable story behind it. A quartz TAG is $1100-3500 and it's the same swiss movement in a pretty box so... why not spend it in Detroit?

As far as the bikes go - I think it's cool that someone is exploiting the gullible hipster market. The bicycles are a little like Harley dressers for the fixie crowd. They look stupid and cost a lot. San Fransisco's retard sector will be standing in line for them.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

To each their own- I really like the design, and am ok with the different colors/finishes/etc of each of the lines. I really like the font for some reason.

That kind of stuff happens all over with watches. These I like, others I don't.

I wish that they made something more than a commuter bike.... But I'm not going to call someone stupid for getting a bike like that. It's their money. My wife's commuter bike is very similar- and has saved us 3-4x the bike price in gas.

alfadriver wrote: I wish that they made something more than a commuter bike.... But I'm not going to call someone stupid for getting a bike like that. It's their money. My wife's commuter bike is very similar- and has saved us 3-4x the bike price in gas.

Based on their other products they appear to be primarily in the hand-crafted fashion business. Handbags, watches, etc... The bikes almost have to be what they are - selling performance based bicycles requires you to operate in a market already saturated with big money options that have racing result credibility. I think they look silly but I understand what they are doing. Just like a $10 watch tells time - a $100 bicycle from Walmart will get you across town. Some people are willing to pay a metric E36 M3load to get there a little differently. Like you said - it's their money. I wish I was clever enough to help relieve them of some of it myself.