This is the Lava Lake Monster Automatic from the Detroit-based team at Shinola. It’s a large (43mm) titanium wristwatch with an automatic mechanical movement, a titanium bracelet, and it’s water resistant down to 300 meters (roughly 1,000 feet).
Shinola have made a name for themselves making high-quality watches in Detroit, Michigan using local workers. They often import movements from overseas, but the majority of the other components are made by Shinola who are working to bring watchmaking back to the United States.
The watch is powered by the reliable Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, built with 26 jewels and a minimum 38-hour power reserve.
Sinola: A History Speedrun
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 Lava Lake Monster Automatic
The watch you see in this article is the new Shinola Lava Lake Monster Automatic, it was inspired by the intrepid volcanologists who brave the bubbling lava lakes at the summit of the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii to learn more about volcanos, and what’s happening deep beneath the ground.
Each of these watches has a titanium case that’s stronger than steel yet only 45% of the weight. Titanium is highly resistant to corrosion, particularly from salt and seawater, making it ideal for this use case. The bracelet is also titanium, and the watch is topped with a sapphire crystal that has an anti-reflective coating.
The movement is the Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic, it’s a mechanical movement that winds itself from your regular day-to-day movement. It has 26 jewels and a minimum 38-hour power reserve, as well as a date complication at four o’clock.
Each watch comes in a steel box that can be used for presentation, safe keeping, or both.
The watch is water resistant down to 30 ATM or 300 meters (approximately 1,000 feet), and it meets the stringent ISO 6425 dive watch specifications. It’s now available to buy direct from Shinola for $1,950 USD, and each comes with free US shipping and free returns.
If you’d like to read more about the Lava Lake Monster Automatic you can visit the store listing here.
Images courtesy of Shinola
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.