Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

After 6 Years, Shinola Is Finally Debuting the Runwell Automatic Watch

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shinola, Detroit’s revered watchmaker, is definitely the kind of brand that inspires fanatical geekery, which isn’t just reserved for their watches (we’re big fans of their leather goods). Longtime followers of the company have been awaiting its debut of an automatic timepiece, and this April, their devotion will be rewarded. April 2 brings the launch of Shinola’s Runwell Automatic.

Six years in the making, the Runwell Automatic pairs Shinola’s flagship watch silhouette with Swiss automatic movement. To understand how big of a deal this is for the brand, Shinola made clear in a statement, “Ever since Shinola launched the original Runwell timepiece back in 2013, this automatic has been in the making. Now, building on that original design, the Runwell Automatic features iconic and refined elements, marking this as an evolutionary moment for the brand.”

Recommended Videos

Runwell Automatic 39.5mm

Available in two sizes, 39.5mm and 45mm, the Runwell Automatic refreshes the Shinola classic with thoughtful details including micro-tracking and a richly-printed dial. The polished case features a classic pumpkin crown and a double-domed sapphire crystal, while the domed case back features a sapphire exhibition window, offering a view of the Shinola bolt-embossed rotor oscillating in the Sellita SW200-1 movement.

Related

Accuracy is maintained by 26 friction-reducing jewels and the timepiece features a 38-hour power reserve.

Runwell Automatic 45mm

As Shinola enthusiasts have come to expect, even the delivery of this watch offers memorable quality. The Runwell Automatic shows up in a rectangular cherry oak box lined with a protective velvet-textured insert and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity with handwritten manufacturing details.

Available April 2 at Shinola stores and Shinola.com, the Runwell Automatic retails for $1,095 for leather strap styles and $1,295 for bracelet styles.

For more on Shinola, check out all the details on their American-made leather program, as well as the latest project from the brand: The Shinola Hotel in Detroit, Michigan.

Editors’ Recommendations

Chelsea Batten
Chelsea Batten
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chelsea Batten is a writer, photographer, and Kerouac groupie. One of the original digital nomads, she was seduced from life…
These are 5 of our favorite $10K-plus watches that debuted this week
Our favorite investments from Geneva
Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green

It is that time of year again when the best of the best watchmakers from around the world show up in Geneva to show out. The biggest and brightest of the industry get an opportunity to unveil their newest creations as each luxury watch name does its best to outdo the competition. Of course, when you have the names of some of the biggest luxury brands in the business, some of these watches will outshine the rest and become some of the best watch investments on the planet. Here are some of our favorite watches unveiled at Watches and Wonders that cost $10,000 or more.
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph

Robust at 41mm, the Defy Skyline collection sees its newest iteration keep the same look it always has with its octagonal bezel. The minimalist look, masculine shape, and lines make this the most rugged on our list. But while it looks to be ready for play, that doesn't mean you should bang it around, as it will cost you a cool $13,400.
Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only

Read more
The waitlist for the most popular watches for men can take years — experts offer alternative picks
The best backup watches to grab when the most popular ones are sold out
A man wearing a Tudor Black Bay GMT watch.

It doesn't matter if you want a budget-friendly watch or a luxurious timepiece — if you have to wait to buy it, your patience turns a bit rage-fueled. If you keep refreshing your screen to see if a certain luxury watch is available, you could be hitting the button anywhere from a year up to five years, depending on the one you want. Since that sounds like the absolute worst way to spend your time, look through the list Watchfinder & Co. put together. They found the underappreciated underdog watches for men that carry all of the sophistication as the hard-to-get models but are easier to get on your wrist.

Edouard Caumon, U.S. Country Manager for Watchfinder & Co., said, “Most Americans can expect to wait 12 months for a new Rolex Submariner, up to three years for a Daytona, and five years for a new Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak." If you don't have that kind of patience however, check out Watchfinder's list.

Read more
The latest Girard Perregaux watch showcases a dial made from a 4.5 billion year old meteorite
You've heard of the moonwatch, but this goes one step further
The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite front

Watches are often both talking points and collector's pieces, so if you can snag a timepiece that contains bits of a space rock roughly as old as the Sun, you have likely ticked both of those boxes. The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite contains just that. It’s partially crafted from pieces of the 4.5 billion-year-old Gibeon meteorite, which was discovered in Namibia.

A “Widmanstätten pattern” determines the “flow” of the meteorite pieces -- which themselves are comprised of iron and nickel for the most part, but with the elements cobalt and phosphorous making an appearance. What that essentially means is that even amongst an exclusive run of watches, each piece is truly unique in the universe.

Read more