Our Story
We are a luxury design brand with an unwavering commitment to crafting products that are built to last—from timepieces to leather goods, jewelry to audio. Founded in 2011, our company operates an in-house watch and leather factory on the fifth floor of the historic Argonaut Building, where a team of artisans hand assembles luxury timepieces and crafts premium leather straps. Through skilled training, we work to create opportunities for our team members and support the local workforce by partnering with legacy companies across the country to manufacture specialty items. With quality at our foundation, we celebrate thoughtful design and the beauty of industry through every product we make.
Read MoreThe Facts
We were founded in 2011 and since then, we’ve hired hundreds of people in Detroit and across the country. In order to continue the growth of American manufacturing, we do have to source many components from outside of the United States.
Employees
Today, Shinola employs over 600 people, with an average of 200 in manufacturing at any given time depending on the production needs.
Commitment To Quality
We believe our products should be thoughtfully designed and built to last. We utilize handmade production processes for our watches, bicycles, leather goods, jewelry and audio because these methods yield an unmatched level of quality. We globally source the best possible components for all our products, and work with a community of independent American manufacturers who share our commitment to using materials of an enduring nature.
Watches
- In 2012, we transformed 12,000 square feet of raw space into a state-of-the-art watch factory in Detroit.
- Our watch teams had extensive training through Ronda AG, our Swiss partner. We continue to train local members of our team on the fine craft of movement and watch assembly.
- Our production combines meticulous hand-assembly with the most advanced technology available to ensure our watches are both beautiful and built to last.
- Our factory assembles between 500 and 700 watches per day.
- More than 30 people participate in the assembly of a single watch.
- Every Shinola watch is built in Detroit with Swiss and other imported parts.
- We individually number each watch to carefully track its production and performance.
THE LIMITED LIFETIME GUARANTEE: Because we hold ourselves to high quality standards, every Shinola watch is guaranteed for life under our limited lifetime warranty. It’s an industry-leading guarantee and a testament to our core values.
Shinola GuaranteeLeather
- In May 2014, Shinola announced the opening of our in-house leather factory.
- The 14,000-square-foot Shinola Leather Factory produces the majority of our watch straps, using traditional labor-intensive methods as well as high-tech custom-made Italian machinery.
- Located next door to the Shinola Leather Factory is our Leather Studio where our bags and small leather goods are crafted from sketch to sample by our designers. Here, our artisans hand cut patterns and shape leather and fabric, inspired by our designers’ illustrations, to create what might one day be a Shinola classic.
- We’ve partnered with a hand-selected group of American manufacturers across the country to achieve our full production at scale.
- We source leather from some of the world’s finest tanneries, and all of our leather products are designed, cut and sewn in the U.S. We work with international partners that meet our high quality standards for hardware and other components.
Bicycles
- All of our bicycles are hand assembled in our Detroit Flagship store by expert bike builders with years of experience in their craft.
- All of our bike frames are Made in the USA from U.S. and imported parts.
- There can be as many as 30 steel parts that go into a frame and fork, which are TIG-welded or brazed together. Certain frame and fork parts, in addition to the components, are simply not available in the U.S.
- The tubes are all cut, mitered, welded and brazed; then painted by our partners at Waterford Precision Cycles who have 25 years of experience building custom-level frames.
The Shinola Hotel
The first Shinola Hotel is a symbol of skill at the largest scale, a dream built with steel and strengthened with teamwork.
- The Shinola Hotel stands eight stories tall on the 1400 block of Woodward Avenue.
- The boutique hotel has 129 rooms, upscale event spaces and fine dining and shopping all around.
- Shinola and Detroit-based commercial real estate firm Bedrock work with partners selected for their Detroit roots and Michigan connections to craft memorable experiences for guests.
AMENITIES:
- Seven Food & Beverage Venues on Hotel Property
- Relaxing Lounge Spaces
- Daily Housekeeping
- Concierge Service
- Unique Room Layouts
- 24-Hour Room Service
- Shinola Woodward Store
- Bike Rentals
- 16,000 Sq. Ft. of Curated Retail
The Journal
The Journal is home to Shinola news and events, including original content that celebrates the people, places and things that inspire us. We chronicle the stories of local makers and global groundbreakers that share our commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
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