Shinola Debuts Fiery ‘Lava Lake Monster’ Automatic Watch
A special edition timepiece from the Detroit watchmaker that’s limited to 500 pieces.
The ruggedly impressive Shinola Monster dive watch series started out drawing inspiration from the Great Lakes, but the Detroit-based brand is looking much farther West with its latest release.
Rather than the pristine (if often chilly) waters surrounding its home state of Michigan, the Motor City lifestyle brand landed at a different spot on the map to craft the Shinola Lava Lake Monster Automatic. More specifically, the company looked to the fire and brimstone of the lava lakes at the summit of Kīlauea volcano in Hawai’i. The timepiece, like its counterparts inspired by the likes of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, adds dive watch functionality to Shinola’s typically Art Deco-inspired timepieces.
The most recent Shinola Monster timepiece, the deep and dark Shinola Mooncraft Monster sought even greater heights above Detroit, celebrating the city and its factories for their role in the Apollo 11 mission. The new, fiery red Lava Lake Monster, although different in inspiration and color, carries on the watchmaker’s mission to “create a diver watch that was durable in its refined design.”
Shinola, which in recent years has collaborated with the likes of Lincoln and launched an exceptional line of leather goods, trumpeted the watch and its “striking glossy cardinal red dial,” along with contrasting gold elements beneath a sapphire crystal. The company, on the heels of its 10th anniversary last year, noted that “this dive watch is a sight to behold.”
Each watch is built in Detroit and boasts a caseback with an individual serial number, while the 43mm case size is bold and yet accessible among dive watches. The far-flung locale and the resulting watch are complemented by details “reminiscent of the molten waves and reflective suits of the explorers who brave them,” including the gold-hued Shinola logo, plus hours, minutes and seconds hands.
An Automatic 3HD SW200-1 movement powers this durable, rugged-yet-refined dive watch, one that arrives just in time to complement deep autumn hues and earthy tones in many a seasonal ensemble. Rated to a depth of 300 meters, the Shinola Lava Lake Monster Automatic is more than just a pretty face: It looks to be a tried-and-true dive watch that carries on the brand’s ethos of form and function. And on that note, it’s suitably limited: Just 500 editions are available online at Shinola, priced at $1,950 for an accessible splurge.
