The Shinola Mooncraft Monster Watch Is An Horological Tribute To Apollo 11
A nod to Detroit’s impact on space exploration.
Is it easy to distill the hard-working grit and tough-as-nails ethos of Detroit down into a timepiece? Not all that easy, certainly, and it’s even more difficult to tell the rather unheralded story of the city’s impact on lunar exploration, but Motown-based Shinola takes on that mantle with its new Shinola Monster Mooncraft.
Now available for pre-order and formally launching on July 16th, the watch itself is a timepiece of firsts (notably, it’s the company’s first-ever manual wind chronograph). More intriguing still is the story it tells of the Motor City’s role in propelling mankind to new heights via space exploration. Shinola notes that the ” ingenuity of America that touched the Moon passed through Detroit, the heartland of America’s automotive brilliance,” nodding to the role of automakers and manufacturers.
Handsome triple-chronograph detailing, notably accented with hits of red, white and blue in a tribute to the Apollo missions, gives the watch an all-American feel. A mission number and date also rest on the matte blue dial, while a red gasket “surrounds the complex, custom manual-wind chronograph movement inside,” the watchmaker noted.
From its vivid blue dial, which Shinola calls a “truly American colorway,” through to its durable titanium build, the watchmaker said the new timepiece takes “the beloved Monster series to the next level of elevation” in matters of both form and function. Of course, it’s not the first manual timepiece milestone for the Michigan lifestyle brand, as the Shinola Mechanic joined its impressive, stylish and retro-tinged lineup in 2022.
The handsome, refined dive watch also boasts a numbered engraving on its caseback, all the better to draw attention to the fact that only 500 editions of the Shinola Mooncraft Monster are available. Once it hits digital shelves and stores on July 16th, there’s a strong chance this nod to an iconic moment in American history will sell out fast, not unlike past Shinola limited-edition watches. The company fittingly notes that “a giant leap for Detroit watchmaking has arrived,” and the Shinola Monster Mooncraft celebrates that achievement in fine form.
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