Good things come to those who wait, like the Shinola Runwell Automatic

One of the complaints folks have had against Shinola, in the past, has been that they “only” make quartz-driven watches. There have been a few forays into automatics (seen here), but by and large, they’ve stuck with their Detroit-assembled Ronda movements. Well, we’re now six years down the road from when we were first introduced to the Shinola Runwell, and now, there’s a version with the automatic movement coming available.

There is no doubt that the Runwell is a signature style for the brand. There have been a number of variants released of the watch, and it’s even been writ large in the form of desk and wall clocks (link to clocks review). So, as a core part of their collection, it makes sense that this is the existing watch (as opposed to a wholly new design) that gets an automatic movement.

In this case, the Shinola Runwell is home to the well-known Sellita SW200-1. And this is regardless of if you go for the 39.5mm or 45mm case size. On the back side of the watch, you have a small exhibition window (this means the case badge/coin is gone as well, a shame) through which you can see the balance wheel at work, and the rotor as it swings by.

On the dial side of things, there are some rich-looking colors available for this new Shinola Runwell automatic. I’m partial to the look of the deep blue dial, especially as it seems that the date disc has been color-matched as well. There’s also a tidy chamfer around the date window cutout, which gives the design a bit of thoughtfulness, rather than just being something that was stamped out to make a simple opening.

The Shinola Runwell automatic is going to be available on April 2nd direct from the brand (online or in their stores) at a price of $1,095 for the leather strap, or $1,295 on the steel bracelet. While many may still opt for the quartz versions based on price, I think extending the range with an automatic is a good move. Movement aside, I like the look of the new dial revisions as well – keeps the iconic look, while updating it a bit. All in all, we’ll put this one in the “good job” category. And of course, we’ll work on getting one in for a hands-on review. shinola.com

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Shinola Runwell automatic

Price: $1,095 / $1,295 (leather/bracelet)
Who’s it for? You’ve like the Shinola look, but couldn’t possibly bear the thought of having to wear a quartz watch
Would I wear it? Sure would – though in the 39.5mm guise

What I’d change: I get wire lugs are the thing, but some sort of solid end links would bring the design up a notch
The best thing about it:Sure, the movement is great, but I’ll settle in on a super-small detail – that date window chamfer