When you think of watches called Monsters, you probably think of two things – it’s a dive watch, and it’s coming from Seiko. Most of the time, you’d be right. This time around, though, you’re only half right. You see, it’s Shinola firing up the Monster factory this time around, and they are for sure dive watches. Let’s have a quick look at what these latest Shinola Lake Monsters have in store.
If you’ll recall, these are not actually the first watches in the Shinola Lake Monster collection. That honor goes to the Shinola Lake Erie Monster. That was the first time we saw an automatic movement in a Shinola, and it was a popular watch, selling out so quickly that we could not even get a loaner in for a hands-on review. Obviously, the brand knew they had a winner, and with there being five Great Lakes surrounding Michigan, expanding the collection had some obvious names to draw from.
The latest additions to the Shinola Lake Monster collection are the Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron (leaving just Lake Ontario out in the cold). Each of these models, while similar, pull design elements that reflect their respective lakes:
Pulling inspiration from nature, each Shinola Monster symbolizes a unique facet of the Great Lake it represents. With its orange dial, black bezel and black rubber strap, the Lake Huron Shinola Monster celebrates northern Michigan’s stunning sunsets along the shoreline of the lake; The Lake Superior Shinola Monster’s indices give off a green glow against a black dial, black bezel and steel bracelet, reminiscent of the Northern Lights; and the Lake Michigan Shinola Monster, inspired by the breathtaking color of the frigid lake, features a midnight blue dial, bezel and rubber strap.
Regardless of the model, you’ve got a 43mm stainless steel case protecting the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with a water resistance rating of 300m (ISO 6425), a single dome sapphire crystal (with AR coating), and a uni-directional dive bezel. The Lake Superior Shinola Monster is currently available now for $1,450, and the Huron and Michigan variants will be available on October 22, 2018 for $1,250. These, unlike the first foray, are not limited editions, so you should be able to find one for yourself. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled, as we’ve got a Lake Michigan Shinola Monster in for review, so we’ll be able to give you our hands-on impressions very soon. shinola.com
