American Muscle, Timeless Charm: Shinola ‘Lake Michigan Monster’ Review

I hit my fourth dive nearly perfectly, sluicing into the water at an angle so ideal that the speed nearly popped my contact out. As I emerged from the sun-warmed (but still chilly) waters of Lake Michigan, much farther from the boat than I had imagined, the nautically tattooed captain let out a holler: “You had some speed there!” 

I’m no Olympic diver — this had taken my fair share of botched attempts to gain a Phelps-level start. It helped that it was off the deck of the 38-foot Footloose II, gently clipping along in the Grand Traverse Bay of Northern Michigan.

My contact may have been trying to escape, but not my watch. The Lake Michigan Monster stayed firmly on my wrist and away from the depths of its namesake, at home in the water. This was the culmination of Michigan-based tests the watch endured, from dune climbs to speedboat rides. Through all of it, the Monster (literally) shined.

In short: Shinola’s Lake Michigan Monster Automatic sits in a dive watch sweet spot — a combination of value and reasonable (for watches) price that takes into account the brand’s investment into Detroit-made domestic labor and reinvigoration of America’s manufacturing corridor. It’s not a beginner watch, but it is an investment piece for watch beginners who want something classic with a subtle twist. And it’s a fantastic watch for anything water-related.

Shinola Lake Michigan Monster Review 

The Monster arrives in typical Shinola style: A large steel case blends industrial heritage with modern industrial design. That proved handy, considering I was running out of room in the office safe and needed a spare spot for my kids’ Social Security cards.

Speaking of the kids, they loved to mess with the watch’s one-directional dive bezel, which I used more for timing snack breaks than minutes of oxygen left in the tank. Still works!

There are rubber strap versions, but mine came with the steel bracelet. I happen to live in a town that has a Shinola store, so I headed downtown for a professional bracelet resize (free at Shinola stores with a Shinola watch) and a glance around the place.

Other Shinola stores have coffee shops and record players. The Grand Rapids one had Michael, a kind and knowledgeable watch expert who patiently adjusted my bracelet in real time, with enthusiasm and without pretension, defying watch-world stereotypes.

Great Lakes Testing

I figured the best way to test a water-oriented watch named after Lake Michigan was in the Great Lake itself. Cue a summer of Michigan-based adventures: climbing sand dunes, kayaking trout-filled rivers, eating eight-course farm-to-table meals, catching some freshwater waves, and spending a day sailing and swimming in Grand Traverse Bay.

I wouldn’t dive with the watch, but I’d do every water adventure shy of it.

The Monster’s specs helped garner some confidence there. With a 30 ATM depth rating, I was confident it could stand up to the challenge of storm-generated Lake Michigan surf breaks, swims, and kayak trips.

The first thing you notice about the Monster is the weight. It’s aptly named. Weighing in at 192 g/6.7 ounces, it’s not a light watch. The weight takes a little time to get used to, but what would you expect from a 43mm stainless steel dive watch? It’s going to have more heft than even Garmin’s largest model.

The weight was noticeable at first while kayaking the gently flowing Crystal River, but I soon got used to it. And I wasn’t worried about stray drops of water from inefficient paddle strokes or dipping my hands into the water to cool off in the midsummer heat. 

Later that same day, the Monster pulled double duty as a fancy watch for a leisurely dinner at Glen Arbor’s The Mill, another modern take on Michigan industry (this one focused on farm-to-table shareable).

And while sand and steel don’t usually mix well, the Monster held its own on an ill-advised post-dinner climb of Sleeping Bear Dunes for 450 feet of calf-burning climbing.

The Monster’s Bad Side

The biggest issue I had was with the clasp. While pulling my surfboard down from the roof rack, my wrist repeatedly banged against the cargo rails, noticeably scratching both the rails and the bracelet. I don’t mind a good scratch or two, but it was disappointing how quickly it happened and the extent of the scratching.

Also, my brain prefers some numbers on the dial. I’ve been indoctrinated by digital watches and phones to have to work hard to read the hands of the clock and if not for Google Cal reminders, I would have missed a few work calls.

I’d also love to see a longer power reserve; 38 hours is respectable but a hassle if you want to cycle through a watch or two in a weekend. That’s pretty standard for a dive watch in this range, but paltry compared to a watch like Hamilton Field Khaki’s 80-hour reserve.

Shinola: Made in Michigan

The first time I stumbled into a Shinola store, I was a recent college grad with a buddy in medical school in Detroit. He knew I liked bikes and watches, and he knew about a local store that sold both. We waltzed in, checked the price tags, and then quickly stumbled out to a local bar for $2 happy hour beers, which were more in our financial place at the time.

In fairness, there probably wasn’t a brand-new watch (or a bike) either of us could afford at the time. But a little education goes a long way. The prices are the way they are for a reason: Shinola’s mission is to bring back American manufacturing.

Specifically, in Detroit and specifically for watches (the brand stopped creating bikes a while back, but you can still find them on eBay).

Does the Monster Automatic pass muster with the big players? I think it does. I’ve flipped back and forth between it alongside great watches from 19th-century-era manufacturers like Zodiac’s Super Sea Wolf (1882) and Tag Heuer’s Aquaracer (1860). The Shinola hangs in there, tick for tick.

Not bad for an American company founded in the 2000s. There’s perhaps a little hometown pride mixed in, but even the Lions are winning games now. Detroit’s back, baby!

A Performance Watch?

Unlike field watches, dive watches are performance anachronisms. Real divers use computer-synced watches that track depth and oxygen levels, something my wife (an accomplished diver) likes to tease me about when I wear the watch nerd version.  

But that’s not to say dive watches can’t perform. While technology has eclipsed their originally intended function, mankind is nothing but adaptable. And amid an onslaught of AI and advanced tech, there’s something grounding about a handbuilt and functional piece of equipment. This watch requires no iOS update, and repairability is guaranteed. 

If you’ll permit a Motown metaphor: In the heyday of streaming service, the Lake Michigan Monster is a vinyl EP. It’s classic, mechanically driven, and a throwback to an era where creators got less than 1 cent per song stream. It’s a modern sports watch capable of double duty, dressing up for a date night or hanging tight through storm-created freshwater breaks.

There are cheaper “beginner” watches and more lauded (and much more expensive) “collector” watches, but the Monster series embodies a Detroit hustle and workable beauty that puts it in a class of its own — a collector watch that you actually want to wear every day.