With generative AI slop permeating even our most sacred of artistic spaces these days (don’t Google “AI in museums”, it will ruin your day), any honest-to-god expression of creativity can feel like a breath of fresh air. Watches can be a great escape in this regard, and watchmakers, from industry heavy hitters like Swatch to beloved microbrands like Fears, have recently released pieces inspired by aesthetic movements to bring a little bit of artistic integrity to your wrist. Detroit-based watch brand Shinola is throwing their hat in the multi-colored ring with two new vibrant models in their Detrola collection, inspired by the annals of American midcentury art, and at a price point that should appeal to many. Let’s take a gander.
The Detrola line is Shinola’s premier “pop” collection, featuring colorways that are a little bolder than the usual fare. With a clean field-dress design ethos, each Detrola watch comes in at 41mm in case diameter, making them ideal for everyday wear. Materials vary across the lineup, and the two new Color Theory models both feature polished cream TR90 resin co-molded with a stainless steel core. A thickness of 9.72mm keeps the watches slim on the wrist, and while the longer lugs add a bit of presence, giving the models a 45mm lug-to-lug width and allowing for 20mm straps. It’s a simple silhouette that allows the dial design to set the pace aesthetically, which works in the Color Theory models’ favor.
Each of the two models sports a triangle motif on the dial, instantly reminding me of popular patterns of the 1960s and 1970s. The colors are cheery and inviting, shades of blue, green, yellow, and orange on the “Warm” model, and pink, blue, and red on the “Cool” version. I prefer the former model, though I am particularly partial to orange myself, so that may be a biased view—in my opinion, the provided orange rubber strap adds a charming solid flash of color that helps to simplify the design and keep it from becoming too busy. The “Cool” watch trades that orange for a gentle blue, giving it a more calming and subtle look. Both colorways are forthright in their motifs and that confidence is aided by the crisp silver tone of the case, punctuated only by the pumpkin crown at 3 o’clock.
Other dial details do help round out the horological features of the watches: a date window sits at 3 and the no-nonsense, squared-off hour and minute hands are warm gray and coated with C1 lume to remain legible above the business of the dial. The outer minute track is a mint green on both models, acting in surprisingly pleasant contrast to give the face more dimension. The seconds hands match the minute track colors for cohesion. Inside, the Detrola is powered by an Argonite 705 quartz movement, which should give you years of use without needing to re-set the watch.
While the Color Theory models are unlikely to sway watch fans who desire complications and material innovation in their collections, they add even more variety and tasteful expression in the ever-growing world of “art” watches. I for one welcome these colorful conversation pieces, and hope to see more brands take a shot at the concept; not just for their relative aesthetic pleasingness (a sentence that would likely be edited off of a museum plaque), but also for their ability to draw in budding enthusiasts who may have passed on more subtle or “safe” watch designs that come in at eye-watering prices.
The Shinola Detrola “Color Theory” models are available now on the brand’s website, and retail for $495. Shinola
