Collaborations between car and watch manufacturers are fairly common. Sometimes the partnership can seem a bit forced, however, with virtually no common ground shared between the two brands other than the fact that they both produce products that sell at premium price points. That is not the case for Shinola and Lincoln, which are two Detroit-based brands that are emblematic of the golden era of American manufacturing. Last summer in 2021, the two companies teamed up to create a one-off Lincoln Aviator Shinola Concept SUV (discussed in an in-depth interview with Lincoln Design Director Kemal Curic here) that incorporated design elements inspired by Shinola’s products and debuted at the 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This year, to celebrate Lincoln’s 100th anniversary and the continued partnership between these two historic American brands, Shinola and Lincoln have collaborated again to produce two Lincoln x Shinola Runwell watches that draw their inspiration from the famous American automotive manufacturers.
The two collaboration pieces consist of a Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph and a Runwell Automatic, and both variations feature polished stainless steel cases, paired with black leather two-piece straps that are stamped with the Lincoln logo on the underside of their ends. The case of the time-and-date Runwell Automatic model measures 39.5mm in diameter by 11.94mm thick, while the Runwell Sport Chronograph comes in at a hefty 48mm by 13.7mm and features a black uni-directional rotating bezel with rose gold colored detailing. Both models feature double domed sapphire crystals above their dials and screw-on stainless steel casebacks inscribed with the Lincoln name, with the version fitted to the Runwell Automatic model featuring a small window above its balance wheel. While both models receive similarly styled signed and fluted screw-down crowns, the Lincoln x Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph offers twice the water resistance of its automatic sibling, with an official depth rating of 100 meters, compared to the 50 meters of water resistance offered by the Runwell Automatic model.
When it comes to the dials fitted to the two Lincoln x Shinola Runwell watches, both embrace a black and rose gold color profile. The rose gold numerals and accents are a reference to the exterior trim on the Lincoln Aviator Shinola Concept SUV, which itself was inspired by the copper-plated structure found on the seats of Shinola Runwell bicycles. The dial of the three-handed automatic model features rose gold Arabic numerals, a date window at 3 o’clock, and the Lincoln logo printed in rose gold above the word “automatic” on the lower half below its hands. The dial found inside the chronograph variant also features rose gold Arabic numeral hour markers; however, it displays the date at the 6 o’clock location, while the Lincoln logo is printed in rose gold within one of the subdials for the chronograph. Additionally, while both models feature Super-LumiNova on their centrally mounted hour and minute hands, the finish on the hands is silver-toned on the automatic version, while they are finished with a matching rose gold color on the chronograph model.
Just like the standard production versions of their respective models, the Lincoln x Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph is powered by the brand’s Argonite 5050 Swiss quartz movement (Ronda base), while the three-handed mechanical version is powered by a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. The Argonite 5050 Swiss quartz movement features a double-digit display for the date that is created by two overlapping calendar discs, while the cal. Sellita SW200-1 powering the Runwell Automatic model beats at a frequency of 28,800vph and offers users a power reserve of 38 hours. Both movements are based on proven Swiss-Made designs that offer reliable performance with easy serviceability down the road, and both watches come packaged in custom Lincoln 100 Years wooden Shinola watch boxes that celebrate the famous American automotive manufacturer’s centennial anniversary.
Just like most commemorative pieces, these Lincoln x Shinola watches will be produced as limited editions rather than joining the catalog as standard-production models. Each one will be limited to 500 examples worldwide. Official retail pricing for the Lincoln x Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph version will be $1,100 USD, while the Lincoln x Shinola Runwell Automatic model will be accompanied by an official retail price of $1,300 USD as of press time. The collaborative timepieces, alongside a special collection of “100 Years of Lincoln” merchandise, will be available for pre-order beginning August 5 online through both the Lincoln Collection and Lincoln Access Rewards websites. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
