Shinola Guardian Review: Are Shinola watches worth it?

In the world of watch-manufacturing companies in the US, Shinola is an American brand located in Detroit that also manufactures Made in USA watches. The company started its watchmaking journey in 2013 by producing quartz analog watches but are Shinola watches good today?

To answer that, we are going to have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of different Shinola timepieces on Saatsaz Watch. Today we will talk about the Shinola Guardian watch which is after a famous building in the Midwest of Michigan, the Guardian Building.

By the end of this review, you’ll have a solid understanding of whether Shinola’s Guardian watch is worth it or not. Time to dive into the Shinola Guardian review.

Shinola Guardian Review

The Shinola Guardian is a timepiece that includes a high-quality Swiss-made movement, durable polished stainless-steel case, and bezel. The Shinola Guardian watch comes in two 36mm and 41.5mm case sizes. This watch catches the attention of vintage lovers due to its classic look.

The Shinola Guardian timepiece is hand-assembled in Detroit with the intent to help the country’s manufacturing. But because of its high price, and the fact that all of the Shinola watches’ parts are not entirely made by the company, this brand is highly criticized. Now let’s talk about the different aspects of the Shinola Guardian watch.

Design

Starting with its design, Shinola Guardian has a simple but delicate dial design with Arabic numerals. The different colors of the dial is one of its good points. The dial comes in dark blue, dark green, white, black, and more.

The date indicator at the 6 o’clock of the dial. This watch comes with Super-LumiNova hands that store light and glow in the dark and continue to be visible.

Case

The Shinola Guardian square watch has a polished stainless steel case. It also comes in two different sizes: 36mm and 41.5mm. The laser-etched serial number on the case back is a unique identifier of the timepiece.

Movement

The Shinola Guardian watch runs on the Swiss Argonite 705 quartz movement which uses a battery for its power source and does not need winding like a mechanical watch.

Durability

Shinola Guardian’s durability is quite good as this watch comes with a double curved sapphire crystal. Also having a screw-down crown helps with this watch’s water resistance of up to 50 meters / 160 feet.

Strap

The Shinola Guardian comes with a Leather strap in many different shades of brown and gray. The company is said to be proud of using Made in USA straps.

Shinola Guardian Specifications

Let’s dive into the details of Shinola Guardian watch’s specifications:

Case:

• Case Shape: Square
• Case Material: Polished Stainless Steel
• Dial Color: White / Black / Dark Green / Dark Blue
• Dial Markers: Arabic Numeral
• Movement: Quartz Argonite 705

Strap:

• Strap Material: Leather (Made in US)
• Strap Color: Shades of Brown / Gray

Dimensions:

• Case Size: 41.5mm / 36mm
• Case Thickness: 11.3mm / 10.8mm
• Strap Length: 120mm x 80mm / 110mm x 70mm
• Strap Width: 24mm / 20mm

Shinola Guardian Pros and Cons

As said at the beginning of the article, to understand the Shinola Guardian watch’s worth, we should consider the pros and cons.

Pros

• • • Screw-down crown & sapphire crystal
    • Water resistant up to 50 meters / 160 feet
    • Classy and beautiful vintage look
    • High-quality Swiss-made movement

Cons

• • • High in price
    • Not entirely being made by the company

Shinola Gurdian Watch Price

The discontinued Shinola Guardian watch is priced at around $675 to $725 at retailers and it is considered expensive by the watch enthusiasts. Regardless of its Swiss movement, the Shinola watches come at a relatively high price, and that is what they are criticized for.

Why is Shinola Gurdian watch expensive?

One of Shinola brand’s goals is to improve the United States manufacturing. It may be cheaper for countries to import watches from China and Japan, but Shinola insists on using as less imported watch components as they can. This means manufacturing other watch parts by themselves at a higher price.

Shinola Guardian wrist watch is expensive because of the mentioned reason and some Americans are happy and proud to buy from a domestic watch brand in order to support their country.

Yes, Shinola Guardian watch has a higher price than the other hand-assembled watches; but this watch has features such as high-quality Swiss quartz movement, Sapphire glass, decent water resistance, and more, that other quartz analog watches don’t in this price range.

Is Shinola Gurdian watch still worth it?

Although Shinola is infamous for its usage of imported parts and high price, but the Shinola wrist watches have decent quality, nonetheless. If you fancy the design of the Shinola Guardian watch and think that it will look good on your hand, and you are willing to pay its price, then don’t let the bad reputation of the Shinola brand stop you from buying it.

Conclusion

In this article, we reviewed the Shinola Gurdian watch and talked about its design, movement, case, durability, and strap. Each brand and timepiece has its own unique strong points and one of Shinola Guardians is its classic look that catches the eye of every vintage lover.

Thank you for spending time with Saatsaz Watch. We hope you enjoyed our Shinola Guardian review.  What is your opinion on this watch? Is Shinola Guardian watch still worth it in 2023? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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