Linkin Park’s Singer Is Awesome at Watches

Mike Shinoda has an unusual hobby when he’s not rap-rocking.

Men of a certain age know Mike Shinoda as the musician principally responsible for the rise of rap metal. Some of these men are fans of Linkin Park and regard Shinoda as a hero. Most are not. Most regard him as a guy who did stuff for a while in the nineties, which is not entirely fair. After leaving the Park, he went on to produce Lupe Fiasco and the very beautiful, underrated Skylar Grey. He also – more interestingly – got himself a new hobby: designing watches. His latest product is a collaboration with the famed Rolex mod team at Bamford Watch Department. In essence, the Daytona he’s produced is a graphite reimagining of the silver classic.The only garish design feature added is a skull on the face, which is, well, as cool as it is unsubtle. Consider this a bit of hard rock for the wrist. It is bold, but it doesn’t shout. Shinoda doesn’t do that anymore. [$TBD; bamfordwatchdepartment.com]