Shinola’s Latest Monster Watch Case Is Wrapped In Ultra-Tough Forged Carbon

The brawny timepiece’s case is stronger than steel and titanium, yet lighter than plastic.

Shinola is going deep with its latest watch launch in a tribute to the depths of the Great Lakes in its home state, and the new Forged Carbon Monster is going to level up your watch collection in a major way.

The all-new and exceptionally rugged timepiece is the brand’s first major launch of 2022, and comes on the heels of other recent entries into the arsenal of the lifestyle brand, which also includes stylish sunglasses and dress watches aplenty.

The Monster collection of automatic dive watches is a sight to behold, perfectly rugged and durable, with plenty of performance-ready features. The Forged Carbon Monster carries forward that legacy in a big way (literally — its 45mm case diameter is ready for anything). The process starts with the lightweight yet remarkably strong forged carbon case.

The material itself is corrosion-resistant and stronger than steel or titanium, yet lighter than plastic. It’s finished off with a stainless steel caseback that nods to the Mitten State itself. The fiery orange and black case also packs a serious punch in terms of style, with muted tones of orange and black throughout.

The design itself also draws inspiration from the Midwest and northern Minnesota’s Black Beach, and the detailing on the bezel also nods to the “marbled, granite-like” finish of forged carbon.

It’s truly ready for offshore excursions and adventures out in the field this season, and it’s delivered with two watch straps, effectively giving you two timepieces for the price of one. Take your pick between a leather-backed black rubber strap or a visually striking orange nylon strap.

The Shinola Forged Carbon Monster is built with an automatic SW200-1 movement and boasts a 38-hour power reserve for precision and accuracy through long stretches of time. The movement notably features 26 jeweled bearings that “help reduce friction to maintain accuracy.”

It’s also designed to meet ISO-6425 standards and is water-resistant to 300 meters.

For a watch with this sort of design quality and toughness, it doesn’t come cheap — it’ll run you $2,995 at Shinola, in stores and online.

That being said, it’s worth the price to marvel at what Shinola can do with dress watches, adventure timepieces and more — that’s the sort of value that keeps on giving.