Shinola Monster GMT

Very nice!  Big Shinola fan over here.  I've had nothing but great experiences with my automatic Monster and my quartz Runwell.  As a relatively new watch buyer, I had no qualms with how Shinola advertises and describes its products, it seems like it was in their earlier years as a brand that they came under fire for stating "American made".  It has been a while since they have used this phrasing, I'm sure you know about the FTC statements and such, but people still seem to really find the brand sour.  I think a lot of it now comes down to their pricing, which doesn't really hold merit as being a constructive criticism in my opinion--lots of things are expensive, Shinola even sells a $200 matchstick charm, so really "expensive' and "cheap" are all in the eye of the beholder.  

Shinola reviews are very hard to find, even though they sell a ton of their watches.  The GMT you bought came out only about a month or two ago, and it was out of stock every time I looked at it online, so good find on your part.  I hope the community gives the brand another chance over time, but honestly, they don't really have anything to prove to anyone, and we have nothing to prove to anyone by buying their watches.    

Completely agree with you. And thanks for your kind words. 
At the end of the day I alsways enjoy wearing a watch that ppl are usually less familiar with. And good to support a brand that does seem to learn from its mistakes, and at least when it comes to the perceived quality, has really upped their game. 

I think Shinola makes some great stuff. I was given a Runwell four or so years ago and just a couple weeks ago the battery died. I brought it to my local Shinola store and they offered to send it off for servicing for free. It took ten or so days and i was updated via email every step. 
I put that watch, a quartz Runwell, on a bracelet they make with a butterfly clasp. When I lost a piece of the bracelet they replaced it on the spot for free, no questions asked. 
I even bought a great leather purse from them for my girlfriend and she absolutely loves it. 
The items they sell are all pretty pricey for sure but I feel they are always nice, and at least at their stores their customer service is great. 

I had a similar story with a bracelet as well, probably the same model bracelet.  I bought my first Shinola from a second-hand store, The Real Real, for a big discount.  It was a Runwell 41mm and came on the 5 link bracelet.  I have super small wrists, so it came as a big surprise that this men's watch was actually sized too small for me, with no extra links included.  I drove about 2 hours to the Shinola Outlet store in Auburn Hills, MI and they had 1 bracelet in stock left.  I was about to offer to buy the whole bracelet, but they had already offered to give me two link segments for free.  I thought this was nice because I didn't buy anything from them, and now they will have a harder time selling the bracelet that they parted out to me.  To show my appreciation, I bought two leather bands for my Runwell, and they are fantastic.

I have gears of Shinola and that they are American but thats about it! So from an objective view from across the pond I would say that is a very fine looking watch!

Between my wife and I we have about 6 Shinola watches, about half of them bought at a steep discount. Overall I really like the Runwell design, and while I started to replace the batteries myself, the service was always first class. The last time I visited the store in Ann Arbor, the watches seemed to take a back seat, meaning the leather goods were on full display. While I do have a Shinola wallet, I had hoped to see more watches.

Congratulations on your new GMT!

Congrats on the watch. I do not think many people would give them flack if they had not been busted by the FTC for lying about the origin of their parts and their claims to be Made in America.  You take that away, I know that is a big if, and they are no better or worse than many micro brands made in a similar fashion. I give them props for doing as much in Detroit as they reasonably can and honestly, besides being mostly too large for my wrist, they make some good-looking pieces.  

They are Fresh, colorful, cool . The GMT hand on yours is down right sexy.  They sell at a nice price point.  I like them and wish you the best of luck with yours.

I wasn't familiar with the history of Shinola/FTC issues- but I have to say, unless what they claimed was really egregious, is saying "Made In America" when that's not truly the case, really all that different than the requirements for watches being labeled as "Swiss Made" when parts may be sourced from all over? 

It's the same with automobiles these days, but of course at a much bigger scale- thousands upon thousands of parts- so what's is made in America, in Mexico, in Canada, in China, etc.? 

But - nice watch! I'm not a huge fan of Shinola's Look At Our Big Numbers design style, but it's still a nice looking watch.