The Shinola Smokey Bear Watch: A Full Review

[eric.mcghee]

I'll be the first to admit that, sometime back around 2011, when news that the newly resurrected Shinola brand would start procuring, assembling, and selling watches out of Detroit, I was a little skeptical of the product. 'Who would pay $1,000 for a quartz watch?!', I would exclaim at my mechanical watch du jour. With a vast array of Swiss and German-made automatics out there, many of which are in the thousand dollar price range, I was beginning to believe that Shinola would not last. I couldn't have been more wrong.

However, none of their models seemed to interest me. Many of them were too big, or did not appeal to my tastes, or even offended me (yes, looking at you, certain 'Birdy' models). But then the collaboration with Filson happened. In a sense, this was bound to take place, with both Filson and Shinola being owned by the same parent company out of Dallas, Texas. When some of the Filson Shinola field watches started hitting the scene, I lifted my head and took notice. But I still wasn't convinced to pony up such money for a new company making quartz watches.....until I saw the Smokey Bear.

Everything about this watch, from the 20mm bridle-leather strap to the bronze series plate on the caseback to the iconic Smokey Bear visage glaring at you from the absolutely gorgeous gritty dial, started chipping away at my resolve. After a few months, I had to have this watch. But by then, the limited-edition run of these pieces was sold out. So what does any obsessed watch enthusiast do when they are robbed of their opportunity to possess a piece in limited supply and in high demand? Why, I set up an eBay alert, of course.

After some time, the sellers with their Smokeys starting showing up, and before I realized it, these pieces were routinely selling well above their original $1,000 price point. One such individual had a full unworn set that sold for upwards of $2,000.....yes, two grand for a quartz watch from Detroit! Watch lovers are strange birds, and bears.

And then one day an interesting alert popped up on my phone: 'Shinola Smokey Bear. Used. No box, no papers.' And with a price (not much) below $1,000. Needless to say, I jumped on it pretty quick, and a few days later, I finally had the Bear on my wrist. First impressions were, well, exactly as I expected. This watch, at 43mm wide, 13.5mm tall, and a lug-to-lug distance of just over 50mm, has presence on the wrist. Though proportionately it might have benefited the overall aesthetic of the watch, I am glad Shinola opted for the 20mm lug width and not 21mm, keeping strap options pretty open.

However, the true beauty of this watch is the dial; by far one of the best dials Shinola has ever made and one of my top five favorite dials in my current collection. Shinola nailed the textured, sandpaper-like, slate/concrete coloration of this dial perfectly, and with the generously lumed hands and Arabic numerals, in faux patina, this watch rivals the legibility of many pilots watches. And Shinola managed to place attention to one of the single best details of a watch dial with a date: the date window, located at 3 o'clock, is the same color as the dial, lending to an almost 3-dimensional feel for the date shown in the display. This is something that many high-end brands need to do more often in my opinion. To further enhance the appeal and lure of this dial, Shinola has topped off the case with a slightly domed sapphire crystal that, at an angle, lends a distorted and magnified look to the dial and numerals in a way reminiscent to acrylic tops on older field watches. This only adds to the nostalgia and heritage of this piece.

To complete the dial, Shinola has placed the eternal gaze of Smokey himself right below the 12 o'clock position, with the obligatory catchphrase of 'Only You Can Prevent Wildfires' (a phrase that I have always found unnecessarily burdensome; really, only I can keep forests from burning?) directly above the 6. Finally, in true field watch fashion, Shinola has discretely placed the 24-hour numbers in a reduced font in a smaller circle around the dial so that it corresponds with their proper 12-hour siblings.

Rounding out the case is the perfectly-sized crown, with its cog-like knurling making it simple to unscrew and manipulate with even gloved hands. The crown is inlaid with a bronze ring, prominently displaying 'C.C. Filson Co. Since 1897'. On the caseback is a similar bronze badge with all the appropriate, if somewhat busy, information for the Shinola, Filson, and Smokey Bear brands. Additionally, the caseback specifies which number out of 1,000 this unique piece is, indicates the watch is water resistant to 20ATM (200m, which is uncommon in a field watch) and that the crystal is in fact sapphire. Indeed, the only thing that would make this case better in my opinion would be lug holes, but that is certainly a personal preference.

In closing, the Filson 'Smokey Bear' field watch from Shinola, while on the larger end of the wearable spectrum, is a great everyday watch that can be worn with anything south of a suit (this watch was made to go with a khaki blazer or sport coat on casual days). One can get lost in the details of the dial and distortion of the crystal and not realize that minutes have passed without you even noticing. On the wrist, the Filson bridle leather strap with its pin roller buckle is extremely comfortable and hardly noticeable in most situations. The overall package of the watch is complete in its look and feel, and despite it being a quartz movement assembled in Detroit, this is one Shinola that I believe is worth every penny paid....if you can get your bear-paws on one.

[Old Expat Beast]

Nice write-up, and an interesting read. Thanks

[tudorbaja27]

Originally Posted by eric.mcghee

In closing, the Filson 'Smokey Bear' field watch from Shinola, while on the larger end of the wearable spectrum, is a great everyday watch that can be worn with anything south of a suit (this watch was made to go with a khaki blazer or sport coat on casual days). One can get lost in the details of the dial and distortion of the crystal and not realize that minutes have passed without you even noticing. On the wrist, the Filson bridle leather strap with its pin roller buckle is extremely comfortable and hardly noticeable in most situations. The overall package of the watch is complete in its look and feel, and despite it being a quartz movement assembled in Detroit, this is one Shinola that I believe is worth every penny paid....if you can get your bear-paws on one.

made my day

[MoosicPa]

After many years searching I was finally able to secure the watch and items from the Filson L.E. watch from 2012.

100_7755 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/150333170@N07/]

100_7759 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/150333170@N07/]

100_7760 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/150333170@N07/]

[TK-710]

Fun fact: Smokey Bear is the only fictional character to be given his own US zip code. Pardon the thread interruption back on topic. Great watch.