Shinola Watches
- Thread starter fansynancy
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
I have a strongly negative view of this brand because of their fraudulent labelling and marketing. I ultimately felt like a fool for actually believing their claims, and felt cheated by Shinola, their parent company Bedrock Manufacturing, and Barneys for having sold mislabeled timepieces. In the past I felt protected when buying luxury goods from luxury retailers, but my Shinola watch taught me the true meaning of Caveat Emptor.
I know how lax the standard is for Swiss watches and that Swiss timepiece brands regularly sell watches labelled "Swiss Made" for thousands of dollars when about half the watch was cast and preassembled elsewhere. It's why I don't buy them.
But I also know how strict the FTC is with their standards for items that are "Made in America," and that's why I was willing to pay a premium for a quartz Shinola watch promised to be "Built in Detroit," "Where American is Made." With its luxury price, luxury packaging, and shelf space at luxury department stores, I thought for sure that such a visible company wouldn't fleece its customers with false promises. I was so wrong.
I understood when buying it that Shinola had to import some components from Switzerland that aren't made anywhere else, but I thought those components were a negligible amount and that they were then hand assembled in Detroit. I didn't realize that significant portions of the watches were imported and don't actually meet the "Made in USA" standards, and I would never have purchased the watch if I had known that.
Eventually I sold the watch, as it reminded me of being charged a hefty premium for a pretty standard mid-level quartz watch. I could have purchased a Swiss Made Hamilton watch for less than the cost of the Shinola, and it would have actually been made up to its nation of origin's standards. That, and it was very heavy and uncomfortable on the wrist.
These days I try to avoid all Bedrock Manufacturing brands, as I now assume that their "Made in USA" products are a fraud and a gimmick. It's why I bought Louis Vuitton luggage this summer instead of the Filson I had wanted. I don't approve of their fraudulent business practices and by extension I'll never trust any of their marketing claims again.
Here's some more information: http://qz.com/564838/shinolas-built...not-be-american-enough-for-the-us-government/
Apparently Shinola had been placing hang tags on existing stock that denotes the innacurate labelling on the watch face and engraved on the back, but I would only have respected them if they destroyed the products that didn't meet FTC standards so that the products weren't fraudulent goods once the tags were taken off, and offered full refunds to customers who previously purchased the falsely labelled and marketed goods. After all, nobody wears watches with tags attached.
I know how lax the standard is for Swiss watches and that Swiss timepiece brands regularly sell watches labelled "Swiss Made" for thousands of dollars when about half the watch was cast and preassembled elsewhere. It's why I don't buy them.
But I also know how strict the FTC is with their standards for items that are "Made in America," and that's why I was willing to pay a premium for a quartz Shinola watch promised to be "Built in Detroit," "Where American is Made." With its luxury price, luxury packaging, and shelf space at luxury department stores, I thought for sure that such a visible company wouldn't fleece its customers with false promises. I was so wrong.
I understood when buying it that Shinola had to import some components from Switzerland that aren't made anywhere else, but I thought those components were a negligible amount and that they were then hand assembled in Detroit. I didn't realize that significant portions of the watches were imported and don't actually meet the "Made in USA" standards, and I would never have purchased the watch if I had known that.
Eventually I sold the watch, as it reminded me of being charged a hefty premium for a pretty standard mid-level quartz watch. I could have purchased a Swiss Made Hamilton watch for less than the cost of the Shinola, and it would have actually been made up to its nation of origin's standards. That, and it was very heavy and uncomfortable on the wrist.
These days I try to avoid all Bedrock Manufacturing brands, as I now assume that their "Made in USA" products are a fraud and a gimmick. It's why I bought Louis Vuitton luggage this summer instead of the Filson I had wanted. I don't approve of their fraudulent business practices and by extension I'll never trust any of their marketing claims again.
Here's some more information: http://qz.com/564838/shinolas-built...not-be-american-enough-for-the-us-government/
Apparently Shinola had been placing hang tags on existing stock that denotes the innacurate labelling on the watch face and engraved on the back, but I would only have respected them if they destroyed the products that didn't meet FTC standards so that the products weren't fraudulent goods once the tags were taken off, and offered full refunds to customers who previously purchased the falsely labelled and marketed goods. After all, nobody wears watches with tags attached.
That's a shame. I was going to get one because of the Made in America claim. Not anymore , unless on significant discount.
I heard about the components being manufactured elsewhere, but they've still created jobs in Detroit for assembly, similar to the skillset required for auto manufacturing. Knowing people who've been impacted by that industry's struggles, I'd rather they have the option than the watches being assembled in an impoverished country.