Detroit-based design firm Shinola, known for its hip timepieces and leather accessories, could not have picked a better day to launch its latest limited-edition offering. Debuting tomorrow, the Statue of Liberty timepiece, which was designed in collaboration with the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation, celebrates Lady Liberty as a universal symbol of freedom, diversity, and democracy. You know, everything America’s meant to stand for.
Offered in both a 47 mm Runwell chronograph and 41 mm Runwell, the Statue of Liberty limited-edition timepieces feature a concave ring engraved with the words “Liberty Enlightening the World” (the original name given to the statue by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi). The crowns, hands, and indices are copper-colored (a nod to the statue’s material), while the gray dials reference the pedestal. The casebacks show the torch, complete with rose-gold flames, as the finishing touch.
The introduction marks the sixth installment of Shinola’s Great Americans series, a collection of limited-edition watches honoring figures such as Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, and Henry Ford, who have all helped shape American culture and made a lasting mark on history.
Ironically, the July 4th launch date coincides with a time in our history when American values are being challenged. Of course, Shinola could not have known this at the time. Nor could company president Shannon Washburn, when she said in a prepared statement, “Shinola is a company that believes in opportunity, a value that the Statue has come to represent. As an American brand, we are proud to pay tribute to this iconic emblem of freedom.”
In the past, the brand has inadvertently landed itself in political conversations, but like many of us, probably never dreamed that Lady Liberty–as–muse could become something with political overtones. But here we are.
What I like about the design? The way it effectively checks those who decry the diversity that America stands for—with eloquence and grace, and oh, yeah, civility. I mean, look at the packaging below. The card is inscribed with the famous excerpt from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet “The New Colossus,” which appears on a bronze plaque mounted inside Lady Liberty’s pedestal on the lower level.
It’s like, “Put that red hat away. Remember where we came from.” See also:
Limited to 1,000 pieces, the 47 mm chronograph retails for $1,000, and the 41 mm watch, limited to 1,500 pieces, retails for $800.
Buy one. It’s too important not to. One day, you can tell your grandkids that when America faced one of its gravest humanitarian crises and threats to democracy, you were on the right side of history. And have a collectible watch to prove it.
Top: The caseback of Shinola’s new Statue of Liberty timepiece displays a torch with rose-gold flames.
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