Among the series of hot new watch sales announced this week in Switzerland is a very tasty version of Rolex Yacht-Master in white gold with a polished falcon eye dial. For those who don’t dig deep into pandemic geology, falcon’s eye (also known as blue tiger’s eye, hawk’s eye, or simply silicified crocidolite) is a semi-precious stone that has The striped effect is fun (hence the name), and it’s part of a long tradition of gem-polished dials on luxury watches. Piaget started trending in the 1960s, experimenting with its lapis lazuli, jade and onyx versions. Ultra-thin Altiplanoand by the 1970s other top brands were also on it. However, the craving for this dial style eventually waned, leaving anyone looking for a hard rock dial with a few modern options and even fewer affordable ones. than.
Fortunately, with all the things that were in vogue in the 1970s in the watch world, watchmakers are bringing a limited number of stone dials back into production. While most of these come from elite brands like Omega, A. Lange & Sohne and FP Journe, a new version of the 41mm Shinola Runwell boasts a polished Petoskey dial — and is priced at a reasonable price. only 700 dollars. Unlike tiger’s eye or lapis lazuli, Petoskey isn’t a big name in the gem world, but as the official state stone of Michigan, it’s the perfect choice for a watch made in This Detroit and is a great way to get a high quality dial stone on your wrist for under a dollar.
Anyone who has spent time in Michigan in the summer is probably familiar with the unique look of Petoskey stones, an image commonly found on the beaches of the lower peninsula of the state. Their unusual six-sided patterned stones from the fossilized remains of corals that thrived in the area about 400 million years ago (if you’re curious, they make them about 200 million years older). The infamous Nic Cage T-rex skullcap).
For Shinola designers, always looking for new ways to share their Midwestern pride with the world, these fossils are the perfect way to add a new sense of place to Runwell. “There are stones that convey color, or they convey an attitude, or they convey a story, and Petoskey really fits the story,” said Brandon Little, VP of Product Design for the brand. Ours is about being based in Michigan,” said Brandon Little, the brand’s VP of Product Design. “It’s a big part of the memory that people have from here, and that happens to give it a very interesting texture as well.”
The new 41mm Runwell features a carefully cut and polished Petoskey Stone 0.6mm wafer inside a sandblasted PVD metal case and paired with an American-made leather strap with a British tan finish. . However, as each stone is different, no two dials are alike, adding another element of exclusivity to an already one-of-a-kind piece. Who knew collecting stones could be so much fun?
