Pocket watches may feel like a thing of the past — and they kind of are — but every once in a while we’ll see a renowned watchmaker tracing back to horological yesteryear with an inspired pocket watch release. We saw it earlier this year as Citizen celebrated its 100th anniversary of their first branded timepiece, as well as back in 2022 when Hamilton’s 130th anniversary saw a chained watch that took after its earliest models. Today, Shinola, a brand known for its own fondness for pocket watches, has debuted a special release with a special tie-in to the American locomotive.
Out of Pocket
Before the wristwatch really took off after World War I, pocket watches were the main way people told time. Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine a time-telling device in people’s pockets that isn’t a cellular device but during the heyday of the railroad, railway conductors relied on these chained pocket watches to keep them on schedule and ensure their safety. Despite being relegated as a cultural curio, the pocket watch was king for hundreds of years.
The Real McCoy
For Shinola’s release, the Elijah McCoy Mechanic Pocket Watch 45mm, it looked to one of the first Black American inventors, Elijah McCoy, who invented the automatic lubricator for oiling the steam engines for both locomotives and ships. The device was patented in 1872 and allowed trains to run quicker and more efficiently. As of 1899, McCoy’s lubricators had almost complete ubiquity in the market.
There were so many imitators at the time that railroad engineers were thought to have requested McCoy’s lubricators by name. And thus, the phrase, “the real McCoy,” was coined and found widespread use in the American vernacular.
For the last part of his life, McCoy found a home in Detroit, Michigan — the city where Shinola operates out of. He would live there until his death in 1929. Back in 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office opened up its first regional office in Detroit and named it in honor of the inventor.
The Elijah McCoy Mechanic Pocket Watch Basics
As part of its Great Americans Series, Shinola went with a manual-winding pocket watch inspired by classic trains that ran during McCoy’s career. Featuring sandblasted PVD black plating, the 45mm stainless steel case (fairly small for a pocket watch) houses a Sellita SW210-1 movement, which is revealed through the exhibition caseback. Around the outside, it reads, “THE REAL MCCOY,” and also includes the edition number out of 350.
Over the matte black dial are gold-colored hour markers and hands, and the color is used for the minute track and dial text. On top of the case is a gold push-down crown as well. Red is used for the second hand and the minute numerals. Equipped with a black stainless steel chain, the watch comes with a custom wooden stand, as well as a booklet about Elijah McCoy.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 45mm
Case Material: Black PVD stainless steel
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: Sellita SW210-1
Chain: Black stainless steel
Limited Edition?: Yes, 350
Pricing & Availability
Limited to 350 pieces, the Elijah McCoy Mechanic Pocket Watch 45mm will be available for pre-order from Shinola’s website starting May 23. It will be priced at $1,750.
Recap
Shinola The Elijah McCoy Mechanic Pocket Watch 45mm
Shinola made a pocket watch inspired by one of the first Black American inventors, Elijah McCoy, known for the automatic lubricator for locomotives.
