What lies beneath the lake’s surface, only few of us know…

Shinola introduced the Lake Erie Monster Limited-Edition Timepiece as the brand’s first dive watch and first timepiece to utilize an automatic movement. Named after an unidentified creature first spotted in 1894, the Lake Erie Monster watch celebrates the Great Lakes as well as the explorers, sailors, pioneers and divers who have spent centuries discovering the wonders of the nation’s largest fresh water lakes. With this limited-edition automatic timepiece, Shinola honors the natural beauty of the Great Lakes and confirms its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, design and innovation.

The watch was limited to 500 pieces, came on a stainless steel three-link bracelet and included a black rubber dive strap and a black fabric strap, all easily interchangeable with included tools. The back of the watch featured a portrayal of the legendary Lake Erie Monster with a blue sapphire eye. The package came with a Princeton Tech diver’s flashlight with a signature Shinola lightning bolt and a reproduction vintage map of Lake Erie.

Our challenge was to use packaging and collateral to create a story around the mystery of the Lake Erie Monster.

To romanticize the lore of the Lake Erie Monster we combined silkscreened halftone imagery of ominous waters with overprinted metallic ink and blind embossed typography. The watch and additional straps were housed in a custom metal box inspired by a vintage naval instrument carrier. The steel watch box was a first for Shinola – formed and welded, then finished with a deep blue powder coat. We chose a monochromatic color palette so that all components of the packaging felt cohesive, while utilizing two shades of blue. We also used silver and black and accent colors, pulling from the aesthetics of the watch.

The Lake Erie Monster timepiece was one of Shinola's most successful Limited Edition releases and marks a milestone for the brand as it's first automatic watch and first dive watch.