Shinola’s Smallest-Ever Watch Has All the Makings of a New American Classic

Detroit watchmaker Shinola has been in the mix for almost 15 years now and. As most of us do in our first decade and a half of life, it’s matured a great deal since childhood. The latest proof of its evolution? The Shinola Circadian Monster Automatic, a damn-near-perfect specimen of a daily driver sports watch that launched earlier this year.

Shinola arrived on the scene in 2011, well before the current era of watch collecting hype. Back then, microbrands were few and far between, Paul Newman was known primarily for his contributions to cinema and salad dressing, and modern American watchmaking was still in its infancy. Launching a company dedicated to assembling watches on American soil (in Detroit, no less) was a big swing. Fourteen years later, however, the gamble has paid off—these days, the Shinola catalog is stacked with a truly impressive array of tickers that stand alongside plenty of their Swiss counterparts in both quality and finesse.

But despite the variety of case shapes, styles, and colors on offer, there was something important missing. Shinola’s signature Runwell series, for example, (including the criminally slept-on Petoskey Stone dial version), measures in at a robust 41mm across the case, with some versions running up to a positively chonky 48mm. That’s fine for a lot of folks, of course, but anyone on the hunt for a Detroit-made timepiece on the smaller side of the spectrum would have been left without much to choose from. Until now.

In early 2025, Shinola answered the earnest prayers of many slender-wristed watch stans with the Circadian Monster Automatic, a classic steel sports watch with a universally-flattering 36mm case. The Circadian, an elevated addition to the brand’s Monster dive watch lineup, follows the playbook of a classic all-rounder, with a simple three-hand layout, dive-style hour markers, and a Swiss-made Sellita automatic movement.

More to the point, though, Shinola shaved down the Monster’s case in every direction, resulting in a sleek silhouette that’s just a hair over 9mm thick—i.e. slim enough to easily slip under a shirt cuff. The brand also created a new five-link steel bracelet to match, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces and a reassuringly solid feel.

The Circadian doesn’t currently offer the same breadth of dial choices as some of Shinola’s more established collections, but between Alabaster (white), Eucalyptus (green), and gray mother of pearl, there ought to be something for just about everyone. If not, hang in there—Shinola, like most of us, is only getting more confident with age.