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This Gorgeous, Retro Racing-Inspired Chrono Just Became a Fixture By Popular Demand

Thanks to a huge response from fans, Shinola has added two iterations of a once limited-edition timepiece to its permanent catalog.

Close-up of a silver chronograph watch with a tachymeter scale on the bezel. The watch face includes a smaller sub-dial with yellow and black markings, and the main dial shows numbers 05 and 20 prominently. The watch has three push buttons on the side, one with a yellow ring and another with a blue ring. The background is blurred with a reddish hue.Shinola
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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The McRib. The KFC Double Down. Nacho Fries.

Clearly I need a lunch break, but I name those items to illustrate the fact that limited-time offerings usually get that designation for a reason. 

Typically they are flashy enough to grab consumers attention but don’t quite offer the necessary substance to be sustainable.

Silver Shinola wristwatch with a blue dial featuring two subdials, white and yellow accents, and a tachymeter scale on the bezel. The watch has a mesh metal band and three push buttons on the side. The background is a textured red surface.
This Midnight Blue-dialed Canfield Speedway Chrono is one of two joining Shinola’s permanent collection.
Shinola

Every once in a while, however, an LTO proves to be so enduringly popular, its creator can’t help but elevate it to the equivalent of a series regular.

Such is the case this week with Shinola’s Canfield Speedway Chronograph, which sees two eye-popping “Open Road” editions join the brand’s standard watch lineup. 

Track star

Detroit-based Shinola has never been shy about drawing on Americana, and this timepiece is no exception. 

With a name derived from a half-mile dirt oval track in nearby Ohio that hosted big-time auto races from 1950 through the late ’70s, the watch carries strong retro racing vibes.

Chronograph wristwatch with a black dial featuring two subdials, silver and yellow accents, and a tachymeter scale on the outer edge. The watch has a stainless steel case, a black perforated leather strap, and three pushers on the right side, two of which have colored bands—one orange and one blue. The brand name "Shinola" is displayed prominently on the dial.
The slightly more affordable variant carries a black dial and sits on a perforated black leather strap.
Shinola

This quality manifests in multiple ways, the most noticeable being the presence of Shinola’s first tachymeter. 

Occupying the upper right quadrant of the bezel, it converts time elapsed into speed traveled.

Flip the watch over and you’ll spot another unmistakable touch. Viewable via an exhibition caseback, the Sellita SW510.bha automatic movement boasts not only a 56 hour-power reserve but a custom rotor with a checkered flag motif. 

Back view of a silver wristwatch with a mesh metal band, showcasing its intricate mechanical movement through a transparent case back. The watch features visible gears, screws, and jewels, with blue and gold accents. The case back is engraved with text including "SWISS MOVEMENT," "SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL," "ALL STAINLESS STEEL," and "TWENTY-SEVEN 27 JEWELS SWISS MADE." Two pushers on the side have colored rings, one orange and one blue.
The exhibition caseback shows off the Sellita movement and the racing-inspired rotor.
Shinola

All that style is wrapped in a 44mm stainless steel case, complete with a brushed finish, coin edge detailing and anodized aluminum collars on the chronograph pushers.

In a nod to the mechanics that push racecars to their limits, the watches come with special metal toolboxes featuring a display section as well as a tray insert for stashing accessories.

Black or blue

While the two variants of the Open Road have everything above in common, they differ with regard to their dials and their bands.

Priced just under $3,000, the more affordable edition features a black dial and sits on a perforated black leather strap.

Shinola automatic wristwatch with a black dial featuring two silver subdials with orange accents, silver hour and minute hands, and an orange second hand. The watch has a stainless steel case with a tachymeter scale on the bezel, two push buttons (one with an orange ring and one with a blue ring), and a crown with an orange lightning bolt symbol. The black leather strap has perforations and stitching along the edges.
The yellow and blue anodized aluminum collars on the chronograph pushers are a particularly nice touch.
Shinola

For the $300 more, you can get a gradient-enhanced Midnight Blue dial and a stainless steel bracelet.

In my humble opinion, both are among the best-looking watches Shinola has ever released, justifying the fact that they are also among the priciest.

As for which is more compelling, the choice may ride on your personality and where you are in life.

Silver wristwatch with a blue dial featuring two subdials, orange and white accents, and a mesh metal strap, worn on a person's wrist. The watch brand "SHINOLA" and the word "Automatic" are visible on the dial. The person is wearing a dark blue sweater and purple pants.
Retaining the 44mm case size of their predecessors, the Open Road editions sit nicely on the wrist.
Shinola

The leather strap carries the energy of a young-and-hungry, up-and-coming racer, whereas the bracelet gives off self-satisfied, already-made-it vibes. 

As someone who can’t imagine ever stopping hustling, I am all about the former, but if the latter speaks to you, all I can say is “congrats.”

Availability and pricing

The Shinola Canfield Speedway Open Road Chronograph is available now with a black dial and black leather strap for $2,995 and with a blue dial and stainless steel bracelet for $3,295.

Black Shinola automatic chronograph watch with a round stainless steel case, black perforated leather strap, and a black dial featuring two silver subdials with yellow accents. The watch has silver hour markers and hands, an orange second hand, a date window at 6 o'clock, and a tachymeter scale on the outer edge. The chronograph pushers are accented with orange and blue.Shinola

Shinola Canfield Speedway Open Road Chronograph

Specs

Case Size 44mm
Movement Sellita SW510.bha
Depth Rating 11 ATM
About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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