Shinola was a popular shoe polish in the mid-20th century, and well known as part of the colloquialism, “You don’t know shit from Shinola.”
The well known trademark was purchased after the shoe polish company went defunct, and is now being used to market a line of high end American-made wristwatches, as well as bicycles and leather products.
Am I missing something, or is Shinola, with its association with excrement, not a particularly attractive trademark for anything but shoe polish? I certainly wouldn’t be attracted to a $1000 wristwatch emblazoned with the Shinola trademark on the face. Would you like to ride around on a $2000 bicycle sporting the Shinola badge?
What is next, Buster Brown cell phones?
I haven’t seen Shinola shoe polish since we cleaned out my mother’s closets after her death 30 years ago. I’m guessing the generation that would react to “shit from Shinola” as anything more than a quaint, simple alliteration is probably dying out, or at least not in the market for a high end wristwatch.
As for Buster Brown cell phones, I thought “Droid” had enough of a negative connotation that it wouldn’t fly. I was wrong.
At least if I had one of those, the next time someone told me I didn’t know shit from Shinola I could hold my wrist out and prove him wrong. 
It’s such an antiquated-sounding name I can’t imagine anyone desiring it. It’d be like a… Packard-Bell computer.
What’s next, Sapolio refrigerators?
New company tagline: “It’s not shit!”
“For people who know the difference.”
I see a sizable hipster niche market for this.
Agree. The products are made in the USA and are stylish. If they turn out to be well made I can see them doing well. I think the OP is giving far too much weight to a silly colloquialism.
I’m probably not their target market but when I hear “Shinola wristwatch” my first thought is a cheap-ass watch you got for mailing in five shoe polish tin caps.