J Dilla x Shinola Delivers Watches Inspired By The Legendary Producer

(rollingstone.com) Timeless is one way to describe J Dilla’s industry-shaping production, making his estate’s new collaboration with Detroit watchmaker Shinola a fitting one.

The Shinola x J Dilla Estate release comprises two limited-edition watches and a record bag, all with subtle nods to the late, legendary musician. The Shinola x J Dilla Chronograph features a cassette tape dial, referencing Dilla’s early work made on “pause tapes.” The second watch, the Shinola x J Dilla Skeleton, boasts a colorful dial with organic shapes representing an analog signal. The leather record bag provides a neat, stylish way to carry vinyl and sees “J Dilla” embossed on the front.

The watches and bag are both be available for purchase at Shinola.com from May 15. The bag is priced at $895, the Chronograph is $1,095, and the Skeleton is $2,250.

“At Shinola, we celebrate craft in all its forms, and this collaboration is a love letter to that creative ethos,” Phil Pirkovic, Director of Brand & Partnerships at Shinola, tells Rolling Stone. “J Dilla’s music is meticulous, soulful, and visionary — qualities we strive to embody in everything we make. To recognize him through this collection is both a hometown honor and a cultural responsibility.”

Shinola also tapped Big Sean to announce the J Dilla collection. The rapper — another Detroit native — can be heard narrating a short video about the producer’s life and legacy, showing imagery of J Dilla in Detroit.

The new J Dilla collection is the latest in Shinola’s Great American Series, which “honors American icons that have shaped, influenced, and changed American culture,” per the brand. J Dilla joins icons like Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Jackie Robinson, and Georgia O’Keeffe as icons featured in Shinola’s Great American Series.

“The collaboration with Shinola has been a great way to showcase timeless craftsmanship both figuratively and literally, while paying tribute to our father’s legacy,” J Dilla’s daughter Ja’Mya Yancey tells Rolling Stone. “It’s an honor to collaborate with brands that respect and acknowledge the profoundness of his work and develop a product that displays that on all levels. My father would’ve loved it, and it’s a privilege to be here 19 years later to see his influence in such unique spaces.”

Shop the Shinola x J Dilla collection at Shinola.com.