Habibi Edition: Detroit entrepreneur debuts limited edition watch with Shinola

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Metro Detroit native has taken a significant leap from engineering and finance to a whole new chapter in entrepreneurship, aligning his love for design and community culminating in a creative partnership with iconic Detroit watchmaker, Shinola.

Dan Elhosni, who goes by 'The Big Habibi', has turned his passion into a promising business venture. His Lebanese roots and Detroit upbringing are now encapsulated in a luxury timepiece—a collaboration with Shinola that resulted in a beautifully crafted watch that he hopes is just the beginning.

"Habibi means my love or my darling. It's a term of endearment that is not romantic; you can use it toward anybody," Elhosni explains. 

But the affectionate nickname has come to represent both his personal story and his brand. Though his background didn't originally align with the creative industry, Elhosni always harbored an entrepreneurial spirit.

"I have always been an entrepreneur at heart," he said. "I’ve always been interested in it and that’s how my mind works."

That interest in design led Elhosni to Shinola and the creation of the Habibi Edition watch. Featuring intricate design details that are a testament to meticulous craftsmanship and innovation, Elhosni explains the watch is a unique piece.

"Those are applied indexes which means they are pieces of metal that are cut out and applied to the dial itself, with polished edges and inset luminescent to make the numbers stand out a little bit. The dial itself is a blue that Shinola has never used before," described Elhosni.

Dan Elhosni created the Habibi Edition - an exclusive Shinola watch that reflects his Lebanese heritage.

The collaboration is marked by an exclusivity clause laying the foundation for a special partnership.

"We have a run of 500 limited edition pieces and we have an exclusivity agreement with Shinola. So they can’t make an Arabic watch without Habibi Edition," Elhosni said.

Elhosni's journey to this partnership was paved with courage and the understanding that sharing his dream was necessary for it to become a reality.

"If you don’t share your idea, if you are too afraid to get it out there, then often times it won’t come to fruition," he expressed.

The lessons learned along the entrepreneurial path weren't lost on Elhosni, who quickly realized the virtue of patience.

"Everything takes a lot longer than you expect," Elhosni learned. "That’s okay... you can’t expect everyone to care about what you are doing as much as you do."

The watch is not a Habibi Edition of a Shinola watch. Habibi Edition is the brand and this Shinola watch can only be found on the Habibi Edition website.

"(It) started as a passion project and it’s grown from the just watches originally to now we are branching off into other things as well," he hinted at the future of his brand.

The limited-edition watches with a $2,800 price tag are exclusively available on the Habibi Edition website. While Elhosni has yet to reveal his next steps, it is certain that the Big Habibi’s name will be one to watch.

For more information and to view these exclusive timepieces, check out habibiedition.com.