Jewelry stores can be intimidating in that they’re not made for hands-on browsing. You can’t try on the merchandise without asking a salesperson to bring a piece out from behind a locked case. But my recent shopping experience at Shinola’s (pronounced Shine-oh-la) New York City flagship store in Tribeca was a lot more hands-on and laid back.

David and Spencer checking out timepieces and other offerings at the Shinola store in Tribeca.

I was familiar with the three-year-old Detroit-based watch brand’s cool, classic designs from the company website. But there’s nothing like seeing the entire collection in person. Even better, the merchandise is displayed out in the open on sleek white oak tables so you can actually pick up any watch that catches your eye and try it on. I saw quite a few customers doing just that. Of course, there was a team of friendly, helpful, sales people at the ready to answer questions. One told me the backstory of how the Gomelsky watch my wife was trying on got it’s moniker: It was named at Baselworld 2013, the year the brand made its debut. The company’s chief executive said they would name the new ladies watch collection after the next person who came to their booth. That person was magazine editor Victoria Gomelsky.

Needless to say, the friendly, relaxed vibe of the store made my wife and I want to hang out for awhile and check out Shinola’s other products including a handsome selection of wallets, totes, and other leather goods and cool, retro-styled bikes. The nice salesman even brought over some biscuits for our dog, who got very excited when we tried a Shinola leather collar on him. And off the showroom is a cozy coffee bar—a great place to sit and mull over important decisions, like which watch to buy.

With brick walls, a cement floor and sleek oak shelving, the store has an industrial chic vibe that showcases the merchandise well.

The what’s-in-it-for-you takeaway: The biggest surprise to me, thanks to seeing my wife’s enthusiasm for the line, was that there’s a lot for women to like. I think the brand has been thought of as skewing more masculine. Not so! My wife was quite taken with the whole collection, especially The Birdy gold watch with a date. In addition, the store had an equal mix of female and male customers on the day we visited. So if you already carry this luxury brand, be sure to stock up on womens’ styles as well as men’s. And, if the line (which mainly runs from $500 to $700) is new to you, be sure to check it out at shinola.com. Or when you come to New York, call me, and I’ll take you over to the Tribeca store.