We Invite You To Our Story
A Detroit Tradition Since 1907 | Family Owned for 150 Years
Himelhoch’s has been part of Detroit’s story since 1907, bringing distinctive fashion and craftsmanship to generations of customers. Our legacy is built on a simple idea: style should be timeless, meaningful, and connected to the world we live in.
Today, we’ve chosen to focus exclusively on repurposed designer Apple Watch bands — a collection that reflects both our heritage and our values. Each band is handcrafted in the United States from authentic, upcycled materials, giving new life to iconic designs while reducing waste.
This shift allows us to return to what Himelhoch’s has always stood for: carefully curated pieces that combine beauty, function, and conscience. In every band, you’ll find the blend of tradition and innovation that has defined Himelhoch’s for over a century.
A Detroit tradition since 1907 — now reimagined for the future.
How Did It All Begin?
In the early 1870s, Wolf Himelhoch and his four sons settled in the thumb of Michigan, coming from Latvia. The family sold goods on a push cart they transported 72 miles round-trip between Caro and Bay City, Michigan, often sleeping in the same barn in which they stored their merchandise. They opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Caro, Michigan, in 1876. Wolf Himelhoch formed a close relationship with the Marshall Field family during buying trips to Chicago. In 1907, with the backing of Marshall Field’s, Himelhoch's opened its first store on Woodward in downtown Detroit. We built our reputation there and in seven branch stores through 1979.
A Proud Tradition
Charles Himelhoch (1919-2020) was our much beloved father. Kind, smart, witty, huge-hearted, and always ready to help others, he is our inspiration. See Detroit Free Press Article covering his life. Thank you, Dad.
We wish to thank DBusiness magazine for its article, Fashion Rebirth, as well as Downtown Newsmagazine's coverage of our story. We also wish to thank In Good Co. Detroit for its podcast and its article on Himelhoch's recreating Detroit’s golden era of retail in the digital age.
Below is a video interview of fourth generation president, Carol Himelhoch, by In Good Co. Detroit. It was funded in part by a Knight Foundation grant, and provides further history of our family business.