The British are coming — again. It seems that the new frontier for the Empire is in watchmaking, given the renaissance of timepieces from the island nation. Incorporating both English and Swiss parts, the English-made Pinion Axis ($2,825) is another noteworthy Brit timepiece debuting at Salon QP, the UK’s big watch exhibition, this November.
The Axis, created by designer and watch aficionado Piers Berry, features a simple, classic design, reminiscent of vintage pilot watches, and will be built from brushed stainless steel or black DLC (diamond-like coating). Current plans are for it to be mounted on a handmade leather strap. A positive common theme we’ve seen in British watches is a penchant for extreme legibility, and the Pinion Axis follows suit. The dial is highly readable with white-on-black Arabic digits at 3, 6, 9, and 12, and an unobtrusive date window at 4:30.
The 42mm case is water resistant to 100 meters and sports a nicely domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The case back will be engraved with a pinion gear motif inspired by the internals of a mechanical watch. Inside will beat an unspecified ETA movement, and Pinion is planning a number of different treatments and materials for future releases. By completing all case finishing, coating, watch assembly and testing in England they’re doing their part to reinforce British horological tradition.
While all of our early information about the Axis is based on renderings on Pinion’s website, we’re eager to see the watch in the metal But one thing’s for sure: Mr. Berry’s passion for fine mechanical watchmaking is certainly on display.
