Pinion Review: Bronze Age

Pinion is a one-man band. Piers Berry, a digital designer turned watchmaker, founded it in 2013 in Oxfordshire. His aesthetic is singular: Bronze.

The Material: Living Metal

Most watches are steel. Steel stays shiny. Bronze oxidizes. It reacts with the air, your sweat, and seawater to create a "Patina." A Pinion Axis in bronze starts gold-coloured. After a month, it is dull brown. After a year, it might be green in places. It is a living object. Every watch becomes unique to its owner.

The Design: Graphic Clarity

Coming from a design background, Piers creates dials that are incredibly legible. The typography is custom. The lume is nuclear. The Axis II is a beast of a watch (42mm). It is rugged, heavy, and tool-like.

The Verdict

Priced around £2,000-£3,000. Pinion is for people who find Rolex too "bling." It is an intellectual tool watch. It feels like something an architect would wear while chopping wood.

Pros:

• The best bronze cases in the business.
• Distinct graphic design.
• Small batch exclusivity.

Cons:

• Bronze stains your wrist green in hot weather (the caseback is steel to prevent this, but still).
• Resale value is lower than big brands.

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