Pinion launched in 2013 with its debut Axis collection of automatic watches which included the Axis Black.

The Axis black was made as a 42mm stainless steel watch with a matt blasted finish coated with a black DLC ( Diamond Like Carbon ) treatment applied via a PVD ( Physical Vapour Deposition ) method to give it a military style finish.

Produced in limited numbers, the Axis Black was first retailed to customers in early 2014 with it selling out in less than a year and making way for the Axis II.

There were some subtle changes to the watch from prototype to production. First, was the dial which was initially hand printed in England for launch. It was replaced by a sharper manufactured version that is visible in the photographs.

Because the Axis collection launched to a budget and timescale, the crowns used on the initial group were stock models engraved with the Pinion gear wheel symbol. Sometime in mid-2014, Pinion replaced these crowns with a bespoke moulded and polished version that was also used on subsequent collections.

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