J.N. Shapiro Debuts the First Fully American-Made Watch in Over 50 Years
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Independent watchmaker Josh Shapiro began his journey into the craft just over a decade ago with the goal of leaving his mark on American horology. In that time, he mastered the art of engine-turning, which inspired the debut collection under his namesake brand, the J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series. Today, he continues to establish his legacy with a new collection that notches a series of watchmaking firsts.
J.N. Shapiro’s all-new Resurgence collection marks the first mechanical watch that can boast the claim of being entirely “Made in America” since the Hamilton Watch Company stopped manufacturing watches on U.S. soil in 1969. To be considered “U.S. Made,” the Federal Trade Commission holds even more stringent standards than the Swiss. Here, the F.T.C. dictates that “all or virtually all” of the components have to be made in the U.S. whereas the Swiss-made label requires a minimum of just 60 percent Swiss value, which allows the parts of a watch to be made outside of Switzerland as long as the finishing and assembly is done within the country. For the Resurgence, J.N. Shapiro boasts 99 percent of its components as “U.S. Made.”
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In addition to being the first watch “Made in America” in over 50 years, the Resurgence collection features a number of other milestones. The model is available in five different variations, including 18-karat palladium white gold, 18-karat rose gold, tantalum, zirconium and stainless steel. The two gold iterations, priced at $85,000 each, mark the most expensive time-only, mechanical watches ever manufactured in the U.S. The collection also offers the choice of three free-sprung, hand-engraved movements with hacking seconds, beating at 18,000 BPH as well as options for decoration styles.
In line with engine-turning that’s a signature of J.N. Shapiro’s inaugural Infinity collection, the Resurgance includes a traditionally engine-turned midcase, historically seen in the finest pocket watches, along with three other exclusive elements that make it one-of-a-kind. These include a layered guilloche dial, rounded spokes on the wheels and a damaskeening pattern on the bridges. Damaskeening is the American equivalent of Côtes de Genève, a finish previously popular on American pocket watches with an instantly recognizable wave pattern.
Each version of the Resurgence features a 38mm case. However, other sizes are available upon request. In addition, the dial colors are customizable and the choice of Roman numerals, Hindu Arabic and Hebrew are available. Production is limited to the brand’s single, Los Angeles workshop and modest team of just eight people with expected delivery by the end of 2023. Aside from the two gold variations, the tantalum version is priced at $80,000 and the zirconium and stainless steel iterations are priced at $70,000 each. For more information and to purchase, check out the the J.N. Shapiro website.
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