Hands-On With The New J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure — California-Made Classicism

Los Angeles-based brand J.N. Shapiro Watches has achieved a somewhat mythical status since Josh Shapiro founded it in 2018. The watches are elusive and exclusive creations that dent your budget and test your patience. What if you don’t have US$75,000 to spend and/or lack the mental stamina to wait around three years for your watch? Josh Shapiro to the rescue. Introducing the J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure, two watches at a third of the aforementioned price. Availability might still be problematic since just 18 pieces of each will be made, so you could still call these watches mythical and elusive. And with deliveries slated for the fourth quarter of 2025, people looking for instant watch gratification should set their sights on something else. But we stayed entirely focused when both versions of the Infinity Series Pure came to HQ for a hands-on review.

Did you know that the 2021 J.N. Shapiro Resurgence was the first all-American watch since Hamilton shut down its production facilities in Pennsylvania in the late 1960s? This was quite an accomplishment for the LA-based brand. Since Josh Shapiro, a man with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in US history, founded the brand in 2018, he and his team of experts have focused on hand-finishing crafts. They use no CNC machines but, instead, historic equipment, including rose engines, to create intricate watches. This approach made the debut collection, the Infinity Series, with its complex, engine-turned dials featuring traditional and exotic materials, and the Resurgence impressive but also expensive and exclusive. Mike revealed in his introduction article how the new Infinity Series Pure uses these complex techniques while keeping the final price in relative check.

Hands-on with the new J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure watches

The latest watches in the Infinity Series collection use a La Joux-Perret F200 manual-winding caliber instead of an in-house movement, cutting the original model’s price in half. The movement is hidden behind an engine-turned and hand-engraved steel case back, so the overall look remains very high-end. The new J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure watches are not about the movement. The Swiss-made manual-winding caliber with a 3Hz (21,600vph) frequency and a 90-hour power reserve is “only” there to move the beautiful hands around.

You could argue that if you spend US$26,000 (excluding taxes and duties) on a watch, you also want to enjoy a spectacularly well-finished in-house caliber, but be honest. Some of the most respected brands will sell you a steel watch for the same price with a movement that’s not all that special or worth seeing through a display case back.

People in the market for the new Infinity Series Pure watches — people in the know — will understand that the price of these creations is the result of the hand-finishing of the dial, hands, and case back, plus the brand’s geographical location and investment in specialized equipment over the last few years. One buys this watch because of the philosophy behind it, its pedigree, and its exterior. And what an exterior it is.

Just 18 pieces each

There are two versions of the Infinity Series Pure, and J.N. Shapiro will make only 18 examples of each. The new watches are smaller 37mm versions of the previous and sold-out 40mm Infinity Series models. In case you’re wondering why the new ones feature a 37mm case, it’s because that size best fits Josh Shapiro. I don’t know Josh’s wrist size, but after strapping on the watch, I think he made a good choice. While a 37mm diameter can feel small, it’s a traditional size for a dress watch, and presence can’t be expressed in millimeters. The way the Infinity Series Pure wears is almost paradoxical. Yes, with its 8.8mm profile and 45.1mm lug-to-lug, it’s relatively small, but the shape of the case, lugs, bezel, and especially the detailed dial give both versions of the watch a lot of presence.

Each version captures a pure, classic aesthetic differently. The model with the blackened zirconium dial and white gold hands and details is more contemporary. The version on the brown strap, with its frosted silver dial showing rose gold elements, looks more archetypally traditional.

The signature hand-cut Infinity Weave guilloché pattern on the inner dial stands out in both watches. It is amplified by the circular-brushed steel chapter ring and highlighted by the hand-polished sculpted “pomme” hands. You might think that these watches would look out of place with sneakers, a pair of chinos, and a white T-shirt. However, the Infinity Series Pure proves that classicism is still alive and will adapt to casual attire with great ease and style.

Which one to pick?

I bet you want to know if these watches look and feel like US$26k timepieces. They do if you have tried on Haute Horlogerie creations. They do if you are down the watchmaking rabbit hole. And they do if you don’t care if the watch on your wrist doesn’t instantly tell the world you’re financially successful. The Infinity Series Pure is for the confident connoisseur and collector who wants a watch from a manufacturer that doesn’t cut corners. Okay, J.N. Shapiro did that a little by using a third-party movement, but I guess it was also to keep the lights on in the workshop. When you buy this watch, you add something to your curated collection that tells the story of reborn American watchmaking and makes its continuation possible.

Doing that won’t disappoint. The finishing of the 316L stainless steel case is superb, and the dial and hands are on an even higher level. When something is as subtle and sophisticated as the dials of these two watches, it appears more prominent than it is. You can call it silent charisma. The J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure has an undeniable soft but strong attraction.

My favorite at first was the version with the blackened zirconium dial. This was due to its understated presence. As the day progressed, though, my taste shifted, and I became more attracted to the version with the frosted silver dial and rose gold details. That watch borders on classic cliché but manages to stay on the good side of it. Also, its semiformal appearance contrasts so very subtly with casual attire.

Final words on the J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure

J.N. Shapiro is on a mission to let more people enjoy American-made Haute Horlogerie while still keeping these creations rare and elusive. With 36 Infinity Series Pure watches, this is hardly watchmaking for the masses, so let’s call it a modest mission. The craftsmanship behind the two new watches, on the other hand, is not modest at all. On the contrary, it’s sensational. If you ever have the chance, pick either of the two Infinity Series Pure models up and touch the engine-turned and hand-engraved case back. It provides a soft sensory sensation that starts in the fingertips and sends a warm electric current straight to the brain, where your love for watches sits, and nourishes it.

What do you think of the J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure? Do these watches speak to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Special thanks to Ace Jewelers for making this hands-on review possible.