PROJECT FORGE 001
Why Build a Dual-Time Chronograph?
Every watch begins with a problem.
Pilot chronographs have earned their reputation through exceptional legibility, practical timing functions, and a design language rooted in aviation. They are purpose-built instruments that have stood the test of time.
Today's collectors, however, often face a different challenge. Many work, travel, or communicate across multiple time zones, making a second time display just as valuable as a chronograph.
Most watches ask you to choose one or the other.
We wanted to explore whether both functions could exist together in a single watch without sacrificing the clean, purposeful character of a classic pilot chronograph.
That challenge became Project Forge 001.
Building the Watch in Public
Rather than waiting until the watch is complete, we're documenting the entire journey.
Over the coming months we'll share every major milestone, including:
- Movement selection
- Dial development
- Case evaluation
- Component sourcing
- Prototype assembly
- Functional testing
- Final evaluation
Not every decision will survive the process.
Some ideas will evolve.
Some components will be rejected.
Some prototypes simply won't work.
That's not failure.
That's watchmaking.
Building a commissioned timepiece is rarely a straight line. Every decision must answer two simple questions:
- Does it solve a problem?
- Can we build it?
If the answer to either question is no, we move on.
Project Forge is about documenting those decisions honestly.
Why Share the Process?
Collectors usually see the finished watch.
They see the specifications.
They see the photographs.
What they rarely see are the hundreds of small decisions that shape the final result.
Why was one movement selected instead of another?
Why did the dial layout change?
Why was one prototype abandoned while another moved forward?
Those decisions matter.
They reveal how the watch evolved, what compromises were avoided, and whether the final design genuinely solved the problem it was intended to solve.
Project Forge is our workshop journal—a transparent look inside the development of a commissioned timepiece from concept to completion.
Coming Next
The first major decision is the movement.
We'll explain why a conventional meca-quartz chronograph wasn't enough for this project, why the Miyota FS16 became the leading candidate, and what its unique architecture makes possible.
Along the way we'll compare alternative movements, evaluate trade-offs, and explain why some options were ultimately rejected.
Project Status
Project: Forge 001 – Dual-Time Pilot Chronograph
Current Phase: Movement Selection
Status: In Development
Next Episode: Why the Miyota FS16
Join the Conversation
If you were commissioning a dual-time pilot chronograph, what feature would you refuse to compromise on?
Leave a comment below or join the discussion on our social media channels.
Your feedback may influence a future Project Forge episode.
Forge & Crown
Time. Commissioned.