Results for Rexhep Rexhepi

Rexhep Rexhepi Reveals the Chronomètre Antimagnétique for Only Watch 2023

Having dropped tantalising clues about his creation for Only Watch 2023 a few weeks ago, Akrivia founder Rexhep Rexhepi has finally taken the covers off the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Antimagnétique. A unique creation with a brand-new movement, the Chronomètre Antimagnétique (RRCA) is a time-only wristwatch with a steel case, one that was inspired by the magnetism-resistant chronometers of the mid-20th century. Its design has clear roots in vintage watches, while the movement features an indirect centre seconds with a hacking, zero-reset mechanism. Initial thoughts About the half the offerings in Only Watch 2023 are from independent watchmakers, but the creations vary tremendously in their originality and effort. Amongst the independents that created genuinely new watches for the event is F.P. Journe, whose Chronomètre Furtif Bleu is the first of a new sports model and likely the only watch ever made by an independent that boasts a tantalum bracelet. At the low-effort end of the spectrum is Moritz Grossmann that added “Only Watch” to the seconds register of a regular-production model and called it a day. The RRCA sits alongside the Chronomètre Furtif Bleu as being impressively original. The RRCA has an newly-designed steel case with a removable outer back and within, a calibre that inherits the distinctive Rexhep Rexhepi aesthetic but is newly developed from the ground up. Even though it is a simple watch with just three hands, the movement is executed in the Mr ...

Rexhep Rexhepi Introduces the Chronomètre Antimagnétique

One of the most anticipated creations by an independent watchmaker at Only Watch 2023 is the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Antimagnétique. Almost certainly amongst the most valuable watches in the sale, the Chronomètre Antimagnétique (RRCA) is a time-only wristwatch in stainless steel containing a Faraday cage to protect the against magnetism. It is the third timepiece created by Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Akrivia, for the biennial charity auction. Though the specifics of the watch remain under wraps, a few facts have been revealed in the announcement. The dial will be “sector” or “scientific” style, while the case is stainless steel and made by the workshop of Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Classically proportioned in the typical Rexhep Rexhepi style, the case measures 38 mm by 9.95 mm. Interestingly, the case features a double back comprised of an inner sapphire back and an outer back that can be unscrewed by the wearer. And most importantly, the movement is a new construction. While the Chronomètre Contemporain I and Chronomètre Contemporain II that Rexhep Rexhepi created for past instalments of Only Watch were variants of standard models, the RRCA is equipped with a calibre developed from the ground up for the model. The RRCCII calibre inside the timepiece made for Only Watch 2021 While I can’t say any more about the watch, I can state that the RRCA deftly combines historical inspiration drawn from the magnetism-resistant watches made by the great watchmakers of Gen...

Auctions: All Eyes Are On The First Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain Up For Auction This Week At Phillips

Rexhepi has carefully picked the lucky few to get his watches, but the auction will be the first data point for the watchmaker's potential wider market.

Auction Watch: Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain I Sells For US$924,000

One of the most anticipated watches by an independent watchmaker to go under the hammer this season has set a record: the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain I (RRCCI) in pink gold sold at Phillips’ Hong Kong auction for HK$7.24 million including fees, equivalent to US$924,000. Notable for being in an ordinary, as opposed to charity, auction, the result of almost US$1.0 million puts its maker, the founder of Akrivia, in rarefied company alongside the likes of F.P. Journe, the only other independent watchmakers whose time-only watches can sell for such sums. The RRCCI that just sold was the first example of the model to emerge at auction, with only one other example having sold on the secondary market but privately. With the watch already sold out and a long waiting list for its successor, the RRCCII, there were high expectations for the watch at Phillips, which originally retailed for under US$70,000. Everyone’s on it The excitement as the lot came up was palpable. Auctioneer Aurel Bacs commented that so many bidders were phoning in that every Phillips employee on the phone bank was on the line. Although there were at least a half dozen bidders to start with – all on the phone save for one room bidder – the contenders thinned out at the HK$4.00 million mark. Remaining were just three bidders: Alex Ghotbi and Tiffany To of Phillips on the phones with clients, and the gentleman at the back of the room. Both based in Geneva, Mr Ghotbi and Ms To were presumably re...

Business News: Philippe Dufour, Rexhep Rexhepi, Kari Voutilainen, And Other Luminaries To Judge The Inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize

Earlier this year, LV Director of Watches Jean Arnault teased a serious committee. Today, the names are revealed.

Revolutionary of The Year 2022: Rexhep Rexhepi

Legends of Independent Watchmaking: Rexhep Rexhepi

Wei speaks one-on-one with Rexhep Rexhepi, a panelist from our Legends of Independent Watchmaking Horological Symposium at Geneva Watch Days 2022, to learn about his journey of becoming one of the most celebrated watchmakers in the modern era. It has been 10 years since Rexhep founded AkriviA and in that time he has had to […]

Introducing: Rexhep Rexhepi Returns With A Sequel To The Award-Winning Chronomètre Contemporain (Live Pics)

Subtle improvements make a significant impact for the young Akrivia watchmaker.

Rexhep Rexhepi Debuts the Chronomètre Contemporain II

Having already been revealed as a one-off for Only Watch 2021 – that sold for a record CHF800,000 – the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II (RRCCII) has now made it into regular production, albeit as a limited edition. The standard RRCC II is identical to the example made for Only Watch, save for the dial. Inside is the RRCC02, an all-new calibre with twin going trains as well as an independently-driven deadbeat seconds with hacking and zero-reset functions. And the dial is a two-piece affair in fired enamel – black for the platinum model and translucent white for the gold. Initial thoughts With the first edition having become the signature watch of Akrivia, it’s no surprise that the RRCCII continues down the same road in terms of design. But the RRCCII is not just a facelift; it is an entirely new watch. The movement is a new construction in both layout and complications, while none of the case components are interchangeable between the two generations. At the same time, the movement decoration – the most easily observed quality of Akrivia watches – has been refined. It is impressively executed and even exaggerated in some respects. The bevelling on the bridges, for example, is remarkably broad for a relatively thin watch. The degree of technical advancement from the first to second editions is impressive and demonstrates Mr Rexhepi’s pursuit of progress despite his brand’s tremendous success. The RRCC02 is instantly recognisable as a new calibre...

Up Close: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II “Only Watch”

The first Chronomètre Contemporain was the watch that vaulted Rexhep Rexhepi into the top league of independent watchmaking. Now the young watchmaker has debuted the followup, first as a unique example for Only Watch 2021. The Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II (RRCC II) resembles its predecessor inside and out, yet is entirely different in every aspect, from movement construction to the geometry of the lugs. But what it does share with the RRCC I is a gorgeously finished movement and thoughtful design. Initial thoughts On the face of it, the RRCC II for Only Watch looks like the original Chronometre Contemporain dressed in another dial. But it is entirely new in practically every aspect, right down to the geometry of the case. The RRCC II is akin to a generation of the Porsche 911 – the styling seems unchanged but it is actually a brand new car. The most obvious point of difference is the seconds hand – the RRCC II is a deadbeat seconds. That in itself is novel, because the jumping seconds complication is almost always implemented with a centre seconds. In fact, I can’t think of another watch with a deadbeat subsidiary seconds that isn’t part of another complication. In F.P. Journe’s tourbillon for instance, the deadbeat seconds is part of the constant force mechanism. Even the movement appears superficially similar, though it is quickly evident that it’s a new calibre solely from the two large jewels for the barrel pivots. This has twin barrels, in...

Only Watch: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II

What can one infer from a drawing of a new timepiece? As it turns out, a fair bit. The below sketch is the only bit of information revealed by Akrivia for its contribution to Only Watch 2021, the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II (RRCCII). Despite the paucity of information, much can still be deduced from the single image. Initial impressions The most apparent fact that can be gleaned the sketch is a deadbeat seconds – a seconds hand that jumps discretely once a second. We can infer this from the star and flirt mechanism. The star is mounted on the escape wheel, which is located at six o’clock and completes a revolution once every five seconds. The star blocks the rotation of a flirt, a long lever that presses against the face of the star’s teeth. After each second, the star rotates far enough that the tooth provides enough clearance to release the flirt, allowing the star to rotate until the flirt contacts the next tooth of the star. This sudden release of the flirt is what controls the burst of rotational energy that drives the deadbeat second geartrain. Further inferences can be made from our May 2020 chat with Rexhep, where he hinted the RRCCII will have twin barrels powering separate going trains. In retrospect, that now makes sense in the context of the deadbeat seconds. One barrel drives the going train for timekeeping, including the escape wheel and the star. The other barrel drives a secondary gear train for the deadbeat seconds hand and the flirt...

Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain: A Fork In The Road, A Pivot, Or Something Else Entirely? - Reprise

At Baselworld 2018 young boutique brand Akrivia launched its Chronomètre Contemporain, the very first timepiece in the Rexhep Rexhepi Collection. To say that Joshua Munchow is impressed is an understatement, but there is more to it: this watch could represent a new, diverged direction for the independent watchmaker.

Recap: Instagram Live with Rexhep Rexhepi

Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia was the guest on our first-ever Instagram Live, where he spoke with our founder SJX. Lighthearted and insightful, the session centred on the growth of Akrivia’s in-house capabilities, as well as the future of the Chronomètre Contemporain series. Here’s a recap of the highlights from the session. Ambitions for integration Rexhep has big dreams for Akrivia as a true manufacture, from production to even testing. This stems from an explicit desire to control every element of production, and to ensure his high standards at met every step of the way. Much of the progress made in vertical integration will be reflected in the second series of the Chronomètre Contemporain. While the series one cases were produced by a Geneva specialist, the second series will have its cases made in-house by master case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann, who joined Akrivia last year. At the same time, Rexhep said the movement will have a greater share of parts made in-house. While the exactly proportion was unsaid, he made clear that his goal was to eventually make all key parts – bridges, base plates, wheels and pinions – in the Akrivia workshop. Beyond production timepieces, such vertical integration will be advantageous as it would allow Akrivia to prototype ideas far more quickly. Rexhep Rexhepi with Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Photo – Akrivia Interestingly, Rexhep also touched on chronometer testing and certification. The first series Chronomètre Contemporain is te...

Recommended Watching: The Life and Work of Rexhep Rexhepi

Thirty-three year old Rexhep Rexhepi is a rising star in independent watchmaking who practices his craft from a workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. But he was born almost a continent away in Kosovo, having left his birthplace as a young teenager as a consequence of the Yugoslav Wars. The Singapore-based retailer of Rexhep’s brand, Akrivia, recently debuted a documentary on Rexhep’s life and work. It’s the latest instalment in The Lives of Artists, a series of short films on a handful of notable watchmakers and creative personalities. Other subjects of the film series include contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, architect Sir David Adjaye, as well as Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei of Urwerk. The subsequent instalments will debut one a week until mid-June 2020. You can watch Rexhep’s film below, while the other films can be in the The Lives of Artists playlist.  

Pandemic Truths - Rexhep Rexhepi

Amongst independent watchmakers, Rexhep Rexhepi has found swift and significant success since he founded Akrivia, now one of the hottest niche brands. After his Chronomètre Contemporain took the prize of best men’s watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), collectors have been eagerly anticipating his next creation – which is on track despite the pandemic-induced disruptions. How has the COVID-19 coronavirus affected Akrivia? Now still crafting watches in his workshop at the heart of Geneva’s Old Town, Rexhep answers. Rexhep, still at the workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. Photo – Rexhep Rexhepi What impact has the crisis has on your business? The first impact was human. A month ago, when social distancing was first implemented in Switzerland, the atmosphere was grim. I could feel employees’ morale was affected; their motivation was low. I offered them the choice to stay home with partial unemployment or keep coming to the atelier, while respecting all health and hygiene measures, of course. Most of them opted to keep working, so we are still open at the moment and working almost normally. Even my partner [Jean-Pierre] Hagmann is back now. Production-wise, we feared for some of our subcontractors, like the [specialist that does] rhodium plating for example, but they are also working, even if only part time, for one week out of every two. But since we have [vertically] integrated a lot of our production, like making our own cases, and we have...

Up Close: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”

Independent watchmakers are a major presence at Only Watch 2019, accounting for almost half the 50 lots in the charity auction coming. Importantly, two of them will probably end up in the top five by value – the F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue and the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”. While the Astronomic Blue is the most complicated wristwatch F.P. Journe has ever made, the Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” is a time-only watch, with a suitably modest estimate of 40,000-60,000 Swiss francs, though it’ll probably sell for five to seven times the low estimate. Hammered, and enamelled The key element that sets the “Only Watch” edition apart from the standard Chronomètre Contemporain is the dial. Completely unique because of the technique – used here for the first time in an Akrivia watch – the dial combines the surfaces finish of Akrivia’s two distinct collections: the hand-hammered decoration of the contemporary AK line and the vitreous enamel of the classic Rexhep Rexhepi range, named after the brand’s founder. Several attempts were required to get a perfect dial – Rexhep showed me one of the rejects with a cloudy finish in September – but the result is quietly impressive. Note that it is hammered and then enamelled, but not hammered enamel. Ordinarily a new dial colour doesn’t mean very much, but because the Chronomètre Contemporain regarded, and Rexhep has kept his promise not to do variations or custom orders of th...

Sneak Peek: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”

On a recent trip to Geneva I dropped by the Akrivia workshops in the city’s Old Town and spotted the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”, still in its constituent parts and almost ready for assembly. The dial, however, was finished and gorgeous. It’s a serene grey-blue, made of translucent enamel over a hand-hammered dial plate. Produced with lots of careful effort and a tiny hammer, the hammered finish is usually only applied to Akrivia’s gold dials found on the AK series watches, and is being combined with enamel for the first, and probably only, time. It was a tedious process to get right, which is why the Akrivia is one of the last to be completed amongst the Only Watch line-up. Produced by the same Geneva enamel artisan that does the fired enamel, or grand feu, dials of the standard watch, this dial for the Only Watch example is the second one made, hence “version 2” on its packaging. Rexhep felt the first dial made was not up to scratch – it had too much variation in colour – and had a second one produced. And the first dial was finished only after a handful of trial runs, where it was established that the thinning effect of the hammered surface meant it could not be counter-enamelled on the back as the standard dials are. Aside from the hammered surface, the dial is also unique because the markings are painted in fired enamel, rather than printed. This makes the numbers, lines and text more substantial. And because the ena...

Introducing the Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”

Akrivia’s entry for Only Watch 2019 is a unique variant of its critically acclaimed Chronomètre Contemporain but with an added bonus – the platinum case is made by storied case specialist Jean-Pierre Hagmann. The first outing at Only Watch for Akrivia and its founder Rexhep Rexhepi, the unique Chronomètre Contemporain is equipped with a dial made of grey-blue fired enamel featuring white enamel markings. But the dial is unusual for having a hand-hammered finish, a decoration typically only applied to gold dials, giving it a granular surface. The view from the back of the 38mm platinum case is identical to that of the standard model, save for the “JHP” hallmark on the lower right lug. It’s short for Jean-Pierre Hagmann, a semiretired case maker who was responsible for some of the most exquisite watch cases of the 1980s and 1990s. Amongst his work is the incredibly complex case of the Patek Philippe Star Calibre 2000 pocket watch. The Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” is the first watch to emerge from the recently inked collaboration between Akrivia and Mr Hagmann. Stay tuned for more on this. The Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” has an estimate of 40,000-60,000 Swiss francs, and will go under the hammer on November 9, 2019 at Christie’s in Geneva.  The complete Only Watch 2019 collection can be seen on onlywatch.com.  

In Conversation with Rexhep Rexhepi: AkriviA at Baselworld 2019

INSIGHT: Inside the award-winning world of Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia

The day after SIHH, I found myself walking around the cobbled streets of Geneva’s old town. It’s a very different Geneva to the vast, softly furnished halls of the Palexpo, or even the squat monoliths of the famed manufactures, with their clean rooms and airlocks. No, this street was winding, cobbled and, even though the … ContinuedThe post INSIGHT: Inside the award-winning world of Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In Conversation: Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia

In Conversation with Rexhep Rexhepi, the young man who apprenticed with Patek Philippe at 15 and founded Akrivia and remains the creative force.

6 Minutes with Rexhep Rexhepi of AkriviA

REVOLUTION sits down with Rexhep Rexhepi of AkraviA to talk about their GPHG win, as well as studying under the masters at F. P. Journe and Patek Philipe.