Today Rexhep Rehxepi is one of the best recognised names in independent watchmaking, known for his Chronomètre Contemporain. This later offering seems entirely in line with the classical training he received as a young teenaged apprentice at Patek Philippe and his formative experience at the house of F. P. Journe.
However, it is worth remembering that Rexhepi announced himself to the world with a decidedly more individual vision of fine haute horlogerie. The AK-01 Tourbillon Chronographe Monopoussoir is exactly this – the realisation of a young watchmaker’s dream, unencumbered by considerations about prevailing trends or financial sensibilities. It brought together the watchmaker’s favourite complication with a hallowed regulating device, that he promised himself as a young apprentice he would one day include in his own watches.
The AK-01 was Rexhepi's first watch, revealed at the erstwhile Baselworld fair in 2013. It featured an inverted chronograph calibre with its intricate mechanics displayed on the dial side. The fact that it features a one-minute tourbillon made it all the more attractive to Rexhepi. While the movement originated at BNB Concepts, a now defunct maker of complicated calibres for high horology brands, Rexhepi thoroughly redesigned it to aid both functionality as well as aesthetics. He designed the case and dial around the qualities intrinsic to the calibre.
This example created in 2016 is much like the one we first offered back in the day, as one of the watchmaker’s earliest retail partners. It features a stainless-steel that measures 42.5mm across and stands 12.9mm tall. Its form, neither tonneau nor round, is entirely original. It is complex, comprised of 30 components. Seen in profile, the case has an upturned U-shape. The midcase features two ‘ear-like’ details that follow this U-shape. One of them acts as the crown guard.
While the case is brushed in profile and on top, all edges feature wide, polished bevels. The ovoid bezel, a detail that would continue in all AKRIVIA as well as watches he would make under his own name, first appeared in the AK-01. It too features a thin, polished bevelled edge. Around the cylindrical form that holds the dial and movement, the short, downturned bezel form one contiguous unit. The case has a solid, architectural feel to it. The lugs, 20mm apart, are furnished with a black, alligator grained leather strap secured by a signed pin buckle.
The crown, with clous de Paris style knurling, is precisely machined. The chronograph pusher is perfectly integrated within. It is signed with the brand mark. The caseback features a stepped detail, aimed at wrist ergonomics.
While the movement side view is simple, Rexhepi lavished it with a range of finishes. The two main bridges meet perfectly, the two halves as if cleaved from a whole. The bridge anchoring the central wheel is black polished. Every edge is softened with Rexhepi’s skill with mirrored anglage. The place of origin and the early serial number are engraved by hand, as was the case in the brand’s earliest days.
The dial side was an aspect where Rexhepi was open to customisation. This example of the AK-01 wears a grey, monochrome appearance. The outer edge features a lighter grey minutes and hours track. The twin chronograph registers are framed by banked, brushed stainless-steel chapters with grey scales. Rexhepi artfully peels back the dial in parts to expose the fine finishing on the calibre AK-01. The chronograph registers are partially open worked, while the column wheel at 12 o’clock is also exposed, as is the horizontal clutch. The result is that when engaging the chronograph, the wearer interacts physically as well as visually with its functioning.
A big, bell-shaped aperture frames the flying tourbillon at 6. This steel aperture is finely hand finished with the bevelled edges mirror polished. A similar, but proportionally smaller aperture frames the column wheel – the two mirror each other’s forms, introducing the kind of symmetry that would become the watchmaker's mark in subsequent references. The 63-part tourbillon cage is beautifully designed and manually decorated. The power reserve display arc is well integrated on the left side of the dial.
This AK-01 Tourbillon Chronographe Monopoussoir is a rare instance where we get to see one of the most celebrated independents laying down the aesthetic codes that came to govern much of his subsequent work.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this AKRIVIA Tourbillon Chronographe Monopoussoir will be subject to 20% VAT
