The Chronomètre Contemporain 1 is undoubtedly the reference that took Rexhep Rexhepi’s craft to its widest audience since the young watchmaker had embarked independently in 2012. While the original aesthetic that guided the pieces he initially created under the AKRIVIA brand were far more avant garde, the Chronomètre Contemporain 1 returned him to the classical codes he mastered as a young apprentice at Patek Philippe.
First seen in 2018, the watch was inspired by the work of casemaker Emile Vichet for Patek Philippe. It was also the first instance since his school watch that Rexhepi added his name to the dial of one of his creations. He would produce the Chronomètre Contemporain 1 in platinum and rose gold with complementary enamel dials. Twenty-five examples were made in each metal. The reception was almost universally positive. In fact, it was the reference that won Rexhepi his first major accolade – the Men’s Watch prize at the Fondation du Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève the same year it was released.
This example features a 38mm platinum case that stands 9.5mm tall. The concave bezel has an ovoid detail, a visual code that has been present in Rexhepi’s watchmaking from the very start. It meets a rounded midcase from where the lugs originate. They have a soft, stepped on top detail while their length is exaggerated. This quality means that when laid flat, the caseback hovers above the surface the watch is placed on. This detail, borrowed from Vichet’s oeuvre, also suits wrist ergonomics. The backs of the lugs wear precious metal hallmarks. The watch comes on a fine-grained grey leather strap with supple tan leather lining. The strap is secured by a simple platinum pin buckle.
The pristine white grand feu enamel dial is lent colour by the blue printing, done in a scientific style. On the outside lies a sector-style chapter of minute markers followed by a half chapter of Roman hours. The chapter is lined so the hours in the northern half of the dial are contained within it, while the hours in the southern half are on the outside of this line. This serves to orient the eye even at a quick glance. Both hours and minutes chapters are interrupted by a subsidiary seconds register, hemmed in by a ring. Within it lies a chemin de fer track of seconds and a continuation of the line delineating the hours chapter.
The hands, beautifully sculpted, bring to mind those on marine chronometres of old. The hour hand has a curved spade tip, while the minutes indicator simply narrows to a point. The slim baton seconds marker has a bulbous counterweight.
The display caseback is simple and bears the stepped concavity of the bezel on the dial side. It features two lips used to remove the caseback. Through the sapphire crystal is visible the manually wound Calibre RR-01, a close relation to the calibre AK-06. It features the symmetry that is Rexhepi’s visual code. Anchored at the top is the large mainspring barrel which, when fully replenished, offers 100 hours of reserve. The gold wheels of the going train follow in logical sequence from here. The centre wheel is anchored by a bar bridge that has been rounded by hand and then black polished to perfection. The balance, located on stage left, features a delicately formed bridge topped with a stainless-steel cock that has also been black polished. All bridges are finished with even vertical Côtes de Genève with the bevelled edges featuring fine anglage. All jewels and screws feature mirror-polished countersinks while the baseplate wears perlage.
The calibre subtly nods to the refined gentleman’s scientific watch aesthetic of the 1940s by including a mini complication aimed at precise time setting – the zero-second reset function that Rexhepi first included in the AK06. Employing the same basic principle as a chronograph, it features a heart-shaped cam that works in conjunction with two symmetrical arms held by tension spring. Pulling the crown out to set the time reliably springs the seconds hand to the zero position.
This later example of the Chronomètre Contemporain 1, that first retailed in 2021, comes with its full set of inner and outer boxes and warranty paperwork. It represents one of a very small series of examples of a closed reference from one of today’s most feted independent watchmakers.
