Antony (ant) shares his long-awaited acquisition of the Rexhep Chronomètre Contemporain, offering a personal account of his journey from discovering Akrivia at QP Exhibition to finally owning this exquisite timepiece. His review delves into the watch's design philosophy, sensible sizing, and the stunning movement finishing, providing a collector's perspective on what makes this independent watchmaker stand out.
At last I have received my Rexhep Chronometre Contemporain, it has been a long wait.
About three years ago I came across Akrivia at the QP exhibition. I was knocked out by his beautiful design philosophy. I could see that the watchmaking itself was stellar. I was so impressed that, in a first for me, I actually took photos.
I am sure that like me you have seen so many variations on a theme of....'look at me, I'm so clever (substitute original, challenging, conspicious, expensive etc as you please)'.... that despite our enthusiastic passion we have become a little jaded or overwhelmed (maybe better underwhelmed?).
It seemed clear to me that Akrivia was something different. And then the man himself, what a charming gentleman!
When I read about the Chronometre I started considering it and waited perhaps too long so that when I decided to 'go for it' they were almost sold out. After a few phone calls to Rexhep I was directed to a dealer who had not yet allocated everything.....an unseemly rush ensued and I was on the list....so here it is.
It is quite exquisite. First: a sensible size! Then the subtlety of the bezel and beauty of the dial and hands. It goes without saying that the movement design and finishing are stunning.
And now for nerdiness: the strap! I am so over heavily padded croco, they never blend on the wrist but somehow sit on it. This strap is ultra-fine calf with a slightly tactile feel, virtually unpadded, soft and pliable (sounds like I'm talking about a woman!), flexible (yes!) and moulds itself to you (yes, yes!). If you get my drift, sensual.
Thanks for reading
Antony
