Wow wow wow. Every so often an independent watchmaker emerges who is simply destined to be a super star. Rexhep Rexhepi, with his brand Akrivia, immediately got on the fast track to greatness. With waitlists currently measured in years, it’s no surprise that one of his classic pieces recently sold at Only Watch for 360.000 CHF, 6x the retail price.

This is one of the very first watches he made: an unfiltered look at the ethos and design language of the brand. Reminiscent of early Journe watches, you can truly see the maker’s hand in this piece. For this particular watch, he made a unique hand-hammered rose gold dial as opposed to the usual yellow gold in others. The hands are also unique, wider and more easily legible than others. The case is stainless steel and is surprisingly light and refined in person. I was immediately struck by how comfortable it sits on the wrist. Lastly, the movement has a rose gold finish, as opposed to the standard brass.

Check out my youtube video for more details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSMuoXfm3-Q