The world of independent watchmaking celebrates small yet significant milestones. This month Rexhep Rexhepi—a Geneva‑based watchmaker known for his Akrivia brand—revealed the RRCHF, a Chronograph Flyback that fits a complex mechanical chronograph into a slim, elegant package.
Its movement is entirely new, featuring a column‑wheel architecture and lateral clutch that allow the wearer to reset and restart the chronograph with a single push of the flyback pusher. Despite the complication, the watch measures only 9.7mm thick thanks to careful rearrangement of components and a relatively large 40mm case diameter.
The dial showcases traditional Grand Feu enamel with three tinted sapphire disks: a time‑displaying subdial at 12 o’clock, a small‑seconds disk at 7 o’clock, and a jumping 60‑minute counter at 4 o’clock. This unusual arrangement provides visual balance and emphasises the chronograph function without cluttering the hands.
Through the sapphire caseback, collectors can admire hand‑finished bridges, anglages, straight‑grained levers and the column wheel itself, all executed to the standard that made Rexhepi a darling of watch forums. A flyback chronograph resets to zero and immediately begins timing again when the pusher is pressed, a feature originally developed for pilots but here adapted for the wrist.
The RRCHF will be produced in extremely limited numbers—24 in platinum and 24 in rose gold—and will retail for around CHF 150,000. Its minimalist case design, absence of bezel and mirror‑polished surfaces allow the movement and enamel dial to take centre stage. For those who follow independent horology, the watch represents a rare convergence of technical innovation and restrained aesthetics.
It joins Rexhepi’s existing line of time‑only watches and minute repeaters but stands apart as his first chronograph, underscoring how a boutique maker can still push boundaries within traditional watchmaking.
