Akrivia was founded in 2012 by Rexhep Rexhepi who was born in Kosovo –part of the former Yugoslavia— in 1987. His fascination with watchmaking started at a young age. At age 11, Rexhep moved to Geneva where his father was working at the time, and at the age of 15, he began his apprenticeship at Patek Philippe where he was hired full-time after graduating from the apprenticeship.
Posts filed under Other Brands
Introducing: Franck Muller x Bamford Watch Department Popeye Vanguard. Two Limited Editions.
Founded 31 years ago by master watchmaker Franck Muller and a watch case specialist Vartan Sirmakes, Franck Muller is still an independent watch company. By joining forces with Bamford Watch Department, the brand is presenting the Vanguard Popeye in two limited editions, a 60-piece in black PVD titanium and a 25-piece in 18K rose gold.
Introducing: Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Aventurine, Malachite and Lapis-Lazuli
Louis Erard makes more than just timepieces, these are watches with a spirit. This new limited edition of the Excellence Petite Seconde with natural stones and hand-crafted glass even contains a touch of philosophy. A little shock of the times. The dialogue of eternity and the immediate, of tradition and the contemporary. The new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde comes in three versions in a limited edition of 99 pieces each.
Watch Goodies: Mondaine Stop2Go WiFi Wall Clock
One of the most iconic elements in almost every Bahnhof —train station— in Switzerland's cities is the Mondaine clock. With its unmistakable and easy-to-read face, distinctive hands, and the iconic red seconds’ hand, the Mondaine clock is now an icon in the horological world. It is estimated that there are close to 3,000 of these clocks on station concourses and train platforms throughout Switzerland.
Introducing: Aventi Wraith A15-01 Saphite Paraiba. Made of a Totally New Material More Transparent than Sapphire Crystal.
Aventi watches were introduced several years ago and they’ve always strived to release eye-catching designs and tourbillons at a more attainable price point. Aventi follows an interesting business model with no offices, boutiques, or distributors. Every watch is sold by allocation only and directly by them. Always in the forefront of innovation and horological advancements, Aventi is presenting the new Aventi Wraith A15-01 Saphite Paraiba.
Introducing: CODE41 Mecascape Sublimation 1. An Incredible Pocket Watch and Objet d'Art.
Birth of the first ‘Mecascape’ —a contraction of mechanical and landscape—, named Sublimation 1 by CODE41, it is a new mechanical watch object that transcends the usual dimensions and reveals a new architectural vision of time, space, volume, and light. The most modern-looking pocket watch and what we call an objet d’art.
Introducing: ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Chameleon. Its Nano-Sapphire Case Changes Colors with Artificial Light.
This year, ArtyA is turning this notion on its head with a world’s first. For the first time ever, ArtyA brings Nano-Sapphire technology into the watch industry to change the color of the sapphire crystal case itself. The new ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Chameleon features a nano-sapphire crystal case —measuring 46 mm in diameter— that just as its name conveys is a true chameleon.
Introducing: Byrne GyroDial. A New Independent Swiss Watch with Changing Indexes on its Dial.
It took three years of research and development at Le Temps Manufacture in Fleurier, Switzerland, to give birth to this patented animation complication. The new Byrne GyroDial watch is one watch with four relatively different looks. With its made-to-measure movement, Byrne invented the evolutionary watch. Every evening at midnight, or whenever you choose, there is a changing of the four cardinal indexes on the GyroDial.
Introducing: Bianchet Tourbillon B1.618 Openworked Carbon Orange
The genesis of Bianchet dates back to 2017 when Rodolfo Festa Bianchet and his wife Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet decided to launch the watch brand. Rodolfo, is a successful fintech entrepreneur and the former CEO of Riflexo —a software firm based in Turin that developed the first online trading application for mobile phones.
From the Editor: Celebrating Swiss National Day with a Philippe Dufour Simplicity
I can’t find a better way to celebrate Swiss National Day today August 1, 2022, than with one of the best watchmakers of our time and an independent watchmaker. The legend Philippe Dufour is a modern watchmaker that has been adhering to the most traditional and classic watchmaking codes since he founded his brand. A creator of some of the most coveted timepieces today, his watches feature clean, classic lines powered by the highest-end in-house movements with superb finishing and incredible hand polishing.
Budget Watches: H992. A New Swiss Watch Brand is Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A new budget brand has been born today in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Named H992, its name comes from the letter ‘H’ in horology, hour and humanity; and the number ‘992’ is the altitude of its birth place —La Chaux-de-Fonds— which is 992 meters above the sea level. Featuring a very contemporary design that seems like a hybrid between a Zenith Defy and a Hublot Integral, the new H992 is presented in a limited edition of only 992 pieces and priced at CHF 992 Swiss Francs —approximately $1,000 USD.
Introducing: Grönefeld 1941 Grönograaf. The 'Horological Brothers' Finally Go Chrono.
Since 2008, Bart and Tim, ‘The Horological Brothers’, have produced a variety of unique mechanisms including a tourbillon minute repeater, a jumping seconds, a flying tourbillon with hacking seconds, and more. Known for their impressive movements where one could wear the watch on the movement side as they are extremely beautiful, they have finally decided to go chrono and present their first chronograph.
Introducing: Christophe Claret Legend Collection of Westminster Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon Unique Pieces
Christophe Claret presents the Legend Collection of Westminster Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon Unique Pieces celebrating Sheikh Zayed —founder of the United Arab Emirates—, Amir Timur —Uzbeks most formidable warrior better known as Tamerlane—, King Ibn Saud —founder of Saudi Arabia—, Jinmu Tennô —the very first Emperor and mythical founder of the imperial dynasty of Japan—, and Suleiman the magnificent —tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Insider: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Special Edition. Celebrating Checo Perez's Victory at the Grand Prix of Monaco.
The Oracle Red Bull Racing Team has been part of F1 since 2004 with four championships won to date. Led by Christian Horner as Team Chief, the Red Bull Racing Team is one of the most popular teams on the grid thanks to the charisma of drivers Max Verstappen and Checo Perez. Yesterday May 29th, 2022 Mexican driver Checo Perez did the unimaginable by winning the Grand Prix of Monaco, which happens to be the most important and iconic circuit in F1.
Introducing: Artisans de Genève Arolla. Inspired by a Glacier in Switzerland.
Their client was inspired by the Arolla glacier for the customization of his timepiece, a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona model. Artisans de Genève chose to embody the transparency of the glacier along with its unique blue hues through a sapphire dial and invisible gem-set bezel. The fusion of materials was the guideline of the “Arolla” Project and they blended the fragile and delicate sapphire with the rough finishings of the calibre 4130 movement to recall Arolla ice cave.
Introducing: Purnell x AS Monaco FC Limited Editions
Purnell unveils the AS Monaco FC Limited Edition with an innovative rotating crystal football, revealing the tourbillon inside with its transparency. It is in this spirit that Purnell created a World Premiere for its AS Monaco collaboration with two limited editions featuring a see-through football tourbillon crafted out of tinted crystal, putting the tourbillon inside on full display.
Insider: Aventi A13-02 Ghost Tyamine. A Watch that Can Only be Purchased via Allocation.
Aventi watches were introduced several years ago and they’ve always strived to release eye-catching designs and tourbillons at a more affordable price point. Aventi follows an interesting business model with no offices, boutiques, or distributors. Every watch is sold by allocation only and directly by them. The Aventi A13-02 Ghost Tyamine was recently released and is one of the most complex watches released by Aventi.
From the Editor: What's There Not to Love About Furlan Marri Watches
I discovered Furlan Marri last year and my first encounter in person with their watches was when I was casting my votes as one of the jurors at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2021. The Furlan Marri MR. Grey received the Horological Revelation Prize at the GPHG 2021 and that’s what really put the brand on the map. After six different watches they have released and as an owner of not one but two of their watches —Havana Salmon ref. 1031-A and the Mare Blu ref. 1051-A—, I can confidently say that there are many things to love about this young inexpensive brand.
Introducing: Grand Seiko 200m Diver SLGA015 'Black Stream'
The new Grand Seiko 200m Diver SLGA015 is inspired by the Black Stream —Kuroshio Current. The Kuroshio Current also known as the Black or Japan Current —Nihon Kairyū— flows northwards past Japan towards the North Pacific and is one of the largest ocean streams in the world. The dynamic and sometimes violent tides caused by the Black Stream inspire the deep black color and richly textured surface of the dial of this new 200m diver’s watch.
Introducing: Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE285 and SBGE283
While the pedigree of the Grand Seiko Style is unmistakably evident in every watch, the refinements of the Evolution 9 Style are also clear to see. With its unique glide motion seconds hand, Spring Drive mirrors the continuous, silent and smooth passage of time. To watch the seconds hand move serenely and with no ‘tick’ across the dial is to be brought as close as is possible to the nature of time itself. The two new watches are the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE285 and the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE283.
