Rexhep Rexhepi founded Atelier Akrivia as an independent watchmaking project in Geneva, where the workshop’s designs pair traditional hand-finishing with distinctive technical choices. Two watches in the Chronomètre Contemporain line—not every Akrivia model—have won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Men’s Watch Prize: the original in 2018 and the Chronomètre Contemporain II in 2022.
Who is Rexhep Rexhepi?
Rexhep Rexhepi is an independent Geneva watchmaker and the founder of Atelier Akrivia. The atelier draws on Geneva’s haute horlogerie tradition while developing its own watches and movement architecture. Rexhepi’s work is not defined by a single style: the AK-06, for example, makes a power-reserve display central to an open, time-only design, while the Chronomètre Contemporain takes a more classical dress-watch approach.
What is Akrivia?
Atelier Akrivia is Rexhepi’s watchmaking atelier, based in Geneva’s Old Town. According to the brand’s biography, a move into historic premises in 2017 marked an important step in its development. In 2019, Rexhepi established a micromechanics and conventional machining workshop as part of the atelier’s move toward vertical integration. The biography also describes workshops for development, movement construction and finishing, enamel dials, and hand-sewn straps. These are the brand’s descriptions of its facilities and production; they are not an independent audit of how much of each watch is made in-house.
The atelier’s identity comes through in the combination of traditional finishing and individual design decisions. Rather than treating technical display as something to hide, Akrivia sometimes makes it the visual focus. Its Chronomètre Contemporain models show a different balance: restrained case proportions and enamel-dial options paired with carefully finished movements.
#1 Best Overall
- Case Size: 40.00 mm, Band Width: 12, Case Thickness: 10.93 mm
- Automatic movement, 316L stainless steel case, Index dial type, Date
- Stainless steel strap/bracelet, interchangeable quick release bracelet,butterfly clasp with push-buttons closure
- Water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m / 330 ft)
- 2 Year International Warranty
What makes the Akrivia AK-06 special?
The AK-06 is a manual-winding, time-only watch whose open architecture puts its power-reserve display at the center of the design. Akrivia describes it as a deliberate departure from the atelier’s earlier emphasis on tourbillons: the watch concentrates on telling time and showing how much running time remains, rather than adding a conventional complication.
The brand specifies a 100-hour power reserve and a movement operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour. It says counter-balanced racks offset the display’s marginal load and help optimize energy flow toward the balance. Akrivia describes the movement as developed, decorated, and assembled in-house.
Rank #2
- COSC Certified Chronometer
- Case Size: 39.00 mm, Band Width: 20 mm, Case Thickness: 10.98 mm
- Automatic movement, 316L solid stainless steel bracelet, Roman dial type, Date
- Water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m / 330 ft): suitable for short periods of recreational swimming and showering, but no diving or snorkeling.
That makes the AK-06 a useful example of Akrivia’s design approach: its technical feature is not merely an extra indication, but the organizing principle of the dial-free layout. The stated specifications and construction details come from the brand’s model description, not an independent inspection.
How does the Chronomètre Contemporain differ?
The Chronomètre Contemporain line frames Akrivia’s work in a more classical form. The brand describes the original model with a 38 mm case in red gold or platinum, an enamel-dial option, one jeweled barrel, and a stated 100-hour power reserve. Its restrained appearance contrasts with the AK-06’s exposed, display-led layout.
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- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic MIDO caliber with Day/Date calendar - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: 41mm Diver-style stainless steel case with silver rotating bezel - Capable of withstanding pressures of up to 20 bar (200 m/660 ft), and equipped with a screw-down crown, this watch offers optimal protection against water. Case Thickness: 11.7mm
- Dial: Blue with grained finish, polished nickelled indexes coated with white Super-LumiNova, day and date at 3 o’clock. Sand-blasted flange with minute indication. Crystal: Sapphire crystal with double sided anti-reflection treatment Crystal: Sapphire crystal with double sided anti-reflection treatmentCrystal: Sapphire crystal with double sided anti-reflection treatment.
- Band Type: Satin-finished stainless steel bracelet with polished central link. Folding clasp with diving extension and engraved MIDO logo. MIDO quick-change system.
Akrivia also offers an optional Besançon Observatory chronometer certification for the Chronomètre Contemporain. The brand says the process tests the complete watch for 16 consecutive days. This describes the stated certification process; it should not be taken to mean that every Chronomètre Contemporain, or any particular example, has passed it.
Chronomètre Contemporain II specifications
The GPHG record for the Chronomètre Contemporain II (reference RRCC02) lists a platinum case, black grand feu enamel dial, 38 mm diameter, and 8.75 mm thickness. It records manual winding, dead-beat seconds, and an 82-hour power reserve. The GPHG identifies it as a 50-piece limited series launched in May 2022. These are specifications for the II as listed in that record; they differ from the brand’s published 100-hour reserve for the original Chronomètre Contemporain.
Rank #4
- Case Size: 40.00 mm, Band Width: 20 mm, Case Thickness: 10.23 mm
- Automatic movement, leather strap, Index dial type, Date
- Water-resistant up to a pressure of 5 bar (50 m / 165 ft): suitable for short periods of recreational swimming and showering, but no diving or snorkeling.
Which Akrivia watches have won the GPHG Men’s Watch Prize?
Two Chronomètre Contemporain models have received the GPHG Men’s Watch Prize:
- 2018 — Chronomètre Contemporain I: awarded the Men’s Watch Prize, according to the GPHG record and Rexhep Rexhepi’s official announcement.
- 2022 — Chronomètre Contemporain II: awarded the Men’s Watch Prize. The GPHG record identifies the winning model as RRCC02.
These awards belong to the named Chronomètre Contemporain models. They do not mean that every Akrivia watch has won a GPHG prize.
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Best Value
- COSC Certified Chronometer
- Case Size: 39.00 mm, Band Width: 20 mm, Case Thickness: 10.98 mm
- Automatic movement, 316L solid stainless steel bracelet, Roman dial type, Date
- Water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m / 330 ft): suitable for short periods of recreational swimming and showering, but no diving or snorkeling.
What is established about availability?
The cited brand and GPHG pages establish model descriptions, specifications, and award records, but they do not establish current production status, prices, or availability. For current details, check with Atelier Akrivia or an authorized seller.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Rexhep Rexhepi official biography
- Atelier Akrivia AK-06 model page
- Atelier Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain model page
- GPHG Chronomètre Contemporain II record
- GPHG 2022 prize record
- Rexhep Rexhepi official 2018 announcement
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