Rexhep Rexhepi’s answer to rising demand has been to strengthen Akrivia’s workshop, not simply make more watches. In interviews published in 2021 and 2022, the founder described the tension plainly: he wanted to increase output, but not at the expense of craft, quality or the time needed to develop new work. Those interviews also explain what changed in the RRCCII and what Rexhepi hoped to do next. They do not establish Akrivia’s current production, availability or waiting-list policy.
How Rexhepi arrived at Akrivia
In a 2021 interview with Monochrome Watches, Rexhepi said he grew up with his grandmother in Kosovo while his father worked in Switzerland. He moved to Switzerland at 11. Seeing watch advertising at Geneva airport sparked his curiosity, and by 14 he had decided to pursue watchmaking.
He recounted working at Patek Philippe and BNB Concept before joining F.P. Journe in 2010. The independent-watchmaking environment there, he said, convinced him he wanted to create his own work. In a 2022 interview with Watchonista, he said he launched Akrivia in 2012, aged 25. He described the early years as difficult: he had expected buyers to arrive immediately, but sales were initially slow. These are Rexhepi’s retrospective accounts, rather than an independently documented company history.
What changed from RRCCI to RRCCII?
Rexhepi described the RRCCII as visually connected to the first Chronomètre Contemporain, or RRCCI, but different in its case, dial construction and movement. In the 2021 Monochrome interview, he said the revised case had longer lugs and a thinner profile, while the movement was entirely different.
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- 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
A separate dead-beat seconds mechanism
According to Rexhepi’s account, the RRCCII’s dead-beat seconds display uses two independent gear trains: one for timekeeping and another for the seconds indication. A star fitted to the escape wheel drives the seconds mechanism, which he said avoids disturbing chronometry. He also described the movement as symmetrical and said it retains stop-seconds and zero-reset. These are descriptions from the interview, not the results of independent testing.
Certification and the planned in-house test
In June 2022, Watchonista reported that the RRCCII would not carry the Besançon Observatory certification that had been offered with the first RRCC. Rexhepi said COVID-era logistics had made it difficult to send watches for certification. He described a plan to establish an in-house testing facility using the same positions over 16 days, with a target of +/- 2 seconds per day. That was a stated plan and target in 2022; it does not verify that the process was later implemented or that watches achieved the target.
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.
Why rising demand did not mean simply making more
In the 2021 Monochrome interview, Rexhepi said that demand gave him more time to plan and improve the atelier, buy machines and bring more component-making in-house. He framed those investments as ways to improve craft and independence, not merely to raise output. He also described the choice between making more pieces and turning away prospective clients as difficult.
“It is not about crafting more watches because there is demand. We focus on the craft.”
DriversCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?PerformanceWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadDriversOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownSpecial offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Rank #3
MIDO Ocean Star 200 - Swiss Automatic Watch for Men - 41mm Stainless Steel Case - Day/Date - Silver Dial - Stainless Steel Bracelet - M0269301103100
- 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.
In the 2022 Watchonista interview, he put the capacity constraint another way: “I would love to make more watches, but we just haven’t got the capacity to do so.” Watchonista reported his statement that the team numbered 10 and made 45 pieces a year. It also reported his stated RRCCII production limit: 50 rose-gold examples and 50 platinum examples. These figures describe what he said in 2022; they are not current production data, stock figures or a basis for estimating a present wait.
What Rexhepi said about the future
Across the 2021 and 2022 interviews, Rexhepi described a future focused on developing the atelier’s capabilities: bringing more work in-house, passing knowledge to his team and freeing time for design and prototypes. He said he was interested in innovation, complications and escapements, and did not intend to confine himself to the classical aesthetic of the 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.
He also discussed how Akrivia and the Rexhep Rexhepi name might relate. In 2021, he characterized them as two expressions of the same idea—one more like a laboratory, the other more classic. In a later Phillips interview, he said he expected to sign watches more naturally in the future and did not think he would use Akrivia on his watches, while affirming that Akrivia would remain his company and history. These are dated comments, not a verified current naming or product announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the interviews say—and do not say—about waiting lists
The Monochrome interviewer asked how Rexhepi handled increasing demand and referred to long waiting lists. That wording belongs to the 2021 interview; it should not be read as evidence of Akrivia’s waiting-list status today. Neither the 2021 nor 2022 interview establishes current allocation rules, a current wait time, RRCCII availability or an official route to buy.
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.
The official Rexhep Rexhepi press page provides media contact details and a Geneva address, but does not set out purchase instructions. Readers should not assume that they can join a list, buy directly from the atelier or obtain a watch through a retailer based on these sources.
A historical auction result is not a retail price
Monochrome reported that the first RRCCII example sold for CHF 800,000 at Only Watch in 2021. This was one auction hammer price, not a normal retail price or an indication of current market value.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Monochrome Watches, “Rexhep Rexhepi, Founder of Akrivia, on the Upcoming RRCCII, Managing Waiting Lists and The Future,” 8 December 2021.
- Watchonista, “Interview: Rexhep Rexhepi on the New RRCCII, the First Ten Years of Akrivia, and His Plans for the Future,” 17 June 2022.
- Official Rexhep Rexhepi press and contact page.
- Phillips, “Interview: Rexhep Rexhepi Reflects On The Original Chronomètre Contemporain, More Than Five Years After Its Debut”.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
