AkriviA Saturn 5N Red Gold

AkriviA is the creator of novel haute horlogerie timepieces, the youngest Geneva brand based in the heart of that famed watchmaking city. Their present creation, the Tourbillon monopusher chronograph 5N marks their first exercise in complex watchmaking that will be followed by a series of new concepts in timekeeping.

Rexhep Rexhepi is the master watchmaker behind the ambi- tious goals of AkriviA. It was during his apprenticeship at Patek Philippe at the age of 14 that he first felt an intense de- sire to express a personal philosophy of watchmaking with an approach that would push the boundaries of execution and mechanism to new levels. A decade of experiences after that daydream about the future would see AkriviA become a reality. AkriviA’s goals are simple: uniting the heritage of the Geneva watchmaking traditions with a contemporary approach that interprets timekeeping for the 21st century.

The AkriviA Tourbillon Monopusher Chronograph

For me as a watchmaker, a tourbillon will always remain one of the most challenging and beautiful types of escapement mechanisms to create - and this is the reason why it is at the heart of my first AkriviA timepiece. However, using a tourbillon was just one of several decisions regarding my specific choice of this type of movement. I was also fascinated by the combination of a tourbillon with the more rare variety of chrono- graph called a ‘monopusher’. This is one of the oldest chronograph types that we know of, with a grand history dating back to the 19th century. Even today in the 21st century it remains the most easy to use chronograph type, perfectly suited to the typical timing tasks of everyday life. This combination of tourbillon and monopusher chronograph is very inspiring for me in the way it combines complications in an elegant manner for a contemporary watch design. I see no reason why a watch cannot be useful, as well as high-end and elegant! The movement I am using for the first series of AkriviA timepieces was developed by friends of mine here in Geneva; in fact, I was even able to follow its development directly as it was being designed. So it also has its ‘roots’ in the Geneva tradition – the city where I grew up and presently live. It embodies everything that tradition has to offer while being different from the rest and in fact, it is actually quite rare as very few of these calibers were made.

On a more technical watchmaking level, an aspect I really enjoy is the fact that the chronograph mechanism is built up on the dial side, which is quite rare in the world of watchmaking. All of the bridges, springs, plates and the tourbillon cage, the balance with its gold timing screws, the chronograph wheel and many more details - have all been re-designed following my personal approach to watchmaking, and for this rea- son many new parts were created from steel, which allows me to work to a high level of finishing as well as providing extensive longevity regarding wear and tear. Some of these changes were purely visible in order to follow all the codes for the Geneva Seal; others were undertaken in order to optimize the monopusher chronograph functions for perfect chronometric results and the elimination of backlash when stopping and starting the mechanism. And, last but not least, as a watchmaker, I am exceptionally pleased that the timing results of this movement when completed in this manner have turned out to be exceptional in every way.

Design

In the design of the case for my watch, I was strongly influenced by classical traditions as a starting point; however, it was not my wish to merely copy a particular look or style of case design from the past. For this reason I chose to create a strong identity using what I would call a neo-classical design vocabulary. The case design recalls the elegant cases of the past only by indirect inference, yet its design is firmly rooted in the more dynamic lines of the 21st century. And with an eye to the user, in order to make the watch comfortable to wear, a lot of attention was paid to such details as the creation of a streamlined, ergonomic case form and outline, the shape of the pusher as well as the angle and direction in which the fingers touch the case when using the chronograph functions. The anti-glare treated sapphire glass front and back provide the perfect win- dow on the movement’s key features and the attention given to each detail.

With a philosophy identical to that used in the movement, the case is extremely finely finished in every detail as well as complex in its realization with more than 30 separate parts; for this reason it takes me more than 5 days of work to complete the case by hand to the same level as my movement. And of course, here also you will find hand engra- ved inscriptions on the case to complement that work.... Rexhep Rexhepi