Jean-Pierre Hagmann joins Akrivia… and how meaningful collaborations advance the tradition of watchmaking
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." - C.S. Lewis
A rising star no more, Rexhep Rexhepi and Akrivia have firmly established themselves in the independent watchmaking game. And their momentum only continues to build. About 6 months ago, the watchmaker partnered with a quiet giant: the legendary casemaker, Jean-Pierre (JP) Hagmann. The partnership makes for a rich story. Yet, its significance holds value beyond Akrivia – it's representative of a more broad trend in watchmaking as we move deeper into the 21st century. Before we dive into what I mean by that, let's first take a look at JP Hagmann, his partnership with Akrivia, and what makes it such a great story.
Left: Rexhep Rexhepi, watchmaker and founder of Atelier Akrivia. Right: Jean-Pierre Hagmann, master casemaker. Photo Credit: Akrivia
JP HagmanN x Akrivia
For those unaware, there is a bit of a mythos surrounding JP Hagmann due to the "JHP" monogram on Patek Philippe cases. Similar to the Geneva Seal or Patek Philippe Seal, the JHP monogram speaks volumes to those in the know – it's a strong indicator of case quality. All known versions of this monogram appear on Patek Philippe minute repeater cases, where he moved away from a screw-mounted slide to invent a more smoothly functioning internal slide channel. Today, this represents the standard for minute repeater cases.
In 2017, the man and legend retired at the age of 75, closing the last chapter on one of the most distinguished casemakers of the 20th century. That is, until September 2019. JP Hagmann returned from retirement to work on the next generation of exquisite cases and products in partnership with Akrivia.
With nearly a 50-year age difference between Rexhepi and Hagmann, there's a charming story here on many levels. It's the return of a legend, the rise of a new king, the arrival of a wise mentor, and the sense of a bright future. The story is a tightly-knit set of many popular tropes, giving everyone something to hold onto and enjoy. It's also part of a wider and vital trend in independent watchmaking since the turn of this century: collaborations and partnerships aren’t just a great story for marketing purposes. They’re necessary for the craft to survive and a form of resistance against increasingly industrialized watchmaking.
The Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain Only Watch Pièce Unique with a JHP made case. Photo Credit: Swisswatches-magazine.com
Collaboration as Resistance
No one articulates the value of collaborations in independent watchmaking better than the Time AEon Foundation. For this reason, the foundation’s charter is a great way to see why collaboration acts as both a mechanism for survival and resistance.
“There appeared to be an urgent need to place the master watchmaker back at the centre of the activity and reaffirm the values that form the artistic side of his craft ... [The founders] aim is to develop and communicate their art from an ethical perspective, focusing on solidarity and passing on to new generations the craftsmanship that lies at the heart of watchmaking excellence … they have set themselves the task of continuing collectively the work that they had begun individually.”
Naissance d’Une Montre Le Garde Temps collaboration with Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour. Photo Credit: Time Aeon Foundation.
The value of sharing knowledge, passing trained skills from one generation to the next, is in resisting the craft from sliding into oblivion.
My theory has always been that things done solely for marketing purposes die out over time. Eventually, everyone sees the gimmick for what it is, devoid of substance, and moves on from it quickly. Yet, as the frequency of collaborations increases in independent watchmaking, it seems to be more and more welcomed – MB&F, Ming and Schwarz Etienne, the Only Watch collaboration timepieces, especially De Bethune x Urwerk, have all been huge hits in recent years. Of course, AkriviA and JP Hagman are poised to become part of this trend.
This all has to do with the fact that it is not a stunt. Instead, it’s always an act of resistance against traditional skills and craftsmanship falling between the cracks of our increasingly industrialized world.
So when you see collaboration in independent watchmaking, say "vive la résistance!"
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