Our Take

Some of our favorite timepieces come from Rexhep Rexhepi and his team at Akrivia. We’ve had the pleasure of handling many of the brand’s earlier, coveted timepieces from the complicated AK-01 Tourbillon Monopusher Chronograph to the iconic, time-only AK-06. In 2018 we had the pleasure of delivering our first Akrivia, the AK-02 Heure Minute Esper Bleu with a hand-hammered dial. Six years following our first AK-02 project, we now bring it to a close with an exceptional creation. This is Akrivia’s AK-02 Heure Minute Piece Unique with a fire heated titanium dial– a special project commissioned by a dear collector four years ago and the last AK-02 we will deliver.

Compared to its classical siblings in the Chonomètre Contemporain I & II, the AK-02 presents a heftier, more modern aesthetic. The case, distinctive for earlier Akrivia timepieces, is complex with contrasted brushed and polish finishing. Overall, the shape and finish catch light in unusual ways in comparison to more “traditional” cases.

This example comes with one of the hallmarks of Akrivia’s craftsmanship – a hand-hammered dial, this time in titanium. First hand hammered and then heat treated to create the rich hue of multi colors. This process involves hours of concentrated labor to ensure that the distribution of each nicked groove from the hammer is uniform and spaced correctly. Coupled with the handmade and mirror polished sword shape hands to match what we all expect and know to be a beautiful caliber in the AK-02.

Though there’s competition, the co-star of the show is the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Placed inside a highly finished, black-polished tourbillon cage as it glimmers in the light while rotating. What might appear to be a silicon escapement is actually heat-treated blue, both an aesthetic decision as well as functional for the long-term structural integrity and durability of the component. Through the caseback, the movement features Côtes de Genève on bridges, rich anglage, graining on the wheels, polished screws and countersinks, and perlage on the baseplate (even though nearly hidden in its entirety). Hand-engraving (including the “PU” for Pièce Unique) and a mirror-polished balance cock holding the central wheel adds even more texture. Taken as a whole, this is a masterclass in all of the different movement finishing techniques.

Regardless of each collector’s preferred aesthetic in watchmaking, modern or traditional, each Akrivia timepiece brings the best to the table on each level – case, dial, movement, finishing. A significant piece from Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi’s workshop in Geneva, this AK-02 Heure Minute was recently delivered to its proud owner.

The Details

Brand: Akrivia

Model: AK-02 Heure Minute Pièce Unique

Movement: AK-02 Tourbillon at 21’600 v/h

Functions: Hours, minutes, 60-second tourbillon

Case: 43mm stainless steel

Dial: Titanium hand-hammered

Finishing: Anglage, mirror polishing, côtes de Geneve, hand-hammering, polish sink holes.

Crystal: Anti-reflective coated sapphire front and back

Strap: Calf Leather