INSIDE THE
AKRIVIA ATELIER
BY PAVEL PAVLOVSKY
FOUNDER REXHEP REXHEPI DISCUSSES WATCHMAKING AND HIS NEW CHRONOMETRE CONTEMPORAIN.
CLASSICAL WATCHES OFFER COLLECTORS CHANGELESS BEAUTY AND ELEGANCE – BOTH GREAT FACTORS FOR HOLDING ON TO, AS WELL AS ENJOYING, YOUR INVESTED MONEY TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. SUCH WATCHES ALSO ELEGANTLY SIDESTEP THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROB- LEMS PRESENTED BY THE BLING FACTOR DURING A PERI- OD OF TIME IN WHICH SHOWING OFF PERSONAL WEALTH IS AN INCREASINGLY RISKY PROPOSITION; WHETHER ON THE STREET, WITH YOUR FRIENDS, OR DUE TO BIG BROTH- ER, WHO NOW DAILY PATROLS FACEBOOK AND INSTA- GRAM SEARCHING FOR ANY RICHES YOU THOUGHT WERE YOURS TO KEEP.
So, I was not really surprised at the number of classical‘ revival timepieces’ many brands presented this year at Baselworld, opting to pursue design safety instead of daring-do. However, just like classic cars, not every‘ classical’ watch is created equal. In fact, creating a really superb classical mechanical wristwatch – in terms of visual design and movement- is actually really quite difficult. Especially when trying to please an elite group.
High-end classical watch enthusiasts are steeped in vintage watches and pride themselves on debating ad nauseam the aesthetics of such items as a lug’ s curve, a bevel, the original color of a faded dial or a minute hand’ s exact length. The mummies they adore are from the Grand Maisons that dominated the 1940s and 1950s. Their living gods are people like Philippe Dufour, Roger Smith, or Laurent Ferrier; their talismans the watches created by the same.
118 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2018