Akrivia is launching the new Chronomètre Contemporain II (RRCC02) with dead-beat seconds in rose gold or platinum. Price on request.
Akrivia and its founder Rexhep Rexhepi are unveiling today the Chronomètre Contemporain II (RRCC02), a sophisticated Haute Horlogerie timepiece that perfects the style introduced with the award-winning Chronomètre Contemporain I in 2018 (you can read about it here).
Symmetrically constructed and finished like the first edition, the RRCC02 is the culmination of three years of development. While it might be mistaken for the 2018 version at first glance, a closer inspection of the new movement reveals a completely new construction which combines twin barrels and going trains, along with an independently-driven jumping seconds that boasts a hacking and zero-reset function, all of which are features not found in the original model.
On the front, the RRCC02 preserves the key elements seen in the first edition, including the precious grand feu enamel with the chapter ring characterised by alternating Roman numerals.
The vitreous enamel dial is produced the old-fashioned way – with a skilled hand and a fine paintbrush – and then fired in an oven, a process that has to be repeated several times to achieve the glossy, indelible finish that defines true enamel. Once perfect, the enamel dial is lapped with an abrasive paste to hone the surface until it is almost glassy in its appearance.
Each dial is made of two parts soldered together: the recessed subsidiary seconds and the main dial, seamlessly joined.
The markings on the dial are also fired enamel; first printed in liquid enamel and then fired once again to set the markings. Compared to the first edition, the hour markers are rendered in a heavier font, giving them a stronger presence.
Made up of 15 parts and bearing the hallmark “JHP” of famed case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann who supervised its construction, the case has been refined in almost every aspect with the goal to achieve even more harmonious proportions.
Among these refinements, the individually soldered lugs have been elongated giving them a more graceful sweep downwards, the crown has a slightly larger diameter to allow for better grip and easier winding and the sapphire crystal has a more pronounced dome.
Measuring 38 mm in diameter and 8.75 mm of thickness (excluding crystal), the case ensures water resistance up to a pressure of 3 ATM (30 metres / 100 feet).
Akrivia created two variations. The first comes in rose gold with a translucent white enamel dial and black markings. The hands are manually heat-treated at about 800 degrees Celsius to give them a rich purple surface.
The second features a platinum case with a glossy black enamel dial and markings in ivory enamel. The seconds subdial is finished with a hand-engraved gratté pattern successively covered with translucent grey enamel. The hands are crafted in polished steel.
The new RRCC02 movement has a familiar look but a totally new construction with different mechanics and functions. A gracefully symmetrical barrel bridge secures twin mainsprings. One barrel supplies energy to the balance wheel beating at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour). The other drives the jumping seconds, allowing the seconds hand to leap forward crisply in one-second steps without impacting the movement’s precision. Differently from this new twin-train construction, the first edition featured a conventional, single-going train setup.
Thanks to the hacking and reset function, when you pull the crown the seconds hand will instantaneously return to 12 o’clock and halt, a useful feature for precise time setting.
The main plate and bridges are made of environmentally-friendly, unleaded German silver, also known as maillechort, an alloy that boasts ideal mechanical and physical properties, making it the perfect material for functional stability and decorative treatment.
Decorations are all executed by hand to the highest standards of the traditional Genevan watchmaking. The techniques include: Côtes de Genève, perlage, circular graining, anglage with polished inward angles, polished countersinks for jewels and screws, black-polished steel parts including screws and balance bridge.
The wheels of the going trains are finished with hand-polished bevels on their spokes and inner edges, resulting in 140 inward angles across the wheels of both trains.
Limited in production to 50 pieces for each variation, the new Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain II is matched to a calfskin leather strap with two-tone finish with 5N rose gold or platinum pin buckle. Price is on request only. akrivia.ch
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