Rexhep Rexhepi - Crossing the Threshold | The Hour Glass

“What’s amazing is the thought that we started from an idea, we started to draw it, we constructed it and we decorated it. We did all the tests that needed to be done and we started to assemble everything. And now, the ticking starts. It’s the birth of something extraordinary. We feel fulfilled. We took part in a creation that tells the time. We put in all the energy and worked month after month and at the end, there’s a release. All that work served a purpose.”
This is Rexhep Rexhepi's Life Story.
After fleeing Kosovo and taking refuge in Switzerland, there was only one thing the young Rexhep Rexhepi wanted to do. Make watches. Two decades on, Rexhep Rexhepi is a household name in the world of watchmaking - having earned the respect of his peers and adulation from the global watch collecting community.
Over two months, The Hour Glass has premiered a series of short films on nine of the world’s leading contemporary artists and independent watchmakers. Featuring: Maximilian Büsser (MB&F), Sir David Adjaye OBE RA (Adjaye Associates), Rexhep Rexhepi (Akrivia), Daniel Arsham, Wieki Somers (Studio Wieki Somers), Roger W. Smith, Marc Newson, Oki Sato (nendo), Felix Baumgartner & Martin Frei (URWERK). Commissioned by The Hour Glass, these portraits profile the journey of these cultural wunderkinds and document their dedication to their craft.
www.akrivia.com/
www.thehourglass.com/
Production: Colonel
Director: Greenwood
Cinematographer: Fabrice Parent
Camera Assistant: Jesper Rey
Sound: Lucas Colle
Edit: Frederik Vandewalle
Sound edit: Gregory Caron
Grading: Kene Illegems

[@SwissWatchGang]

Rexhep and the team have a bright future in front of them!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Very true!

[@watchlookerwatch]

Rexhep is raw, honest and passionate about his art. I’ve been following his work for a year and for this reason I will own one of his watches one day. I want to be part of his journey. This outstanding video confirmed this.

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you for the kind words Watch Looker Watch. Exactly, he embodies the purest form of the watchmaking arts - an absolute joy to watch the growth of Rexhep and AkriviA. The future looks bright.

[@alpsever5279]

This was brilliant. I fully understand the man, his inner struggles as well as his outlook and motivations. Great movie, great narrative. Thank you.

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words.

[@12sin8]

Wow that was one of the best watchmaker profiles on KZbin, so much passion and dedication to his craft - dare I say a worthy successor to the likes of Journe and Dufour!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you 12sin8, we're chuffed! Rexhep and the team were an absolute pleasure - it wouldn't have been possible without their kind hospitality.

[@mitchelthompson1652]

Incredible story and a great source of inspriration for watchmaking students like myself! Incroyable et je veux que vous sachiez, vous m'avez inspriré ! Merci pour ça !

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you Mitchel - one of the intentions behind these films is to inspire the next generation and to ensure the art and craft of watchmaking can continue to prosper in the future.

[@TKsheng]

Keep getting these videos out there Hour Glass! Great work!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you very much! Next up we'll be telling Daniel Arsham's story. Hope to see you there!

[@vrbanitas]

Great story! Congrats Rexhep and team!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you Paul!

[@watch202]

Thank you very much , such a beautiful vid about a true passionated master watchmaker 🙏🏻

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@georgebodegon]

He could be talking about and describing life as we know it. There's no secret recipe for success. Find your calling, learn as much as you can and work hard every single day.

[@RZoro2626]

Only found out about Rexhep and his work not long ago. Now there isn’t the slightest doubt in my mind that i have to have one of his watches one day. His life journey into watchmaking and his extreme passion about them made me a fan for life. Thank you for this incredible video!

[@edzilla3421]

Rexhep is everything one could want from a true master watchmaker and artist.

[@richkidpoordad6818]

Such a nice video to document the life story of Rexhep Rexhepi! I’m hoping to see the watch in person some day, been following his creation for a while since!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you - it was a joy to spend time in the workshop filming this portrait. Definitely a watchmaker to continue to follow.

[@alfonsopartida901]

Brillant new face, the next generation for old industry. Quality and passion ahead to fight into the Independent watch market. Congrats!!!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you for the kind words Alfonso Partida! Couldn't agree more, Rexhep's story is fascinating and a beacon of hope for the next generation of watchmakers.

Great video of an amazing artist!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thank you very much!

[@BG-ln7te]

Thank you.

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

You're welcome!

[@Drogenhunter]

the quality of the videos on this channel are top notch! Thank you for making them!

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Thanks for the kind words Keyvan - hopefully you felt inspired!

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Wow, most excellent vid, I can really appreciate his work and the artistic beauty of it all

[@IFELL100]

what a great dedication and inspiration for finding a purpose in your life

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Agreed, thank you for watching.

[@sidmini]

superb interview

[@richardman28]

In horology, Mr Biver hardly wrong!! Let's hope it is the case. Hopefully Rexhep will have bright future. He seems a passionate artisan. I would go own one of his pieces. Are they for sale?

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Agreed, Rexhep has a bright future. Yes, The Hour Glass is an official retailer of Rexhep Rexhepi.

[@KURDISHPRIDEGANG]

❤👑

[@temster11]

When is the new Chronometrie Contemporain coming out?

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

The date has not yet been fixed on any new releases, however, we'll keep you updated.

[@dimman77]

I'd always wondered how he got out of the gate so fast and who was backing him behind the scenes. Biver, eh?

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Prior to his GPHG win in 2018, Rexhep had been running AkriviA for over half a decade. Far from an overnight success! But for sure, both have the entrepreneurial spirit.

[@dimman77]

@@TheHourGlassOfficial My understanding is that he was using high end sourced ébauches and isn't actually a manufacture. Like Grönefeld.

[@progressp6351]

I have seen some comments on the internet, which criticise this man for naming the watch Rexhep Rexhepi. „The name is too hard too pronounce“ etc. Why would any other name fit better? It is not a conventional name, but a name like any other. In my opinion the resources that go in an obsolete technology could have been channeled much better. For instance, arguments for the watch industry are: i) craftsmenship ii) time it takes to make iii) hand made iv) movement v) appreciation of the technology vi) how it looks and others. However there is the whole universe and nature to appreciate. So much could be discovered if the resources would have been put where they should be put.

[@TheHourGlassOfficial]

Agree, most of our names are, shall we say, unfamiliar outside of the region in which we were born. Watches are a gateway into the world of artistry and craftsmanship, conversely those who already appreciate cultural objects invariably develop an interest in horology. Thank you for taking the time to express yourself Progress P - looking forward to seeing you during the premiere of our next film, on Roger W. Smith.

[@progressp6351]

The Hour Glass I don’t necessarily dislike horology, I just can’t justify the prices. For instance, artists, scientists in the lab and many other professionals put the same amount of hand-work and dedication to their creations and Experiments, and somehow that is not as valued. When a watchmaker does it, we should all be somehow stunned and willing to pay 50.000 dollars for the product. And the arguments are: “just look at the decorations” and all I see is that it surely took a lot of time, but doesn’t seem really complicated work nor it is innovative. I would value such watches at 1000 dollars at max.

[@rolexmike]

@@progressp6351 lol what a stupid comment. I think you should get another hobby

[@animarku570]

Not hard at all, The “XH” is one letter in Albanian alphabet and is pronounced like “J” in Joy