Independents

Dear members, please help to navigate the process of including Akrivia as a dedicated subforum Brand. I believe the contribution of Rexhep Rehxepi is well deserved. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you in advance. 

is the production number a decisive factor? Thank you for your input Fastwong

But hey, the more the merrier, it doesn't bother me, just my .02 since philosophically from a community perspective I like more things in fewer silos than fewer things in more silos.

but I dont see Akrivia, i see MBF, KV, DeBethune and others

There are very very few indies that merit a sub forum here.
The starting point for me is actually driving some conversation on the current Indies forum.
Also, let me play devils advocate here and ask is Rexhep really that important?
Very nice watches, appealing movement architecture, and classically styled. And commercially successful.
That said, the current incarnation is to me far far less interesting than the original.
The AK series of watches were something different, something with an instantly recognizable design. But it seems someone determined that this was not what the market wanted and the timing of that decision was (in hindsight) very prescient.
Thoughts?

If we had to “promote” anyone, I have 2 names above all.
Urwerk and MB&F.
Pardon for Kari and Romain 😁
Great anglage but no experimentation on those amazing watches (Rexh and the new emerging) 🤗

While we’re on the subject - and apologies for my ignorance- but what is the criteria/differentiation between Featured Forums and Brand Forums?

Breadth is obviously limited almost to such an extent as to be irrelevant. It's like how Jiro lost his Michelin Stars, once it become impossible to get a reservation it was more a private dining club than a restaurant. Not to say the watches aren't amazing, the best of the best, not to say he should make more, just that with so few it's hard to make a real impact.

From a depth perspective I think RR is doing great things to preserve and advance traditional craft but the innovation story hasn't been written yet. He's said it himself he's just starting to figure out what his unique contribution will be and I bet he's going to do some amazing things but it's still early in his journey.

I wonder sometimes if Akrivia is actually the brand and the watches he wanted and the RR CC watches are a bend to commercial viability. Listening to interviews it sounds like the CC was almost a move to have something less complicated, less innovative, and less expensive to adapt to a wider audience....

CCl and CCll are very complex , CCll is completely new movement not to mention subtle ( but significant )differences in case and dial design between two CC’s

But RRCC is a continuation of AK in many ways, the subtle similarities in case shape , movement ( RRCC1 shares movement with AK 06) and finishing.

Very distinct design and I’d prefer one in a heartbeat to a modern RR watch. Don’t get me wrong the new ones are beautiful watches but seems like everyone is trying to become a Philippe Dufour these days and frankly in some cases it is starting to loose its allure.

AK series flows very organically into RRC series

But...  If the original poster's lobbying message is so short...  What would be said in an Akrivia forum?  

Akrivia has won 2 GPHG best men/s watch award
Dedication to traditional craft of watchmaking
Uncompromising attention to details and finishing
Inspiring story of the founder

If that's the criteria, MB&F alone won two GPHG awards in a single night - and this has happened more than once.  I think I'd get a call from the PR department at MB&F (or a Zoom invitation from Max) asking when they were going to get their long overdue dedicated forum!  The other three are not unique to Akrivia; every brand is extremely dedicated, uncompromising in one way or another, and inspiring.  Don't get me wrong.  I like Rexhep's work and I like the man very much too.  But your argument for a dedicated forum seems more "shooting from the hip" and needs a little more weight and watertightness.  


I had lunch with Rexhepi in DWW 2021; attended his conference at DWW 2023; and admired his strap atelier that he brought to DWW 2025!  Photo by the author.



In GPHG 2021, I called Rexhepi "Swiss Mountain Man" in Geneva.  We laughed about it later that month over lunch in Dubai.  



MB&F has gotten two GPHG awards in a single event.  Herr Busser might start asking for a sub-forum too.  Photo by GPHG.



Even LVMH brands have gotten two awards in a single night.  Maybe they need a sub-forum too?  Would Akrivia go under the Louis Vuitton sub-forum?  We have Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth under Bulgari's forum; and we have Ferdinand Berthoud under Chopard's sub-forum. Photo by GPHG.

I can see sub categories for MBF , Urwerk and others, but I don’t see Akrivia

but i just dont understand why there is no Akrivia under indy brands?