Rexhep Rexhepi RRCHF Flyback Chronograph In-Depth: A New Chapter in Geneva Watchmaking

Four years after the Chronomètre Contemporain II, Rexhep Rexhepi returns to the complication that historically defines a watchmaker’s technical credibility: the chronograph. The new RRCHF Chronograph Flyback marks his first interpretation using a flyback movement, and it arrives fully formed as a masterpiece.

With this new reference, Rexhep continues the trajectory he has been shaping through Akrivia: a pursuit of mechanical clarity expressed through architectural dials, obsessive hand-finishing, and a refusal to separate aesthetics from function.

At the heart of the RRCHF Chronograph Flyback is a movement designed from the ground up, not derived from an existing calibre. For Rexhep, this distinction matters. The chronograph is not layered on top of a calibre, it’s part of the architecture itself.

The result is a fully integrated flyback chronograph with an instantaneous minute counter, regulated by an in-house escapement and delivering a 72-hour power reserve. Because the movement was designed as a chronograph from inception, elements that are often compromised in modular constructions are here resolved with clarity - most visibly in the alignment of the crown with the chronograph pushers, creating a perfectly balanced case profile.
 

Mechanically, the flyback function requires precise control of energy release and reset sequencing, while the instant minute counter demands exacting tolerances within the switching mechanism. All of it is executed within a movement finished to the highest Geneva standards: hand-applied côtes de Genève, sharply executed inward angles, black-polished steel, poli-bercé surfaces, and finely controlled graining. It is less a movement that carries a complication than one that is defined by it.

The most distinctive technical feature is the dial’s layered transparency system. All three counters are crafted from grey-tinted fumé sapphire, turning each register into a semi-transparent aperture. Rather than blocking the movement beneath, they modulate its visibility introducing depth through filtration rather than exposure.
 

At 12 o’clock sits a combined hour and minute counter, structured within a familiar sector-esque layout - a nod to RRCCII art-deco side, but in a more concentrated form.

The result is a dial that avoids conventional hierarchy: time indication and chronograph function coexist on overlapping visual planes.

The 38.8mm case is intentionally restrained, maintaining classical proportions while keeping the dial’s complexity balanced and legible.
 

A defining feature is the stepped bezel, which introduces a subtle vertical transition between case body and crystal. It acts as a frame which tightens the visual focus toward the dial while adding depth in profile. The geometry feels considered in three dimensions.

The RRCHF Flyback is offered in two distinct material and color expressions: Platinum case with stormy blue artisanal grand feu enamel dial and Rose gold case with black dial. There is no surprise that my choice would be that subtle stone blue, such an excellent out-of-common color choice.
 

The enamel dial is executed in artisanal grand feu enamel, and its surface carries that particular depth only achievable through repeated kiln firings and manual control of material behavior. Both variants share the same underlying dial architecture, but their emotional register shifts dramatically with material.

The hands introduce a distinct technical vocabulary, developed specifically for the RRCHF and not derived from existing typologies. The hour and minute hands, in particular, depart from conventional forms; their geometry does not reference traditional feuille, baton, or lance profiles, instead adopting a construction that suggests function over ornament, with an almost instrumental character.
 

They are executed in polished steel with softened, rounded sections, yet their form is deliberately interrupted by stepped transitions - most clearly at the tip of the minute hand and along the central chronograph seconds hand. This stepped geometry is not decorative; it defines the hand’s interaction with light and reinforces legibility across multiple planes. The central chronograph seconds hand is subtly curved along its length, following the circular path of the dial while maintaining controlled tension and precise alignment with the scale.

A new inscription appears on the dial: “Hgers à Genève”. It functions less as branding and more as a signature of place - a declaration of origin embedded within the composition rather than sitting above it.