In-Depth: The Rexhep Rexhepi Chronograph Flyback (RRCHF)

It’s no secret I think Rexhep is a generational talent, and that the RRCC2, out of everything he’s done to date, is a generational watch. As for the RRCHF? It doesn’t quite hit the same way the RRCC2 does—at least for me. I said back in 2023 that the Antimagnétique’s construction didn’t land as hard, emotionally, as the RRCC, and I’d say something similar here. And as I’ve noted before, this caliber does really resemble the RRCA, at least not superficially.

Still, the ambition—and execution—of a fully integrated chronograph caliber like this, built with the resources he has and finished as it is, are remarkable. Maybe even worthy of that “generational” label (a term I almost never use, and yet here I am using it every other sentence). It’s probably the most exciting new release I can remember. But it’s not perfect. 

He’s managed a flyback with real depth, and it’s thinner than the Lange, for example. But if you put the RRCHF next to the Lange Flyback, I think the average watch nerd on the street would say the Lange simply looks better. I’m not saying it is, but there’s a depth to that Lange chronograph movement that’s hard to match. The Rexhep has a lot going for it. The kind of artisanal quality you see behind the glass on Grand Rue in Geneva, and then again under a loupe in hand. At this point, that’s exactly the kind of thing I look for. But you can’t deny that the Lange is still a damn good-looking watch—as is the Patek, which isn’t a flyback but is, of course, a Patek—and both come in at less money. That said, the Rexhep wears better than either, and that carries real weight for me. 

Aesthetically, there are a few things I’d do differently. The open sapphire counters are incredibly cool, but not something I’d choose myself—though I’ve only seen a prototype, and that could change once I see the finished watches in a week or so. And finally, I don’t love the strap. It’s the center stitch. Petty, maybe—but then again, this is watches, and what would watches be without people being petty?