It's been a promising year for independent watchmaking, and Watches & Wonders hasn't even taken place yet. On episode 35 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss Rexhep Rexhepi's first in-house chronograph bearing his own name. What Mr Rexhepi does, others often imitate, so it's worth thinking about how the launch of this traditional-yet-novel chronograph will shape the future of the category.

The conversation also turns to Ressence, which has just unveiled its own in-house movement, and has done so at a fair price. Russian AHCI-member Anton Suhanov also joins the ranks of indies with their own calibres, installing a 15+ mm luminous balance wheel in his third wristwatch. And that's not the only Russian watch boasting unusual specs — Konstantin Chaykin revealed the series production version of his ThinKing, the thinnest watch ever at just 1.65 mm thick, complete with double 'mystery' displays.

New names also made their debuts recently, including Stéphane Pierre and Mathieu Cleguer, who has come up with a novel double-wheel escapement of his own design. These makers are illustrative of a broader trend in independent watchmaking, namely the engineer-led brand.

Show notes:

• 00:20: Rexhep Rexhepi RRCHF
• 06:45: Raymond Weil Millesime “The Fifty”
• 07:20: Ressence Type 11
• 10:00: Anton Suhanov Flamingo
• 15:00: Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Mystery
• 16:30: Cleguer Inspiration One
• 18:00: Stéphane Pierre L’Impétrant

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