Emerging Challengers

The watch world has never been more diverse and exciting. Here is a curated selection of six young, not-so-well-known brands of various price points.

- Ruckdee Chotjinda

Brand knowledge is a good thing to have, even if we are not buying, because its story, design or little details may inspire us in ways we could not anticipate. The sheer origin alone can raise eyebrows: the founder of Geneva-based Akrivia is from Kosovo; Hajime Asaoka is crafted in Tokyo; Phenomen is unapologetically French; Undone hails from Hong Kong; Lundis Bleus and L&JR are Swiss but not without a good twist. Let’s take a good look at each one of them.

OLD-SCHOOL PERFECTION

We previously interviewed Akrivia’s founder, Rexhep Rexhepi, in 2017. The conditions of his home country during wartime pretty much shaped the 31-year-old’s independent spirit. According to his account, there were no such things as toys; you had to make one if you wanted one. It was around this time that he became impressed by a watch his father brought back from Switzerland.