Xhevdet Rexhepi Minute Inerte: The Watch That Can Stop Time

The Xhevdet Rexhepi Minute Inerte aims to strike a balance between modern and classical watchmaking, with the platinum case measuring 38mm by 8.5mm.

The watch is defined by its complication: The second hand rotates around its subdial in 58 seconds, before pausing for two seconds at the top.

The minute hand is inert and jumps instantly by one minute when the second hand starts.

The opening of the dial at 6 o’clock allows to see the mechanism of the complication

Then, at the turn of each minute, the minute hand jumps instantaneously to the next minute and the second hand starts ticking again.

It’s harder to explain than it is to see in action – here’s a GIF of the mechanism in motion, as provided by Rexhepi on his Instagram announcing the watch:

“This idea has been in my mind for more than two years,” Rexhepi says. If you’ve been to Switzerland, no doubt you’ll recognize the inspiration for this stop seconds mechanism: the Swiss railway clocks seen in train stations across the country that briefly pause before ticking forward to the next minute.

Rexhepi has left the Minute Inerte’s dial open at 6 o’clock to allow a glimpse at the mechanism of the complication.

For the creation of the Minute Inerte, Xhevdet was inspired by an important Swiss watch, present in all stations but operated electronically.

The result is the Minute Inerte, an apparently very simple watch that hides this magical mechanism.

We have hours and minutes, with small seconds at 6, but it is precisely this opening that will hypnotize you.

The hands have a very particular shape, just look at the hours.

This is not an opening of a tourbillon, but the new invention on display. Xhevdet has created a mechanism capable of stopping time, which allows you to read the time to the split minute.

For the case, platinum has been chosen as a material and 38 millimeters as a size, all features that collectors will be able to appreciate.

The lugs have a particular construction, which are very reminiscent of the Hagmann casemaker’s style, characteristic of the RRC 02.

The platinum case of the Minute Inerte is complemented by a powder-blue dial.

Xhevdet Rexhepi’s Minute Inerte watch in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.

The hour hand has a large dot on the end, calling to mind the red seconds hand of the Swiss railway clock (which itself took inspiration from the batons that train dispatch staff use).

Meanwhile, Rexhepi’s architectural influence is immediately noticeable in the case, with multiple facets on the bezel and lugs also calling to mind various vintage Patek Philippe references Rexhepi would no doubt be familiar with through his time there.

In Xhevdet Rexhepi’s new complication, the continuous seconds advance up to the 58th and then stop, wait two seconds and then jump forward together with the minute hand, resuming its regular function.

All of this takes place while respecting the chronometry requirements of the mechanism.

The first objection that could have been made would have been on linear functioning, therefore on the precision of the mechanism with this continuous stopping.

The Minute Inerte amazes us for this very reason.