Czapek is a contemporary watchmaking Maison created in the spirit of François Czapek, a 19th-century Czech-born Polish watchmaker. In 1832 Czapek escaped from political turmoil in Warsaw and fled to Geneva, where he created a series of businesses during the 1830s. After establishing Czapek & Cie in 1845, he became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened the first watchmaking boutique on Place Vendôme in Paris. The Czapek & Cie name was reborn in 2015 by a group of watch enthusiasts who sought to revive the Maison's heritage and craftsmanship.
In 2020, the company launched Antarctique, a sport-chic collection with the first in-house Czapek movement. With headquarters in Geneva and its atelier in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Czapek thoroughly defends the concept of ‘établissage’ in a modern way.
Now in a solid gold case for the very first time. To complement the precious metal case, Czapek has also revived the legendary lamé dial of the original Antarctique Terre Adélie limited edition, launched in 2020. The new Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus Deep Blue is available in 5N Rose Gold in a limited edition of 100 pieces or 2N Yellow Gold in a limited edition of 50 pieces. The watches are available with a matching solid gold bracelet or equipped with a rubber strap.
“The demand for an Antarctique model in a precious metal, and more specifically in gold, was so strong among a certain type of collectors that we could not ignore it,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “To create this new model, we went to explore not only the origins of this successful collection but also the geography of Antarctica.”
Located on Ross Island in the frozen continent, the Mountain from which the new Antarctique ‘Mount Erebus’ takes its name is the southernmost active volcano on Earth and one of the very few constantly active volcanoes in the world. It was named after one of the expedition ships that discovered Ross Island in 1841, captained by Sir James Clark Ross, HMS Erebus —which, in turn, was named after a deity in Greek mythology born of Chaos and personifying darkness. A remarkable feature of this volcano is the presence of its lava gold, which is projected into the atmosphere at an estimated rate of 80 grams per day, dissolved in the escaping volcanic gases and therefore impossible to harvest.
The origins of Czapek’s Antarctique line are present in ‘Mount Erebus’ thanks to the lamé dial, a finish created for the first iteration of Antarctique Terre Adélie. Created in collaboration with Metalem, Czapek's long-time manufacturing partner, the dial is crafted using a special kind of comb that creates an effect like a highly textured satin finish. Complementing the solid gold ‘Mount Erebus’ case, the dial offered in Deep Blue is made with a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technique.
The gold case measuring 40.5 mm in diameter and 10.6 mm in height, shares all of the design codes that make the Antarctique steel case so distinctive. The flowing curves, finely honed angles, and carefully judged balance of brushed and polished surfaces bring the composition to life. Both watches are powered by the automatic in-house calibre Czapek SXH5 composed of 193 parts, 28 jewels, micro-rotor with platinum oscillating weight and which provides a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound while beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph.
The Czapek & Cie Antarctique Mount Erebus Deep Blue in 5N rose gold will be produced in a limited run of 100 pieces and available for pre-order at Czapek’s authorized dealers worldwide, its flagship store in Geneva, and at Czapek.com. The 2N yellow gold version, limited to 50 pieces only, will be offered online at Czapek.com. Deliveries will start in the second quarter of 2024.
Sticker Price USD 59,000 for rose gold on a bracelet, USD 35,000 for rose gold on a rubber strap, USD 61,000 for yellow gold on a bracelet, and USD 36,400 for yellow gold on a rubber strap. For more info on Czapek & Cie click here.
