Czapek – ANTARCTIQUE Royal Onyx Edition

Czapek & Cie. – ANTARCTIQUE Royal Onyx and Desert Rose Edition 2023

Antarctique Royal Onyx
Pure and precious in black and blue

Geneva, November 2023 - A limited edition dedicated to the United Arab Emirates and created in collaboration with Mansour Jewellers.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

During Dubai Watch Week, the Swiss independent watchmaking Maison, Czapek & Cie, releases a unique variation of its Antarctique family of timekeepers, created in collaboration with Mansour Jewellers and dedicated to the United Arab Emirates. A limited edition of 18 pieces, the Antarctique Royal Onyx pairs the sleek modernity of the Antarctique steel case with a dramatic black dial featuring baguette-cut sapphire hour markers.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The Antarctique Royal Onyx eloquently express two of Czapek & Cie’s fundamental values: the pursuit of beauty and the spirit of collaboration. At Czapek, every new edition is a co-creation with the company’s unique community of ‘rare people’ – the collectors, business partners and friends whose tastes and desires fuel the Maison’s creativity, together with the talented designers, craftsmen and production partners who bring the new ideas to life. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

“The Royal Onyx story began when the first edition of the Antarctique model was launched in 2020,” says Asma Bennani, General Manager of Mansour Jewellers, Czapek’s partner in the UAE. “True to Czapek’s open and collaborative style, we almost immediately began discussing the possibility of creating a special edition for the United Arab Emirates. The idea was to incorporate a feature celebrating the value and beauty of gemstones.”

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

From that initial concept – and the imperative that the dial should be highly distinctive in both colour and detail – the first, and perhaps most difficult, task was to choose a colour from an almost limitless palette of possibilities. The solution presented itself in the form of a material – black onyx – rather than simply a colour. For a dynamic and unexpected contrast with the deep black of the polished onyx surface, baguette-cut sapphires were chosen to mark the hours.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Emphasising the purity of the dial and the beauty of the gemstones, the Antarctique Royal Onyx does away with the complexity of a date display. Visually simple yet challenging to produce, due to the sapphire baguettes being invisibly set onto the onyx, the dial was crafted by GT Cadrans in Lonay, Switzerland.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

“The simplicity and chic modernity of the Antarctique provides a great playground for creativity,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek. “Harnessing traditional crafts and materials and giving them a contemporary twist, as we have done for this piece, is absolutely in keeping with Czapek’s creative ethos.”

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The eye-catching dial is complemented by the flowing curves and finely honed angles of the 40.5 mm diameter Antarctique case, with its carefully judged balance of brushed and polished surfaces that are echoed on the integrated bracelet.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  In keeping with Czapek & Cie’s central tenet of balancing refined aesthetics with high-end mechanics, the Antarctique Royal Onyx is powered by calibre SXH5. The first movement to be entirely conceived and assembled in house by Czapek, it was launched in the original Antarctique in May 2020. Blending the best of past and present, its distinctive architecture of seven skeletonised bridges was inspired by the 19th-century pocket watches of François Czapek. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶  BIG FOTO      

The calibre features a free-sprung balance and an elegant and highly efficient micro-rotor of recycled 950 platinum; the haute horlogerie finishes combine hand-bevelled internal angles with state-of-the-art laser engraving to create a beautiful play of contrasts: light and dark, textured and smooth, matte and polished.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Czapek & Cie, together with Mansour Jewellers, will also release Antarctique Desert Rose in November. A limited edition of 25 pieces, also created especially for the UAE, Antarctique Desert Rose plays with texture and colour: the ‘grainé’ textured finish has a subtle shine while the salmon colour is reminiscent of the desert sand – the warm shade contrasting with the cool tones of the steel case. While the Antarctique’s signature, sculptural indexes mark eleven of the hours, 12 o’clock and the date are both in Indian numerals.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Being unveiled at Dubai Watch Week in November 2023, the new Antarctique Royal Onyx and Antarctique Desert Rose will be available exclusively from Mansour Jewellers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

=======================
About Czapek & Cie
 
François Czapek was a Czech-born Polish watchmaker who fled to Geneva in 1832 after fighting in the Polish uprising. He immediately started his own atelier and in 1839 entered into a partnership with Antoine Norbert de Patek, introducing him to the world of watchmaking. In 1845, at the end of their partnership, he created Czapek & Cie and achieved considerable success. He became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened, what was most likely the first watchmaking boutique on the Place Vendome in Paris. 

Click, to see the large size. ▶  BIG FOTO    

He wrote a book about watchmaking, but unfortunately, he died before publishing a second one. Czapek & Cie has been revived in 2015 with an exceptional collection, whose leading model won the Public Prize in the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in Geneva in November 2016. This collection takes its inspiration from an 1850’s Czapek time piece. It features a beautiful enamel dial and a 7-day proprietary movement perfectly combining craftsmanship with design and exclusivity with rarity. The Company second collection, a suspended Tourbillon with a second time-zone, was launched one year later in 2017, while the first Czapek chronograph Faubourg de Cracovie was unveiled at Baselworld 2018. The company is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

=========================
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model:   GARRICK – Antarctique Royal Onyx Edition
Steel case, Steel case, Onyx stone dial, Micro-rotor. New SXH5 automatic caliber.
Limited edition of 18 pieces

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

MOVEMENT
- Calibre SXH5: Czapek's in house self-winding
mechanical movement
- Diameter: 30 mm – 13 lines ¼
- Height: 4.2 mm
- Number of parts: 193
- Jewels: 28
- Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance
fitted with four gold inertia-blocks
- Frequency: 4 Hz – 28’800 VpH
- Power winding system: Micro rotor with an 18K
recycled gold mass
- Power-reserve > 56 hours on one single barrel
- Barrel torque: 8.8 Nmm
FINISH
Open ratchets, sandblasted black bridges,
bevelling, straight-grained sides, six hand-chamfered inward angles
FUNCTIONS
- Hours, Minutes & Seconds
CASE
- 40.5mm steel case
- Height: 10.6 mm
- Sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment
- Sapphire case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inner side
- Water resistance: 120m
- Screwed-down crown
DIAL
Polished Onyx stone dial
Blue Sapphire baguette hour markers
Steel seconds hand with blue tip
Steel skeletonized hours and minutes hands
BRACELET
- Integrated stainless steel bracelet with Czapek exclusive "Easy Release" system
- Additional calf leather or rubber strap

 PRODUCTION

🔰Edition - Only of ✅ 18 pieces

 

==================================

 

 Model:   GARRICK – Antarctique Desert Rose Edition
Steel ccase, Sandblasted Salmon dial with Oriental 12, Micro-rotor. 

New SXH5 automatic caliber.
Limited edition of 25 pieces

 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

 
MOVEMENT
- Calibre SXH5: Czapek's in house self-winding
mechanical movement
- Diameter: 30 mm – 13 lines ¼
- Height: 4.2 mm
- Number of parts: 193
- Jewels: 28
- Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance
fitted with four gold inertia-blocks
- Frequency: 4 Hz – 28’800 VpH
- Power winding system: Micro rotor with an 18K
recycled gold mass
- Power-reserve > 56 hours on one single barrel
- Barrel torque: 8.8 Nmm
FINISH
Open ratchets, sandblasted black bridges,
bevelling, straight-grained sides, six hand-chamfered inward angles
FUNCTIONS
- Hours, Minutes & Seconds
- Date at 6 o'clock
CASE
- 40.5mm steel case
- Height: 10.6 mm
- Sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment
- Sapphire case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inner side
- Water resistance: 120m
- Screwed-down crown
DIAL
Sandblasted Salmon dial with Oriental 12
Luminescent, rhodium plated steel hour makers
Luminescent hours and minutes hands
Steel seconcs hand with red tip
BRACELET
- Integrated stainless steel bracelet with Czapek exclusive "Easy Release" system
- Additional calf leather or rubber strap

 PRODUCTION

🔰Edition - Only of ✅ 25 pieces

---------------------------------
Press Release - 2023
---------------------------------
Czapek & Cie – 2, Rue Saint-Léger, 1205 Genève Suisse
Contact presse: Valeria Garavaglia Pedroni
Email: valeria@czapek.com | jane@czapek.com (UK)

Tel.  +41 79 314 08 54
-----------------------------------------------------
 www.facebook.com - Czapek Geneve
------------------------------------------------
Czapek.com

Czapek - Place Vendome Complicite Editions

Czapek & Cie. – Place Vendôme Complicité – “Courage Every Second” 2023 

 PLACE VENDÔME COMPLICITÉ
Two friends, two hearts, one watch

Geneva 2023 – Czapek & Cie unveils Place Vendôme Complicité, a unique reinterpretation of a double escapement combination initially created in 1930 and very rare in wristwatches. Two independent oscillators beat at their own pace, with any rate variations balanced by a differential at 12 o’clock, all beautifully laid out on the dial side.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

The design of the Place Vendôme Complicité is as much the result of a chance encounter, a coincidence (do they really exist?), as it is a technical and artistic feat. Human encounters and the sharing of ideas lie at the heart of everything that Czapek does. As a fundamental value, the Maison defends the concept of établissage – the ecosystem of specialised workshops that once defined the entire watchmaking industry; this enables it to choose the most talented, independent specialists in each of the watchmaking crafts, bringing them together – as a conductor would unite musicians in an orchestra – to create exceptional timepieces. 

For Czapek, suppliers are also partners in creativity and this turned out to be decisive in Place Vendôme Complicité ever becoming a reality.

In Pursuit of Beauty

The idea for the watch was born in 2018 as an evolution of Czapek’s renowned initial models, Quai des Bergues and Place Vendôme; the movement architecture of those pieces translates into a distinctive Czapek ‘face’ with sub-dials at the 7.30 and 4.30 positions on the dial.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

While the technical aspect of the double escapement concept fully visible on the dial side and distributed around the centre was fascinating to Czapek’s CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel – and the group of ‘rare people’ who make up the Maison’s inner circle of collectors, investors and enthusiasts – it’s a guiding principle of Czapek that the beauty of a mechanism is as important as the beauty of the habillage – the dial, hands and case. Consequently, the architecture of every Czapek calibre is designed to unite the technical and aesthetic elements, serving and enhancing both in equal measure.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The starting point for Complicité was to respect the dial layout of the original Place Vendôme model – on which the two signature sub-dials form the base of a pyramid, completed by a third sub-dial at the apex. An initial sketch was then designed: the escapements would be at 7.30 and 4.30 and the differential that connects them would be at the 12.00 position, with both escapement trains embracing the centre.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

“The real beauty of the idea lies in this way of expressing the double escapement, with the differential at 12 o’clock as a central element,” explains Xavier de Roquemaurel. “And by bringing the mechanism to the dial side and open-working everything, we would also have a beautiful kinetic sculpture.”

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

However, building such a movement was easier said than done; after a fruitless search for a watchmaking partner capable of reconciling the aesthetics with the technical demands, the idea was eventually put to one side. And then, one day, a story of family and friendship brought it back to life. Paul, one of Xavier’s children, was in the same school class in Neuchâtel as the daughter of watchmaker Bernhard Lederer, and a mutual friend introduced the two fathers. Their encounter led to a friendship, mutual exchanges of ideas, advice and help and, ultimately, resolved the problem, made the new double escapement architecture possible and gave birth to the watch.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The name of the new timepiece, Place Vendôme Complicité alludes to this collaboration – as well as to the complicity between two independent escapements working in unison.

Aesthetics and Sophisticated Mechanics: an Unbreakable Bond

The principle of the double escapement regulator is that, with two balance wheels beating independently, and power delivered from a single barrel via a differential, any variation in rate (which may be caused by gravity or various other factors inherent in everyday life) will be cancelled out, thus ensuring greater timekeeping accuracy.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

With the double escapement at its heart, Czapek’s new in-house Calibre 8 is manually wound to provide a power reserve of 72 hours, which is indicated on the dial at 6 o’clock between the balance wheels. Two sapphire bridges reveal the entire gear train on the dial side, protected by a box-style sapphire crystal glass.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Dominated by distinctive, triangular bridges from which the balances are suspended, the aesthetic blends modernity with tradition, playing with the colours of different metals of various components while drawing the eye deep into the workings of the movement. Naturally, haute horlogerie finishes abound, with traditional handcrafts complemented by more contemporary decorative finishes – not only on the dial side but also on the back of the movement, where 18 inward angles have been hand-bevelled.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The crown wheel mechanism – a hidden signature of Bernhard Lederer – is integrated into the movement design as a subtle tribute to his contribution to the development of Complicité.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

As a backdrop to the movement, two dial colours are offered: cool tones of grey that create a subtle harmony with a white gold case for the Place Vendôme Complicité Stardust, and a bolder combination that epitomises Czapek’s more adventurous spirit: deep sapphire blue in a rose gold case for the Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue. The satin-brushing of the flange and index ring contrasts with the matte grainé surface of the baseplate.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Adding contemporary style, the hands are sword-shaped and open-worked, so as not to obstruct the view of the mechanism, and their shape is echoed by the applied hour markers. All are plated in gold to match the case material and tipped with luminescent coating to enhance legibility in low light conditions. In true Czapek style, some almost-hidden details have been added purely for aesthetic effect; for example, looking deep into the movement reveals that the post on which the hands are mounted has been open-worked to create a tiny ‘arcade des heures’ (arcade of the hours).

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Inspired by the cases of Quai des Bergues and Place Vendôme, the case – a relatively compact and very wearable 41.8mm diameter – is a distillation of Czapek’s signature iconography, with sharper lines adding contemporary flair. The eye is caught by a dynamic tension between the flowing curves of the case sides and the crisp angles of the deep recesses on the sides of the lugs, the play of light and shadow amplified by a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. Completing the ensemble, an alligator strap that matches or closely complements the colour of each dial is fastened with a gold folding clasp.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

“Our vision at Czapek is to be at the forefront of the evolution of modern Haute Horlogerie, projecting watchmaking’s heritage into the future,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel. “The connection with the past remains fundamental but we are expressing it in new ways – with the Place Vendôme Complicité being just the latest example of this philosophy” – a philosophy that is underpinned by the values of precision, creativity, openness, collaboration and the love of beauty.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

The first two models of the Place Vendôme Complicité will be offered in limited editions of 50 pieces per iteration.

 =======================
About Czapek & Cie
 
François Czapek was a Czech-born Polish watchmaker who fled to Geneva in 1832 after fighting in the Polish uprising. He immediately started his own atelier and in 1839 entered into a partnership with Antoine Norbert de Patek, introducing him to the world of watchmaking. In 1845, at the end of their partnership, he created Czapek & Cie and achieved considerable success. He became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened, what was most likely the first watchmaking boutique on the Place Vendome in Paris. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

He wrote a book about watchmaking, but unfortunately, he died before publishing a second one. Czapek & Cie has been revived in 2015 with an exceptional collection, whose leading model won the Public Prize in the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in Geneva in November 2016. This collection takes its inspiration from an 1850’s Czapek time piece. It features a beautiful enamel dial and a 7-day proprietary movement perfectly combining craftsmanship with design and exclusivity with rarity. The Company second collection, a suspended Tourbillon with a second time-zone, was launched one year later in 2017, while the first Czapek chronograph Faubourg de Cracovie was unveiled at Baselworld 2018. The company is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

#wecollectrarepeople

==============================
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model name:  Place Vendôme Complicité – Harmony Blue

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

• Open-work double-escapement with differential gearing at 12 o'clock.  
• Created with the 'Complicité' of Bernhard Lederer.
• Limited edition of 50 pieces.

FUNCTIONS
· Hours, Minutes, Seconds & Power reserve indicator
MOVEMENT
· Calibre 8 created in collaboration with Bernhard Lederer
· Number of parts: 293
· Open-work
· Double escapement with differential gearing and central second
· Power-reserve: 72 hours
· Frequency: 3Hz - 21,600 VpH
· Two variable inertia balance wheels oscillating in opposite directions, with four adjusment screws and four weights
· Balance springs with Breguet terminal curves
· Two Sapphire bridgeswith six rubies setin gold chatons
FINISH
· Hand-beveling on bridges and main plate
· 18 inward angles hand-chamfered
CASE
· 18K 5N Rose gold case with domed sapphire and sandblasted hollowed-outlugs
· Crown protectors
· Diameter: 41,8 mm
· Lug to lug: 48.22 mm
· Height with lugs:14,8 mm
· Height on wrist:13.3 mm
· Perceived height (without glass): 8,8 mm
· Sapphire glass with double anti-reflective treatment
· Water-resistance: 50m (5 atm)
DIAL
· Open-worked with double escapement on a 'Grainé' main plate with blue galvanic treatment
· Circular-grained minutes and hourstrack
· Partially skeletonized sword hands
· Faceted mirror-polished indexes in 5N rose gold
BRACELET
· Alligator strap with 18K 5N rose gold folding buckle

🔴INTERNATIONAL RETAIL PRICE without tax
· CHF 85'000 or $ 100'000 or € 89'000 or £ 77'300

==============================
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model name:  Place Vendôme Complicité – Stardust

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

• Open-work double-escapement with differential gearing at 12 o'clock. 
•  Created with the 'Complicité' of Bernhard Lederer.
• Limited edition of 50 pieces.

FUNCTIONS
· Hours, Minutes, Seconds & Power reserve indicator
MOVEMENT
· Calibre 8 created in collaboration with Bernhard Lederer
· Number of parts: 293
· Open-work
· Double escapement with differential gearing and central second
· Power-reserve: 72 hours
· Frequency: 3Hz - 21,600 VpH
· Two variable inertia balance wheels oscillating in opposite directions, with four adjusment screws and four weights
· Balance springs with Breguet terminal curves
· Two Sapphire bridgeswith six rubies setin gold chatons
FINISH
· Hand-beveling on bridges and main plate
· 18 inward angles hand-chamfered
CASE
· 18K white gold case with domed sapphire and sandblasted hollowed-outlugs
· Crown protectors
· Diameter: 41,8 mm
· Lug to lug: 48.22 mm
· Height with lugs:14,8 mm
· Height on wrist:13.3 mm
· Perceived height (without glass): 8,8 mm
· Sapphire glass with double anti-reflective treatment
· Water-resistance: 50m (5 atm)
DIAL
· Open-worked with double escapement on a 'Grainé' main plate with silver galvanic treatment
· Circular-grained minutes and hourstrack
· Partially skeletonized sword hands
· Faceted mirror-polished indexes in white gold
BRACELET
· Alligator strap with 18K white gold folding buckle

🔴INTERNATIONAL RETAIL PRICE withouttax
· CHF 85'000 or $ 100'000 or € 89'000 or £ 77'300

🔰Edition
Limitation: of 50 pieces

 ---------------------------------
Press Release - 2023
---------------------------------
Czapek & Cie – 2, Rue Saint-Léger, 1205 Genève Suisse
Contact presse: Valeria Garavaglia Pedroni
Email: valeria@czapek.com | jane@czapek.com (UK)

Tel.  +41 79 314 08 54
-----------------------------------------------------
 www.facebook.com - Czapek Geneve
------------------------------------------------
Czapek.com

Czapek – Place Vendome Complicite – “Courage Every Second” Only Watch 2023

Czapek & Cie  – Place Vendôme Complicité – “Courage Every Second” Only Watch 2023

  Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

ONLY WATCH UNVEILS CZAPEK'S LATEST CREATION, COMPLICITE -A SURPRISING COMBINATION OF OPEN-WORKED ESCAPEMENTS AND OUTSTANDING ENAMELLING.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Geneva, June 2023 — For the 10th edition of Only Watch, Czapek & Cie is delighted to donate a new, one-of-a-kind timepiece to the 2023 charity auction, which will take place in Geneva in November.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

Since the Czapek name was revived in 2016, the Geneva-based watchmaking Maison has been committed to supporting the auction and, at Czapek's humble Only Watch debut in 2017, a delicate Quai des Bergues featured the enamelling mastery of its cherished partner, Donze Cadrans, with a one-off enamel dial featuring a hidden 'secret phrase' in the form of Czapek's special words: 'Courage every second'. 

  Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

Since then, Czapek has combined the Only Watch rules —to play creatively with a special colour or design for each edition — with its secret phrase, which has become its motto for Only Watch and is now directly visible on the minutes track. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

This creativity has resulted in a growing impact on the charity, as the prices bid by collectors have increased consistently with each auction. The charity organisation behind Only Watch, the Association Monegasque contre les Myopathies (AMA) has particular resonance for Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie, whose extended family, friends and shareholders have been directly impacted by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or ALS.  

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO   

"The sands of time are not always kind to us, and we can all find ourselves living through very difficult situations that sometimes feel hopeless," he says. "Duchenne's can hit anyone, anywhere — a child, a nephew... 'Courage every second' is our way of sharing our feelings and offering our support and encouragement to everyone going through painful and challenging times." 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

Playing the 2023 Creative Game For Czapek, the 2023 Only Watch brief presented a pinnacle of complex creativity: the visual branding for this 10th edition, created by Only Watch's founder, Luc Pettavino with design partner Johan Pizzardini, was inspired by Hexa Grace, the famous multi-coloured work by artist Victor Vasarely that decorates the roof of the Monaco Convention Centre. This year's visual incorporates the colours of all past editions with the addition of green — meaning that any or all of the colours could be incorporated into the 2023 watches. The graphic form is very angular, with strong colour blocks.

 Playing the 2023 Creative Game

For Czapek, the 2023 Only Watch brief presented a pinnacle of complex creativity: the visual branding for this 10th edition, created by Only Watch's founder, Luc Pettavino with design partner Johan Pizzardini, was inspired by Hexa Grace, the famous multi-coloured work by artist Victor Vasarely that decorates the roof of the Monaco Convention Centre. This year's visual incorporates the colours of all past editions with the addition of green — meaning that any or all of the colours could be incorporated into the 2023 watches. The graphic form is very angular, with strong colour blocks. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

In response, Czapek has played with all of the ingredients, uniting outstanding enamel work with an exceptional new dual-escapement movement featuring a massive differential gear at 12 o'clock — and even taking the opportunity of Only Watch to reveal the first execution of the timepiece that will become the newest addition to its collection — the Place Vendome Complicite. 

  Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

The one-of-a-kind Only Watch piece is cased in steel (rather than the precious metals that will be used for the production models) and the dial is encircled by a strikingly colourful champleve enamel ring created by its partner Donze Cadrans.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

Bringing together all of the Only Watch 2023 colours, the lozenge pattern of the enamel work was inspired by ripples on the surface of Lake Geneva, while also giving a subtle nod to the Only Watch graphics. While the 'Courage every second' motto discreetly signs the dial on the minutes rail-track, a second aphorism — 'A friendship story' — engraved on the wheel bridge on the reverse side, invites the reader to search and later discover the story behind this watch.

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO  

"Since its inception, Only Watch has been an extraordinary human story of sharing and collaboration — values that are fundamental to the way we approach everything at Czapek," says Xavier de Roquemaurel. "It unites the entire watch industry in a spirit of creativity and common cause, as well as bringing together people from all over the world beyond our industry. We are honoured to participate once again and wish this 10th edition even greater success than ever."

 =======================
About Czapek & Cie
 
François Czapek was a Czech-born Polish watchmaker who fled to Geneva in 1832 after fighting in the Polish uprising. He immediately started his own atelier and in 1839 entered into a partnership with Antoine Norbert de Patek, introducing him to the world of watchmaking. In 1845, at the end of their partnership, he created Czapek & Cie and achieved considerable success. He became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened, what was most likely the first watchmaking boutique on the Place Vendome in Paris. 

 Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO 

He wrote a book about watchmaking, but unfortunately, he died before publishing a second one. Czapek & Cie has been revived in 2015 with an exceptional collection, whose leading model won the Public Prize in the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in Geneva in November 2016. This collection takes its inspiration from an 1850’s Czapek time piece. It features a beautiful enamel dial and a 7-day proprietary movement perfectly combining craftsmanship with design and exclusivity with rarity. The Company second collection, a suspended Tourbillon with a second time-zone, was launched one year later in 2017, while the first Czapek chronograph Faubourg de Cracovie was unveiled at Baselworld 2018. The company is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

#wecollectrarepeople

==============================
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model name:  Place Vendôme Complicité – “Courage Every Second”

Specificities:
— Unique architecture for a double escapement with differential at 12 o'clock
— Open-worked
— Champlevé enamel ring created in collaboration with Donzé Cadrans
— Only Watch 2023 colour palette 
— “Courage Every Second” inscribed on the réhaut

CASE
Stainless steel case with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces 
Diameter: 41.8mm
Case height: 12.4mm
Lug to lug: 42.2mm
Cutaway lugs
Domed sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment ARDur©
Sapphire crystal case-back with anti-reflective treatment
Water resistance: 120m
DIAL
Champlevé enamel ring created in collaboration with Donzé CadransColor palette of Only Watch 2023
Circular satin-polished brass flange (réhaut) with Czapek’s Only Watch “Courage every second” signature
Entirely open-worked
Grainé finish 
Partially skeletonised sword hands with Super-LumiNova tips
MOVEMENT
Czapek Calibre 8, created in collaboration with Bernhard Lederer 
Open-worked 
Double escapement with differential 
Screwed balance wheel 
Power reserve indication (72 hours) 
Two sapphire glass bridges 
Hand-bevelling (anglage) on bridges and main plate 
18 inward angles 
6 golden settings (chatons) 
FUNCTIONS
Hours, Minutes, Seconds & Power reserve indicator
Open-work Double-escapement with differential gearing at 12 o’clock
BRACELET
Alligator strap with pin buckle

 🔰Edition
Limitation: Unique piece for Only Watch 2023

 🔴Prices    Lot 19      Estimated at CHF 80,000 - CHF 100,000 💰

 ------------------------
www.OnlyWatch.co

 ---------------------------------
Press Release - 2023
---------------------------------
Czapek & Cie – 2, Rue Saint-Léger, 1205 Genève Suisse
Contact presse: Valeria Garavaglia Pedroni
Email: valeria@czapek.com | jane@czapek.com (UK)

Tel.  +41 79 314 08 54
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