Czapek & Cie. – ANTARCTIQUE ‘Artists & Artisans - Piece N°1’ - Unique Piece

Czapek & Cie. – ANTARCTIQUE ‘Artists & Artisans - Pièce N°1’ - Unique Piece TimeForArt Special Edition 2024

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Czapek & Cie is proud to announce the creation of an extraordinary and exclusive Antarctique timepiece, titled ‘Artists & Artisans - Pièce N°1’, for the prestigious TimeForArt auction. This unique watch showcases the artistry of master engraver Michèle Rothen, in collaboration with Czapek’s long-term partner, Metalem.

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At the heart of this exceptional creation lies the dial, made from a rare gold alloy, Alloy 401, which Czapek has branded as the ‘Secret Alloy.’ The dial features a hand-decorated engraving, artfully blackened to highlight the intricate design representing Czapek's SXH5 caliber. This detailed engraving with a striking ‘trompe l’oeil’ effect resembles the aesthetics of a skeleton watch. Complementing the design, the dial is fi nished with three-dimensional indexes, adding depth and sophistication. The sword-shaped hands add a sporty elegance while ensuring optimal readability.

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Speaking about the collaboration, Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel reflected on the brand’s motto, We collect rare people, and how this project is a true embodiment of that philosophy. “This unique piece is the first of a series that will bring together the rare talents of artists and artisans, in this case our historical manufacturing partner Metalem and our dear friend and master engraver Michèle Rothen. Their artistry and craftsmanship are the perfect reflection of our commitment to preserving and promoting the rare individuals who contribute to the art of watchmaking. We are honored to donate this unique creation to benefit the Swiss Institute, and to demonstrate once again that luxury is about not just rare crafts, but the people behind them”.

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The 40.5mm stainless steel case showcases another layer of visual intrigue with its unique double ‘trompe l’oeil’ curve, an unconventional yet iconic design of this collection. The stainless steel integrated bracelet features a stunning contrast of brushed and highly polished links shaped like a ‘C’ for Czapek. Additionally, the bracelet is equipped with a quick-change system, off ering versatility with an easy switch to a rubber or leather strap, and a micro-adjustment.

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But there’s more, this bracelet will also feature a micro-adjustment system mid-2024. An additional strap is provided, as Czapek has developed an exclusive quick-change system allowing the wearer to switch from one strap to another in a minute. To provide a maximum versatility and playful experience, rubber straps whose pattern recalls the "Stairway to Eternity" design on the Passage de Drake dial, are available in a large choice of colors. A selection of soft calf straps with contrasting topstitches can be also order on demand.

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The SXH5.01 automatic caliber is the first to be entirely conceived in-house by Czapek from a blank page. Every part of it has been made with care to detail and with the help of the top Swiss manufacturing partners and craftsmen, la crème de la crème, the magnificent orchestra directed by Czapek in the We Collect Rare People spirit. The microrotor, is placed off-center to allow a plunging view into the mechanism and its exceptional architecture. 

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A free-sprung balance wheel with variable inertia provided by four gold adjustable weights enables the highest level of precision tuning. The gear train is held in place by a series of seven handsome skeletonized bridges. Their original shape is reminiscent of lace, inspired on one side by XIX century pocket watches, and by the very modern Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie chronograph’s rotor. The movement has superlative finishing on the bridges that merges ‘haute horlogerie’ angling techniques with state-ot-the-art laser

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The Artists & Artisans - Pièce N°1 is powered by the SXH5 automatic caliber, boasting a 60-hour power reserve and a micro-rotor crafted from recycled platinum. This caliber blends the elegance of traditional haute horlogerie fi nishing techniques with cutting-edge laser engravings, ensuring both sophistication and high reliability.

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TimeForArt is a curated benefit auction of exceptional timepieces from the world’s greatest watchmakers, with 100% of the proceeds directly enabling today’s most visionary artists through the Swiss Institute’s exhibitions, public programs, education, and community engagement workshops – all of which are free of charge. The biennial auction also serves as a year-round platform for exchange between the horological and visual arts.

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The inaugural edition of TimeForArt was held as part of the Phillips New York Watch Auction: SEVEN in 2022. The second edition will take place during the live Phillips New York Watch Auction in December 2024, giving collectors another chance to acquire extraordinary timepieces while supporting the art world.

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This one-of-a-kind timepiece, the Antarctique “Artists & Artisans - Pièce N°1,” has been generously donated by Czapek to support the Swiss Institute’s mission. The watch will be available at the upcoming TimeForArt auction.

=======================
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 name:   GARRICK – Antarctique  ‘Artists & Artisans - Pièce N°1’Edition

🔰LIMITED EDITION    1 watches - Unique Piece

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MOVEMENT
Calibre SXH5.01: 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 a recycled platinum Pt 950  mass
- Power-reserve > 60 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 and central seconds
CASE
Case bi-metallic stainless steel - No: 17133

- Diameter: 40.50 mm steel case bi-metallic stainless steel
- Height: 10.6 mm
- Sapphire case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inner side
- Glass: Sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 120m
- Screwed-down crown, guards and C links on integrated bracelet
DIAL
Dial engraved by hand by Swiss artisan M. Rothen with a trompe l’oeil effect representing the SXH5 caliber

Dial, made from a rare gold alloy, Alloy 401, which Czapek has branded as the ‘Secret Alloy.’
BRACELET
Integrated stainless steel bracelet with Czapek exclusive ‘Easy Release’ system and microadjustment mechanism

 

• Accessories: Accompanied by Czapek Passport, instruction manual, additional deployant clasp, additional rubber bracelet, three setting tools, setting pins, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

 PRODUCTION

🔰Edition - Only of ✅ 1 - Unique piece donated to TimeForArt

🔴 PRICE Estimate: USD 40'000 - 80'000 (including GST).

 

For more information, visit 👉 www.timeforart.ch 

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Press Release - 2024
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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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Czapek.com

Czapek & Cie. – Place Vendome Complicite Stardust Cobalt Edition

Czapek & Cie. – PLACE VENDÔME Complicité – “Stardust Cobalt” Edition 2024 

 PLACE VENDÔME COMPLICITÉ Stardust Cobalt: A Symphony In Blue

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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.

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This exquisite timepiece, limited to just 13 pieces of the 100 comprising the first edition, is the result of a collaboration with renowned watchmaker Bernhard Lederer. It embodies the perfect fusion of stunning beauty and masterful engineering.

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The Place Vendôme Complicité Stardust Cobalt continues the legacy of the Complicité Stardust and Harmony Blue editions, launched in August 2023, featuring a double escapement that epitomizes precision and reliability. 

 

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This sophisticated mechanism is elegantly showcased beneath a butterfly-shaped sapphire glass bridge positioned prominently at 12 o’clock, a signature element that enhances the watch's allure and technical intrigue.

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The design follows the layout of the original Place Vendôme, with sub-dials forming a pyramid structure. The double escapement with a central differential creates a stunning kinetic sculpture. 

 

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The watch features the manually wound Calibre 8, providing a 72-hour power reserve visible on the dial through sapphire bridges. The aesthetic blends modern and traditional elements, with detailed hand-finishing, such as 18 manually chamfered internal angles, and contemporary decoration.

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As its name suggests, the Place Vendôme Complicité combines a story of friendship with high horology excellence. Rooted in the concept of établissage, or horizontal manufacturing, Czapek collaborates with the best independent specialists, as a conductor leads an orchestra, to create extraordinary watches. 

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Master watchmaker Bernhard Lederer’s expertise in escapements and his visionary approach have significantly contributed to the creation of this collection.

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Initially introduced in grey with a white gold case (Stardust) and sapphire blue with a rose gold case (Harmony Blue), the Stardust Cobalt version is also crafted in white gold, but features shimmering blued indexes and hands contrasting with the circular-grained grey minutes and hours track. 

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To ensure a clearer view of the dial side mechanism, the glass-box of the original collection has been replaced with a domed sapphire crystal.  

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 At Czapek & Cie, we believe in the enduring appeal of exceptional craftsmanship and striking design," said Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “We are confident that with the newly implemented dazzling domed sapphire crystal, the Place Vendome Complicité Stardust Cobalt represents the twist in the white gold model that many had been waiting for”.

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The Place Vendôme Complicité Stardust Cobalt is available through Czapek & Cie’s official boutiques and authorized retailers worldwide. The first deliveries of the Complicité collection begin in July 2024.

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

Model name:  Place Vendôme Complicité – Stardust Cobalt

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• Open-work double-escapement with differential gearing at 12 o'clock. 
•  Created with the 'Complicité' of Bernhard Lederer.
• Limited edition of 13 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 fours adjustment screws and four weights
Balance springs with Breguet terminal curves
· Two sapphire bridges with six rubies set in gold chaton
FINISH
· Hand-beveling on bridges and main plate
· 18 inward angles hand-chamfered
CASE
18K white gold case with domed sapphire and sandblasted hollowed-out lugs
Crown protectors
Diameter: 41,8 mm (lugs to lugs 48,22 mm)
Height: 14,8 mm (height on the wrist: 13.3 mm; perceived height without glass 8.8 mm)
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on the inside and outside surfaces
Water-resistance: 50m (5 atm)
DIAL
Open-worked with double escapement on a “Graine” main plate with silver galvanic treatment
Circular-grained minute and hour track
Partially skeletonised blued swords hands
Faceted blued indexes
BRACELET
Alligator strap with 18K white gold folding buckle

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

🔰Edition     Limitation: of 13 pieces 

#czapekgeneve #czapekwatches #czapek #wecollectrarepeople #independentwatchmaking #czapekplacevendome #czapekcomplicite

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Press Release - 2024
---------------------------------
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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Czapek.com

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.

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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.

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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. 

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“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.”

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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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.

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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
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 www.facebook.com - Czapek Geneve
------------------------------------------------
Czapek.com