[2022 Edition] Mechanical Watches "What is the revived Swiss luxury watch brand [Czapek]? ❶"

Hello everyone.

This time, I would like to talk about the revived Swiss luxury watch brand , Czapek .

Due to its connection with Patek Philippe, Czapek is a brand that has been attracting attention from watch collectors in recent years. Czapek is a brand that is full of charm and has four main collection lines. We will be talking about them in two parts, including an introduction to their representative models, so please enjoy until the end.

In this first installment, we will introduce the history of Capek and its popular collection, Antarctic .

What is [Capek]?

Francois Czapek, a Polish watchmaker born in the Czech Republic, fled to Switzerland after the Polish uprising and founded his first company, Czapek & Moreau, in 1832 together with a local watchmaker.

Four years later, in 1836, he met another Polish refugee, Antoine Norbert de Patek, who had been in the army, and together they founded Patek Czapek & Co., which would become the foundation of modern-day Patek Philippe, in 1839. At the time, Antoine Norbert de Patek was in charge of sales and administration, while François Czapek was dedicated to watchmaking.

The two men formed a partnership of six years, and in 1845 François Czapek left Patek Czapek & Co., Ltd., and together with his new partner Juliusz Gruzewski, founded Czapek in Geneva, Switzerland. Czapek was an accomplished watchmaker with many clients, and became the court watchmaker for Napoleon III, eventually setting up workshops in Geneva, Place Vendôme in Paris, and Warsaw.

However, after about 25 years, the brand suddenly closed down in 1869. François Capek's whereabouts became unknown after that.

In 2012, more than a century later, Xavier de Roquemaurel (center), Harry Goulet (right), and watchmaker Sebastien Foronnier attempted to revive the brand. It took five years, but it proved that many people had hoped for the revival of Czapek. It was a revival that was achieved after more than 100 watch enthusiasts from around the world raised a total of 3 million Swiss francs through crowdfunding.

The Quai des Berques, announced in 2017 as the first revival model, was modeled after the pocket watch No. 3430 made in 1850 and featured a newly designed and manufactured movement.

In addition, we will introduce the "Place Vendôme" model, which was released in 2017, and is named after the Place Vendôme in Paris, where the brand once had a boutique. In 2018, the brand will also release its first chronograph, the "Faubourg de Cracovie."

*The photo shows the company's first chronograph, the Faubourg de Cracovie.

This is how the history of Capek was built, so let's take a look at the popular collection, Antarctic.

[Antarctique]

Antarctic is the first luxury sports collection from Capek. It has been gaining so much attention that Tim Stracke, CEO of the famous overseas watch website Chrono24, has recommended it as an alternative to Rolex.

It features an integrated bracelet, a C-shape that resembles the initials of Czapek, and, like the Quai des Berques, the first watch released after the Maison's revival, a groove on the side of the case is also a major feature.

This Antarctic series comes in two lines, Passage du Drake and Rattrapante, so let's take a look at each one.

Ⅰ. "Passage de Drake"

"Passage de Drake" is named after Sir Francis Drake, a British explorer who is said to have circumnavigated the globe. Drake Passage is a strait that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between Cape Horn (the southernmost point of South America) and the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica. Incidentally, "Antarctic" means "Antarctica" in English.

The unique Franke dial, named "Stairway to Eternity", combines three-dimensional guilloché engraving with an atypical trapezoid motif that creates an overall play of light and shadow.

By the way, the origins of this unique dial are as follows: "One time, our designer made a trapezoid motif 50% larger by mistake. When I saw it, I thought I had finally found the perfect motif. It turned out to be so beautiful, a beauty born from a mistake. " Looking closely, it is a motif with a mysterious charm that gives the illusion of going up or down, just as its name "Stairway to Eternity" suggests.

The date display is placed at the 6 o'clock position, embodying the aesthetics of Czapek, which is based on vertical symmetry. The hands are sporty and easy to read, reminiscent of a sword, and the 40.5mm SS (stainless steel) case follows the design of the Antarctic Terre Adelie, the first luxury sports model announced.

By the way, you can also choose the finish of the hands and bracelet, which is a nice touch. The second hand is available in full red, silver, or with a red tip.

In fact, a new dial was just announced in February 2022. The salmon dial version of the "Passage de Drake", limited to 99 pieces, was already sold out at the time of its announcement, which is surprising given its popularity and attention. (The beautiful "Glacier Blue", which is similar to ice blue and was announced at the same time, is also listed on the official website.)

It comes with either a calfskin or rubber strap, and the new micro-adjustment mechanism introduced at the end of last year makes it easy to change the bracelet.

[Source][Source] Capek

summary

What did you think.

This time, we're going to talk about the rising brand Chapek. Some of you may have never heard of Chapek before, but we hope that by reading this article, you'll be at least a little interested in the brand.

Although we do not yet stock many of this brand in our store, it is one we will be keeping an eye on in the future. In our next issue, we will be introducing the Quai des Bergues, Faubourg de Cracovie, and Place Vendôme collections, so please look forward to it.

see you!