The first collection of timekeepers to herald the renaissance of Czapek & Cie is called ‘Quai des Bergues’. It is a tribute to the location where François Czapek founded the company in Geneva in 1845. Our cases were designed to be like a pocket watch perfectly fitting on a wrist. The generous and smooth round shape of the case of the 5N Rose Gold case, and the beauty of its curves, are an expression of the purity of the brand.
The exclusive hand-crafted Ricochet® guilloché pattern on the dial is inspired by an original design created by François Czapek in the 1850s. Its unique pattern is due to possessing two focal points, corresponding to the two characteristic Czapek sub dials. They create a fascinating “wave interference” movement on the dial, much like the ripples created by a stone ricocheting on the water. The beauty of this pattern is enhanced by the vivid colors of the collection, created either with a galvanic coating or a lacquer coating on the hand engine-turned finish.
The SXH1 caliber is a proprietary movement designed by Czapek. It is the first in a family of movements developed specifically for Czapek watches, according to the strictest rules of the watchmaking art. It was conceived in cooperation with Le Locle based company Chronode. This manually wound movement has two barrel springs, ensuring 7 days of power reserve and runs at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, (3 Hertz). It features an annular balance wheel with weights for variable inertia and a Breguet terminal curve balance spring. The balance cock has been finely skeletonized and streamlined to give the whole balance greater transparency. It is finely decorated and remains aesthetically and functionally true to the 1850 original. The architecture remains symmetrical, and the sandblasted finish is a modern interpretation of the ‘satiné frost’ technique used in the 19th Century.
