Czapek
Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue

A FRIENDSHIP IN MOTION

Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue is, above all, the continuation of a friendship. Its architecture was born from the creative dialogue between Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel and master watchmaker Bernhard Lederer. Presented in Pt 950 platinum and limited to 10 pieces, this new edition carries that spirit forward, expressing the independent thinking and shared vision that gave the Complicité collection its name today.

TWO ESCAPEMENTS, ONE DIALOGUE

Two independent balance wheels beat in opposite directions, each governed by its own escapement. At 12 o’clock, a differential reconciles the variations between their rates, allowing the two oscillators to work in constant dialogue. Fully exposed on the dial side, this self-regulating architecture turns an intricate chronometric solution into part of the watch’s visual identity, making its mechanical principle instantly legible and visually compelling.

THE COLOUR OF COMPLICITÉ

A light blue PVD-treated, grainé main plate gives Glacier Blue its cool, luminous character. Faceted, mirror-polished rhodium-plated indexes and partially skeletonised sword hands sharpen the composition, while two sapphire bridges open the movement to view. The platinum case adds a discreet sense of weight and rarity, framing the technical architecture in a palette that feels precise, contemporary and deliberately restrained in every reflected detail.

CALIBRE 8, REVEALED

The manually wound Calibre 8 brings together 293 components, double escapements, differential gearing, central seconds and a 72-hour power reserve. Its complexity is matched by meticulous finishing: six rubies are set in gold chatons, the bridges and main plate are hand-bevelled, and the reverse reveals 18 hand-chamfered inward angles. Every detail reinforces the movement’s combination of technical ingenuity and traditional haute horlogerie craft throughout.

THE MOVEMENT

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

SIGNATURE DETAILS

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).

THE CASE

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).