Geneva, August 2024 – As Czapek continues to celebrate the chameleon character of the Antarctique, it brings a new and unexpected twist to the quintessential sporty-chic watch: ‘dressing it up for a gala’ with an aventurine dial and a version with diamond indexes.
Smart, sparkling and utterly modern, this new interpretation of the Antarctique and its smaller sibling, Antarctique S, perfectly captures today’s stylistic Zeitgeist, where high mixes with low, formal with sporty, sober with exuberant – respecting the rules while reinventing them in new ways.
This is very much aligned with the spirit that has guided Czapek & Cie since its inception in 2015. Inspired by the beauty and technical sophistication of the timepieces created by the 19th-century watchmaker François Czapek, the founders’ vision was based on a deep respect for tradition while taking a playful approach to the pursuit of beauty and mechanical excellence.
For Czapek, beauty is expressed through colour, form and the play of light across different textures and surfaces, and the aventurine and diamond dials embody this ethos in a new way. The visual depth and subtle ‘starry sky’ sparkle of the aventurine contrast with the brilliance of the Antarctique-cut index markers which, in turn contrast with the polished surfaces and cool tones of the steel case, creating harmony from apparent contradictions.
“We released the Antarctique line in 2020 as the epitome of sporty elegance – and for us, the pared-down sophistication of its design makes it a natural platform for creativity,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “At Czapek we like to dream with our feet on the ground and our heads in the stars, and the sparkle of these new dials expresses that idea in a delightful and surprising way.”
Czapek has a longstanding love affair with aventurine, having harnessed its mysterious beauty for special editions of both Quai de Bergues (‘Midnight in Geneva’ limited edition to celebrate the first Geneva boutique opening, in 2019) and Faubourg de Cracovie (2022). “It’s a material that we love to play with, and it was a logical evolution to use it for the Antarctique – they were made to go together. Moreover, Antarctica is the world’s best spot for stargazing!” says de Roquemaurel.
Aventurine is a type of glass, developed by chance when a 17th-century Murano glassmaker accidentally dropped some metal shavings into a cooling glass mixture, creating a multicoloured sparkle as they crystallised (its name is derived from all’avventura – Italian for ‘by chance’ and it pre-dates by at least a century the discovery of the natural quartz gemstone of the same name). Working with aventurine requires considerable expertise, since it is naturally fragile and prone to cracking when being manipulated. Czapek’s collaborative approach – working with specialists in different crafts, in the traditional watchmaking spirit of établissage – proved once again to be a great strength when producing these dials. Czapek wanted the elongated trapeze-shaped diamond indexes to be invisibly set onto the aventurine and the great challenge for its dial-making partner GT Cadrans was to create a special setting to achieve this for each of the 13 diamonds on the dial of the Flying Diamonds models.
Introduced at the beginning of 2023, the Antarctique cut of the elongated index markers was an entirely new diamond cut, designed exclusively for Czapek and officially registered. With 24 facets (14 on the pavilion and 10 on the table) the Antarctique cut captures and reflects the light much more than a standard baguette cut, which may have as few as 14 facets. And the longer the diamonds, the more precious the dial.
Launched in May 2020, the original 40.5mm Antarctique was followed in 2022 by the 38.5mm Antarctique S – a smaller case size designed to be elegant and comfortable on slimmer wrists. Both Antarctique models are powered by Calibre SXH5, the first movement to be entirely conceived in-house by Czapek. Inspired by the 19th-century pocket watches of François Czapek, it is immediately recognisable by its distinctive architecture of seven skeletonised bridges. Taking the best from both the past and present of watchmaking, it features a variable inertia balance wheel 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.
The Antarctique with aventurine dial will be a limited edition composed of four references:
Antarctique Polar Sky, with a 40.5mm diameter and without diamonds, in 99 pieces;
Antarctique S Polar Sky 38.5mm without diamonds, in 77 pieces;
Antarctique Flying Diamonds 40.5mm with diamond indexes and optional diamond-set case and bracelet, in 8 pieces only;
Antarctique S Flying Diamonds 38.5mm with diamond indexes and optional diamond-set case and bracelet, in 18 pieces.
It will be available for pre-order at the brand’s authorised dealers worldwide, the boutique in Geneva, rue de la Corraterie 18, and at Czapek.com. Deliveries will start in Q4 2025.
