Czapek, Young Independent Watchmaker with Rich History, Unique Entrepreneurial Model

roadwarrior

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Swiss timepieces made of tradition and new inspirations.

Dec 9, 2019

Monochrome Watches

Launched in November 2015, Czapek is still a relatively young independent watchmaker, which has managed in 4 years to become one of the top members of the indie scene, among other great names. Still, if the brand Czapek has been recently unveiled, the name Czapek has a long, rich and impressive history. And there's much more behind this name than just another watchmaker, Czapek having multiple unique facets that make it different from the rest of the crowd. This is what we're going to see in this video with Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek.

Certainly, the high-end watches crafted by Czapek have great visual and mechanical appeal. Think "Quai des Bergues", "Place Vendôme" Tourbillon or "Faubourg de Cracovie" Chronograph - all being places linked to Czapek's history.

The name "Czapek" refers to Franciszek Czapek, a Polish man of Czech origin (born 1811). He landed in Switzerland following a major geopolitical event, the Polish November Uprising, a time he was a soldier of the National Guard, in Warsaw. After his arrival in Geneva, Switzerland (July 1, 1832) he gallicised his name, thus becoming François Czapek. He started to build watches under his name but the main turning point in his life came later. The meeting between Czapek and Patek in 1836 was to change the lives of the two men. Antoine Norbert de Patek was invited by his countryman, François Czapek to start a career in watchmaking. Patek, Czapek & Cie was launched on May 1, 1839, a company that lasted 6 years. Czapek – who had already started a business venture with a certain Moreau shortly after arriving in Switzerland – founded Czapek & Cie on May 1, 1845, with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski. This is the history on which the "new Czapek" has been built.

Now, fast forward to 2015 and the inception of Czapek watches, a new member of the independent watchmaking scene. What makes it unique? The unprecedented entrepreneurial approach, named "crowdfunding equity". Not only collectors have the possibility to acquire a watch but also a part of the company, which now has more than 200 shareholders. The second specificity of Czapek is that the company claims to be "horizontal manufacture". When everybody talks about in-house and manufacture, Czapek prefers another option, where the watches are created by the association of some of the finest case, dial, hands and movement makers, instead of trying to build everything internally - thus benefiting of experience and skills of these partners.

And in exclusivity for MONOCHROME, in this video, Xavier de Roquemaurel, the CEO of Czapek, will reveal some aspects of the new movement to be launched in April 2020, which will feature Czapek's first in-house calibre - an automatic, micro-rotor engine inspired by old Geneva-style watches, with finger bridges.

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[h=3]TECHNICAL DETAILS[/h]
100% SWISS MADE
FUNCTIONS
  • Hours, Minutes & Seconds
  • Small second at 7h30
  • Power reserve indication with weekdays at 4h30
MOVEMENT
  • Calibre SXH1: Haute Horlogerie proprietary mechanical hand-wound movement
  • Power-reserve > 168 hours (7 days) on 2 barrel-springs
  • Frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 VpH
  • Diameter: 32 mm – 14 lines ¼
  • Height: 4.75 mm
  • Finish: double open ratchets, sandblasted bridges, blue screws, bevelling, final anglage main
HANDS
  • Steel squeletonized hands with rodhium plating
CASE & BRACELET
  • Exclusive XO stainless steel “Revolution” case
  • 38.5 mm diameter
  • Curved Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on the inside surface
  • Sapphire crystal case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inside surface
  • Water-resistance: 50 meters (5 atm)
  • Mat Black Alligator strap with XO seel pin buckle
DIAL
  • Rosewood handmade bombé “Guilloché Main” dial in a special gold, silver, palladium and platinum alloy plate
  • Unique and Exclusive Czapek “Ricochet” guilloché design inspired by a Czapek Guilloché of the 1850’s
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i like the design the real guilloche... the art of color...fleur de li hands...if i were a ..
 
Very interesting indeed! :wink:Thanks for posting this up, Mike.:hat:
 
I'm not familiar with this Swiss brand (among so many more) but it looks like they really put out some fantastic timepieces. Real pieces of horo art...
 
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