As if starting a new business venture isn’t difficult enough, the watch industry takes history and legacy very seriously. Romanticized tales of daring entrepreneurs, creative engineers, and dedicated artisans are often responsible for winning the hearts, minds, and dollars of collectors. Without this heritage, it can be doubly hard to break into the market as a newcomer and establish a stable footing. When the quartz crisis hit in the 1970’s, many brands were unable to stay afloat amid increasing demand for inexpensive battery powered timepieces. Thankfully, this era didn’t last and mechanical watches once again rose in popularity. Many defunct brands were brought back to life by ambitious entrepreneurs looking to make their mark on their industry, and while not all were successful, Czapek & Cie is one of the lucky few who have been able to make a name for themselves in recent years. Cleverly balancing traditional workmanship with contemporary watchmaking, the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante “Ice Blue” is a contemporary horological marvel.
History
Born in what is now the Czech Republic in 1811, Franciszek Czapek’s family moved to Poland while he was still a child. After participating in the November Uprising of 1830-1831 which saw young Polish army officers lead a revolt against the Russian Empire, Franciszek fled to Switzerland and Gallicized his name to François. In 1836, François met another Polish immigrant who had also fled the insurrection: Antoni Norbert Patek with whom he started Patek, Czapek & Cie a few short years later, in 1839. Patek left the partnership in 1845 but the brand continued to produce watches under the new name Czapek & Cie.
Czapek went on to have great success in the watch industry, writing one of the first watch treatises in Polish and winning the favor of the French Imperial Court, even crafting timepieces for Napoleon himself. He expanded across the continent and opened boutiques in multiple European cities, including Geneva, Warsaw, and Paris.
Around 1869 the company mysteriously changed hands, and shortly after, Czapek & Cie as the world had known it was dissolved, fading into relative obscurity for the next 100+ years.
Fast forward to 2011 when the watch enthusiast and marketing consultant Xavier de Roquemaurel, art expert Harry Guhl, and watchmaker Sébastian Follonier joined together to resurrect the defunct brand. The team developed new designs based on Czapek’s original pocket watches and enlisted the assistance of watch enthusiasts and entrepreneurs in an equity campaign to launch the brand.
In 2020, Czapek really made waves when they released their first dedicated sport watch, the Antarctique. The release of the model allowed the brand to showcase their SXH5 caliber, the first movement to be completely developed and produced in-house by the brand. Just one year later, in 2021, the brand unveiled the Antarctique Rattrapante Chronograph, adding a high-end complication to the Anarctique line.
Design Details
At first glance, it can be easy to dismiss the Antarctique as yet another integrated bracelet sport watch. While many of the classic design cues are there, including a 70s-style, Genta-esque tonneau case, it also uniquely has crown guards and a chronograph pusher on the right side of the case and the pusher for the rattrapante mechanism on the left. While not directly symmetrical, this interesting placement helps balance some of the visual weight of the piece. The case is brushed, with a polished bezel and polished chamfered edges to the crown guards and pushers. The bracelet links alternate between brushed and polished surfaces, with the polished links resembling brackets and the brushed links filling the space in between. While many brands have had a difficult time designing unique and novel bracelets for their sport watches, Czpaek has solved that riddle. Overall, I quite like the design and surface finishing of the watch, as the large amount of brushed surfaces give an industrial feel to the watch, while the polished surfaces provide visual contrast and finesse .
While the rattrapante is a traditional complication, the presentation here is not. The skeletonized dial puts all functions on full display and creates multiple mesmerizing layers of depth. At the center of the dial are blued hours, minutes, and chronograph seconds hands, with a red rattrapante hand. The outside of the dial has a 60-minute track printed in white on an “ice blue” sapphire flange with the “60” at twelve in red.
As if the front of the watch was not enough of a party, the sapphire caseback puts the rest of the movement on full display. The plates and bridges have a matte finish with mirror-polished beveled edges.
Inner Workings
The SXH6 powering the Antarctique Rattrapante “Ice Blue” was developed for this watch in collaboration with Le Locle based movement manufacturer Chronode. The movement was designed to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing, as it is on full display no matter which side you look at! The structure and sub-dial placement was inspired by vintage Czapek pocket watches which often utilized vertical symmetry in their designs. Unlike many movements which are skeletonized after the fact, it is clear that the SXH6 was designed to be openworked from the start.
As already mentioned, the SXH6 is a split-second monopusher chronograph with automatic winding. The split-second chronograph is achieved using a module that utilizes two column wheels, one horizontal for chronograph operation, and a patent-pending clamp for the rattrapante. The SXH6 has a 60-hour power reserve, operates at 28,800 bph, and consists of 292 components including 49 jewels.
Personality
Given the brand’s history, it makes perfect sense that the Antarctique Rattrapante “Ice Blue” was designed with enthusiasts in mind. With its unique design, complication, and execution, this Czapek features all of the elements that will appeal to the most dyed-in-the-wool and experienced collectors. While still a very premium piece, the original MSRP (and the price on the secondary market) is actually very reasonable given the price of similar offerings from other haute-horology maisons. The Antarctique Rattrapante offers an incredible amount of value no matter how you look at it and an equally impressive amount of quality given how young the brand really is.
Versus the Competition
In a short amount of time, Czapek’s stature has risen dramatically and the brand has created a host of unique offerings that rival some of the most well known names in watchmaking at a price that seems like a steal in comparison. Due to the unique nature of the Antarctique Rattrapante, direct comparisons are few and far between, but here are a few alternatives that we recommend considering if you are cross-shopping the Czapek.
IWC’s GST series has been an fan favorite for years now with its integrated bracelet design, rugged durability, and unique and practical complications. The IWC GST Split-Second Chronograph is powered by a modified Valjoux 7750 and while this line has long been discontinued, the 43mm steel case and integrated bracelet remain extremely relevant. Often available for under $7,000, these are an extremely economical way to add a stainless steel split-second chronograph to your collection.
Featuring an open worked movement and a more traditional form, the Chronoswiss Opus Vita may be more to the taste of certain collectors. Measuring 38mm with a more traditional case and lug design, conventional bracelets and straps are an option. Examples can be found with the original stainless steel bracelet or on a variety of straps. There are also a few rattrapante variants out there as well, both with and without the skeletonized dial.
The Zenith Defy Extreme in Titanium and Rose Gold is a show stopper of a chronograph. While the bold case design and size are polarizing, the 1/100th of a second chronograph is mesmerizing to observe, especially against the open worked dial. With this version of the El Primero movement, Zenith engineered a watch that allows the chronograph seconds hand to complete a rotation around the dial once every second, allowing for measurements down to 1/100th of a second. While it’s not the most practical of pieces, it is fun to watch it in action. Should that not be enough for you, Zenith has also released a version featuring two tourbillons!
If you prefer your skeletonized, integrated bracelet sport watches time-only and without complications, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton has a beautifully open-worked movement with rose gold hands, indices, and a 22k rose gold rotor. While the bracelet and case are made from stainless steel, the fluted bezel is made of platinum, adding an extra premium touch to an already elegantly luxurious watch.
Final Thoughts
Beautifully finished, uniquely designed, and innovative in execution, it is hard to find fault with Czapek’s Anarctique Rattrapante “Ice Blue”. Lucky owners will be receiving a lot of watch for their money and immediate entry into the watch world’s “If You Know, You Know” club. Even if it might not be for everyone, there is something noble about seeking out less well-known manufacturers and supporting brands with singular visions. Czapek deserves all of the accolades and attention that they receive and we applaud their boldness in forging a new path in this historic industry.
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