Lot 12
CZAPEK GENÈVE
PLACE VENDÔME COMPLICITÉ - COURAGE EVERY SECOND
Czapek’s unique, open-worked reinterpretation of a double escapement combination initially created in 1830 and very rare in wristwatches. Two independent escapements beat at their own pace, with any rate variations balanced by a differential, all beautifully featured on the dial side.
Description
The idea for the watch was born in 2018 as an evolution of Czapek’s renowned initial models, Quai des Bergues and Place Vendôme. The beauty of the concept was to respect the position of the escapements at 4.30 and 7.30 and have them connect to the differential at 12 o'clock. Xavier (Czapek CEO) couldn’t find a watchmaking partner able to respect this architecture, with the differential at 12 o'clock as a central element of the concept.
So the idea was left aside until…. a story of family and friendship brought it back to life. Paul, one of Xavier’s children, was in the same school class in Neuchâtel as the daughter of Bernhard Lederer and a mutual friend introduced the two fathers. This encounter led to an intense exchange of ideas and advices: while Xavier was focused on product and branding, Bernhard was on pure watchmaking.
They began talking about making a watch together, resolved the problem of the dual escapement running around the center, and both a friendship and a watch -‘Complicité’ - were born.
The Only Watch piece was designed even before Czapek had finalised the designs for the production models of the newest addition to its Place Vendôme collection. This one-of-a-kind piece is cased in steel (rather than the precious metals of the production models) and the dial is encircled by a ‘champlevé‘ enamel ring in the colours of the 10th Edition of Only Watch.
Specifications
Model name:
Place Vendôme Complicité – “Courage Every Second”
Case:
Stainless steel case with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces — Cutaway lugs — Domed sapphire glass — Sapphire caseback
Dial:
Champlevé enamel ring created in collaboration with Donzé Cadrans— Color palette of Only Watch 2023— Circular satin-polished brass flange (réhaut) with Czapek’s Only Watch “Courage every second” signature — Entirely open-worked — Grainé finish — Partially skeletonised sword hands with Super-LumiNova tips
Calibre:
Czapek Calibre 8, created in collaboration with Bernhard Lederer — Open-worked — Double escapement with differential — Screwed balance wheel — Power reserve indication (72 hours) — Two sapphire glass bridges — Hand-bevelling (anglage) on bridges and main plate — 18 inward angles — 6 golden settings (chatons)
Bracelet:
Alligator strap with pin buckle
Dimensions:
Diameter: 41.8mm
Case height: 12.4mm
Lug to lug: 42.2mm
Specificities:
Unique architecture for a double escapement with differential at 12 o'clock— Open-worked — Champlevé enamel ring created in collaboration with Donzé Cadrans — Only Watch 2023 colour palette — “Courage Every Second” inscribed on the réhaut
The brand
Czapek Genève
Czapek is a contemporary watchmaking Maison created in the spirit of François Czapek, a 19th-century Czech-born Polish watchmaker.
In 1832 Czapek fled to Geneva, where he created a series of businesses during the 1830s. After establishing Czapek & Cie in 1845, he became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened the first watchmaking boutique on Place Vendôme in Paris. The Czapek & Cie name was reborn in 2015 by a group of watch enthusiasts who sought to revive the Maison's heritage and craftsmanship. Inspired by an 1850s Czapek & Cie pocket watch, the leading model of the first collection, Quai des Bergues 33bis, won the 2016 GPHG Public Prize.
In 2020, the company launched Antarctique, a sport-chic collection with the first in-house Czapek movement. Today, Czapek’s Haute Horlogerie timepieces are known for their distinctive designs, high-quality craftsmanship and limited production. With headquarters in Geneva and its atelier in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Czapek thoroughly defends the concept of ‘établissage’ in a modern way.