As a writer and a dabbler in watercolors, I can say that there is nothing more exciting than a blank canvas. I’m happy to say that Czapek seems to agree. According to CEO Xavier de Roquemurel, their sporty Antarctique has long been seen as a blank canvas to showcase the talents under the maison.
Enter the Antarctique Tourbillon. At its core, it’s a tension between the avant-garde and the traditional, making for a watch that toes the line perfectly between sophisticated and playful. To achieve this, Czapek designed an all-new pattern called Singularité, named after the astronomical phenomenon where the laws of physics begin to break down – like that of a black hole. This is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek name for the technique used to describe the Singularité design. It may look deceptively simple – like a black hole – but in reality it’s a mixture of technique, artistry, and precision to create the pattern, which has no one starting point, unlike traditional guilloché.
The case’s design, too, belies the technical precision needed to create something so simple. The case of the Antarctique Tourbillon has been redesigned to echo the curvilinear aesthetic of the dial. To achieve this, the front and back sapphire crystals have been raised a tiny bit, giving the impression on the reverse side that there is no bezel. Thanks to bridge design that gives the whole dial an airy feel, the wearer is left with the impression that components are floating in mid air.
All of these small points add up to a watch that is deceptively simple while still being an exceptionally crafted timepiece that is well worth its price tag.
And before we forget, let’s talk about that tourbillon, more specifically the new in-house movement called the Czapek Caliber 9, which provides the wearer with 72 hours of power reserve. And even with the tourbillon, we see Czapek working to marry design and engineering into one timepiece. With the idea that the tourbillon, gear train, and barrel should be viewed from the dial side, you can see how this guiding principle has affected the overall design of the watch itself – and definitely for the better.
The Antarctique Tourbillon will premier at Watches and Wonders and carry a retail price of CHF 63,000. The model will be made available in three dial colorways: Secret Alloy, Glacier Blue, and Photon Sphere and all come with an integrated stainless steel bracelet. Czapek
