The Czapek Antarctique has been, without question, one of the big indie hits of the last five years, and a clear result of that success has been the continued expansion of the Antarctique lineup. A quick glance at the current Czapek catalog will show plenty of options, with the Antarctique line now consisting of not just the core 40.5mm steel model, but also smaller versions, a release in titanium, and even a slightly larger rattrapante chronograph. One conspicuous absence though, at least until now, was gold.
With the release of the Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus, that has now changed, and in a big way. Named after a volcano on Antarctica’s Ross Island that quite literally spews gold when it erupts, the Mount Erebus (whose gold was not actually mined in Antarctica — that would be illegal) editions offer everything we’ve come to expect from Czapek’s signature sports watch, now in a choice of either 5N rose gold or 2N yellow gold.
Excepting the visit to King Midas, no big changes or dramatic updates have been made from the standard steel release of the Antarctique, and that’s a very good thing. The Mount Erebus uses the same in-house micro-rotor SXH5 movement, sports the same dimensions (40.5mm across and 10.6mm thick), and even uses the vertically brushed lamé dial first developed for the initial release of the Antarctique Terre Adélie in 2020. The Mount Erebus also retains 150m of water resistance and the proprietary ‘Easy Release’ system, allowing owners to swap out the bracelet in favor of leather and rubber straps.
On some level, it’s vaguely surprising that we’ve had to wait so long for this watch since the release of a gold variant of a flagship integrated-bracelet sports watch has been a pretty rote tradition as far back as the early days of the Royal Oak. That said, now that the gold Antarctique is here, don’t expect it to go anywhere. Though the Mount Erebus is limited to 100 pieces in rose gold and 50 in yellow, Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel has said that we can expect continued production of gold Antarctiques in similar quantities in the years to come.
There’s no getting around that the integrated bracelet sports watch has become a bit of a trope, with options available from just about every brand you can think of at just about every price point. And if we’re being honest, most of them look pretty much the same, but every time I have had the chance to see an Antarctique in person, it has stood out, and I have no doubt the Mount Erebus will as well.
The 5N rose gold edition of the Mount Erebus will be produced in a limited edition of 100 and can be ordered through Czapek authorized dealers worldwide. The 5N rose gold Antarctique Mount Erebus is priced at $59,000 on the bracelet and $35,000 on a rubber strap.
The 2N yellow gold edition of the Mount Erebus will be produced in a limited edition of 50 and can only be ordered through czapek.com. The 2N yellow gold Antarctique Mount Erebus is also priced at $59,000 on the bracelet and $35,000 on a rubber strap. Both versions of the Mount Erebus are available to order right now and will see delivery later in the year. Czapek
