The Maison Czapek & Cie has always sought to strike a delicate balance between high-level mechanics and refined aesthetics. The new Antarctique Rattrapante, a single-pusher split-seconds chronograph whose movement is visible from both the dial side and the back, embodies precisely these ideals. "The Antarctique line was launched in 2020 as the epitome of sporting elegance," said Czapek & Cie CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel. "What was needed today was a complication capable of impressing our aficionados." The roots of the project go back several years, continues de Roquemaurel: "In 2012, we launched a small series of limited edition chronographs powered by the vintage Valjoux 7733 calibre as part of the re-registration of the Czapek name, and then sold a few pieces to friends and acquaintances to raise funds for the relaunch project. A buyer noticed the mesmerising beauty of the cams as they rotated: hence the idea of making a Czapek chronograph with the chronograph mechanism visible from the dial side. It was 2015, and the best concepts often take time to mature. At some point, the idea of the split-seconds chronograph emerged. At the same time, Chronode, the brand's manufacturing partner, was ready to make a viable split-second chronograph movement. "We liked the idea of being able to control the time, stop it and then resume," says de Roquemaurel. "The module would be positioned on the side of the dial to give the wearer full visual access to the ballet of cams, levers and wheels." The SHX6 movement (34 mm diameter, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 292 components, 49 jewels, 60-hour power reserve, pink gold rotor), Czapek's proprietary mechanical automatic calibre, was developed in collaboration with Chronode. First, the number and thickness of the main components had to be reduced to ensure that the timepiece retained its streamlined appearance and fitted well in the 42.5 millimetre steel case. "As in the classic chronograph, the rattrapante works thanks to the energy drawn from the second wheel," explains de Roquemaurel. "This time, we preferred a horizontal clutch rather than a vertical one to highlight the aesthetics of the transmission." The two column wheels, one at the top (for the chronograph) and one at the bottom (for the rattrapante mechanism) divide the movement into two halves. The Antarctique Rattrapante is combined with a steel bracelet whose links are in the shape of a stylised letter 'C'. It will be available in the brand's Geneva boutique, at official retailers and via an online subscription on www.czapek.com in a limited edition of only 77.
Price: 43,400 euros (excluding tax).
