Swiss watch company Czapek has stripped down their Antarctique watch to bone, revealing the intricate inner workings of their micro-rotor calibre with the launch of the Czapek Antarctique Révélation watch.
Wonders & Wonders 2023 for Czapek was all about reinventing their Antarctique watch. Releases like the Czapek Antarctique S ‘Sashiko’ added feminine textures and colours to the dials while the Czapek Antarctique Titanium Dark Sector watch transformed the integrated sports watch with a lightweight titanium case and unique anthracite-coloured, arch-detailed display. The most distinguishing launch out of them all, however, was the Czapek Antarctique Révélation watch. Similar to the Antarctique Rattrappante watch launched in 2021 which features a dial-side split-seconds mechanism, the new Révélation model puts the spotlight on its time-only mechanics.
Czapek & Cie CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel speaks on the new Czapek Antarctique Révélation watch: “People were in love with the remarkable design of our SXH5 movement, and we therefore asked ourselves how we could somehow make it visible on the dial. One of the first requests had been to engrave a drawing of the movement onto the dial, as a ‘trompe l’oeil, but soon a far more complex idea emerged, namely turning part of the movement upside down in the case and skeletonizing the main plate.”
With meticulous skeletonization on both the dial and case back, the Czapek Antarctique Révélation entices the wearer to embark on a journey into its inner workings. The tasteful openwork detailing strikes a perfect balance, allowing the watch’s mechanics to shine without overwhelming its timeless elegance. To allow for such a dramatic display of the movement, much of the Calibre SXH5 had to be reworked including. The escapement has been totally reversed and there’s now engraving on both sides of the oscillating rotor. The crown mechanism, now visible, has also been reworked entirely. The seconds hand could also no longer be connected by a bridge to the centre so space was made at the 4:30 position for a small seconds dial. A sapphire crystal ring was then utilized for the seconds and attached to a larger sapphire ring for the hours and minutes.
Ultimately, the Calibre SXH5 was transformed into an entirely new movement which Czapek have named their in-house Calibre SXH7. Other than the visual changes and the rearranging of the seconds into its own subsidiary dial at 4:30, the self-winding Calibre SXH7 delivers all the same impressive stats as its precursor including a frequency of 28,800vp and a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound.
For the rest of the Czapek Antarctique Révélation watch, all the popular elements of the integrated sports watch remain. The stainless steel case retains its tonneau shape and seamlessly flows into integrated lugs and an integrated stainless steel bracelet. It measures to 40.5mm in diameter and only 10.6mm in height and is equipped with a brightly polished fixed bezel, sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment and a screw in crown for a 120 water resistant rating. Like before, the bracelet features Czapek’s exclusive “Easy Release” system for swapping the strap out for something different and a micro-adjustment device for making minute changes to the bracelet’s length.
If you’d like to learn more about the new Czapek Antarctique Révélation watch and secure one of the pieces for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 40.5mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Exhibition
- Water Resistance: 120 metres
- Movement: Calibre SXH7, in-house, automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Jewels: 25
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Skeleton with luminous hands
- Strap: Integrated steel bracelet with “Easy Release” system
- Buckle: Folding with micro-adjustment device
- Limited: Production of 100 pieces a year
- RRP: £41,400
