Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Czapek Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis & Blue Aurora
Two limited edition watches featuring a new, exclusive hand-guilloché pattern.
Czapek has just launched a new communication campaign with a tagline ‘We collect rare people’. The idea is that nothing would have been possible without the Czapek community. First and foremost, the brand’s clients. Its shareholders too, as the brand started as a crowdfunding concept. Last but not least, suppliers, who play an important role. This is the idea behind all the watches created by the independent brand, which puts people at the forefront. And this shows in the newest versions of the Czapek Quai des Bergues, with superbly detailed dials.
Czapek has developed what it calls a “horizontal manufacture”. The idea is to work in close collaboration with some of the most talented craftsmen in the industry, experts in their field, driven by their shared passion. An excellent example of the way Czapek manages to bring people together for common projects is provided by the Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis and Blue Aurora. These limited edition watches feature a new exclusive hand-guilloché pattern that was created by one of Czapek’s partners, Metalem.
The Quai des Bergues was the first model produced since the brand was resurrected in 2015. The watch is a modern interpretation of a pocket watch created by François Czapek in the 1850s, and in particular by the characteristic position of its subdials. In 2017, Czapek unveiled a guilloché pattern named “guilloché ricochet“. It was also inspired by a design from François Czapek. It is achieved using two focal points to create a wave interference effect on the dial.
The dials of the new Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis and Blue Aurora are an evolution of the guilloché ricochet. This Aurora motif was initiated by the Metalem team and adopted by Czapek. It creates a captivating irregular surface. The distinctive pattern is guilloché by hand on Czapek’s secret alloy made of gold, silver, palladium and platinum. It is available in two different colours – silver for the Aurora Borealis and dark blue for the Blue Aurora.
“The birth of this new guilloché pattern is exceptional,” explains Xavier de Roquemaurel, “because its creation has been initiated by Metalem’s team of artisans. Yann Tripet and his team were used to working on our Ricochet pattern, at some point they started experimenting with it, and among the trials, there was this exceptional design, looking like white waters.”
The two limited edition watches come in a 42.5mm stainless steel case, the largest version of the Quai des Bergues. Inside is the Czapek SXH1 proprietary calibre, a twin-barrel movement boasting a 7-day power reserve and developed with Chronode. It displays central hours and minutes, a subsidiary small seconds counter between 7 and 8 o’clock and the power reserve indication with weekdays at 4:30 (for instance, an option is to wind your watch on Sunday to keep track of the days over the whole week). Visible through the exhibition caseback, the Calibre SHX1 features bridges that are sandblasted, chamfered by hand and held by blued screws while the two ratchets are openworked.
Price and availability
The Czapek Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis and Blue Aurora are worn on alligator straps with a steel pin buckle. Each watch is a limited production of 10 pieces. Price is set at CHF 16,000. For more information, please visit www.czapek.com.
