Czapek Releases the Quai des Bergues “Sursum Corda” as the Final Anniversary Collection

Celebrating the 180^th anniversary of François Czapek’s Genevan watch enterprise and the 10^th anniversary of the rebirth of the brand, Czapek releases the fourth and final chapter in its round of celebratory watches. Following the anniversary Antarctique Tourbillon, the Antarctique Plique-à-Jour and the Time Jumper, the last member of the quartet is the Quai des Bergues “Sursum Corda”, based on Czapek’s inaugural watch and released in a limited edition of 10 pieces in rose gold with a white Grand Feu enamel dial. Since all good things come in threes, the anniversary “Sursum Corda” is flanked by the regular production Quai des Bergues No. 33 and No. 25, all featuring the relatively new 40.5mm case size, poised to become the official diameter for this collection.

It’s fitting that the final anniversary model is the Quai des Bergues, since it was the watch that launched the brand’s rebirth in 2015. Inspired by a Czapek & Cie pocket watch (ref. 3430) of the 1850s with a small seconds sub-dial at 7:30 and a combined days of the week and power reserve indicator at 4:30, the Quai des Bergues was a classical model to the core in a 42.5mm case with a Grand Feu enamel dial, Roman numerals, a secret signature, gold or blued fleur-de-lys hands and and a powerful proprietary manual-winding movement developed by Chronode. The 42.5mm case size was joined by a more compact 38.5mm in 2020 and a 40.5mm diameter in 2023.

The 40.5mm “Sursum Corda” and its siblings herald the future direction of the collection since the new diameter will be used for all future Quai des Bergues models. The star of the trilogy is the anniversary “Sursum Corda” in rose gold, with a flawless white Grand Feu enamel dial and the collection’s signature features. Marking it as a special edition, there is a secret “Sursum Corda” signature above the central hands that materialises at certain angles, Czapek’s signature inside the small seconds counter and the laser-engraved 10/180 anniversary inscription between the two recessed counters.

The Latin phrase sursum corda is translated as “lift up your hearts”, an exhortation used in Christian liturgy to encourage worshippers to move beyond worldly concerns and focus on more elevated spiritual matters. An unusual name for a watch, Czapek’s CEO Xavier Roquelmaurel would use the phrase to rally his team during challenging moments at the beginning of their watchmaking adventure. First used on a Quai des Bergues 175^th anniversary edition with an elaborately decorated dial, many of the defining features of the collection were jettisoned in the name of decorative flourishes.

Standardising the 40.5mm diameter, Czapek releases two regular-production Quai des Bergues: No. 33 in a rose gold case and No. 25 in a stainless steel case, with polished finishes and sandblasted recessed case flanks, both with white Grand Feu enamel dials. The new models can be personalised with either classic fleur-de-lys hands or more contemporary arrow hands, and a secret sentence can be engraved on the dial.

The three Quai des Bergues are powered by the recently updated calibre SXH1, a proprietary manual-winding movement developed by Chronode with openworked bridges and refined finishes. The double-barrel construction delivers a 7-day (168-hour) power reserve, providing the practicality of weekly winding and a nod to the 19th-century custom of winding pocket watches on Sunday after the service. The movement draws on the architecture of mid-19th-century pocket watches (two barrels, symmetrical layout, open ratchets) and is finished with a mix of traditional and contemporary haute horlogerie touches, including circular graining, hand-chamfered bridges and sandblasted surfaces.

All three Quai des Bergues models are paired with elegant alligator straps and pin buckles of the same metal as the case. The Quai des Bergues “Sursum Corda” is a limited edition of 10 timepieces and retails for CHF 36,500 / EUR 39,400; the non-limited Quai des Bergues No. 33 in rose gold has a retail price of CHF 34,000 /EUR 36,700, and the steel No. 25 retails for CHF 19,200 / EUR 20,700.

More information at czapek.com.