Drawing with Gemtones, the New Czapek Promenade Diamond Drops

Czapek embraces the trend for more compact, unisex watch sizes and has clearly understood that the days when diamonds and gemstones were considered exclusively feminine adornments are well behind us. Released in 2024, Czapek’s Promenade collection is, in CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel’s words, “a canvas for creative expression” with beautiful dials that riff on the eccentric small seconds sub-dial. Presented in compact 38mm cases and powered by the beautiful in-house micro-rotor calibre, the new Promenade Diamond Drops continues to explore the theme of water drops. Inspired by the rippling effect created when a drop of water breaks the surface of calm water, the swirls on the dial are recreated with glistening diamonds and sapphires.

Similar to the blue Grand Feu enamel Promenade “Goutte d’Eau” (waterdrop) model, made for Czapek by dial specialist Donzé Cadran, the Promenade Diamond Drops picks up on the rippling pattern that emanates from the off-centred small seconds sub-dial at 5 o’clock. However, instead of enamel, the dial is beautifully snow-set with a flurry of 679 round-cut diamonds and sapphires.

Designed to capture the sparkling beauty of freshly fallen snow, the snow-setting technique requires great skill because every single gemstone, all of which differ in size, has to be arranged and set by hand. Far more organic and livelier than static claw-set diamonds in uniform rows, the snow-setting was performed by AB Products. Selecting 360 diamonds and 319 sapphires of different sizes, some less than 0.5mm in diameter, the stones are placed into tiny wells hollowed into the white gold dial base and set as close as possible to one another to create a blanket of scintillating beauty. The gem-set dial took six days of work to complete.

The blue whirlpool pattern, created with different coloured blue sapphires, originates in the small seconds counter and gradually increases in size as it forms elegant yet naturalistic spirals across the dial.

The white gold case has a 38mm diameter and a relatively lean height of 10.8mm. Requiring an additional two days of work, the white gold bezel, flange and crown are set with 173 brilliant-cut diamonds. The blued hour and minute hands are openworked, complemented by the shorter blued hand for the small seconds. Matching the sapphires, the watch is paired with a velvety blue calfskin strap.

A glass box sapphire crystal over the dial creates fun distortions on the periphery. On the reverse side, you can admire Czapek’s SXH5.1 in-house automatic calibre with its off-centred platinum a micro rotor and seven bridges, five of which are openworked. It beats at 28,800vph and delivers a more than respectable 60-hour power reserve on one barrel.

Czapek’s Promenade Diamond Drops will be made to order with a maximum production of 10 pieces worldwide. Available through Czapek retailers worldwide and at czapek.com, the watch has a price tag of CHF 82,000.