Czapek
- Founded
- 1845 (revived 2015)
- Based in
- Geneva, Switzerland
- In our catalog
- 1 watch from $24,000 to $26,000
Czapek is a name with a strange history: its founder helped start what became Patek Philippe, then left and was almost forgotten. The modern brand, revived in 2015, makes elegant watches inspired by its founder's pocket watches and has had real success with a sports watch, the Antarctique.
History
Franciszek Czapek was a Polish-born watchmaker who settled in Geneva. In 1839 he went into business with Antoine Norbert de Patek as Patek, Czapek & Cie. The partnership ended in 1845, after which Patek joined forces with Adrien Philippe. Czapek set up his own company, became a watchmaker to the court of Napoleon III, and then disappears from the records.
In 2015 Xavier de Roquemaurel and partners revived the brand. They funded it partly by inviting collectors to buy shares, and launched the Quai des Bergues, named after Czapek's old address in Geneva, in 2016. In 2020 came the Antarctique, an integrated-bracelet sports watch with a micro-rotor movement, which made the brand far more widely known.
Signature models
- Antarctique Passage de Drake: The sports watch, named after the stretch of sea between South America and Antarctica, with an integrated bracelet, a stamped dial pattern and a micro-rotor movement.
- Quai des Bergues: The first model, a classical watch with a large small-seconds dial inspired by Czapek's pocket watches.
- Faubourg de Cracovie: A chronograph line named after an old district of Kraków.
What it's known for
Czapek is owned by a small team and its collectors, makes watches in small numbers and has built a reputation for detailed dials and good finishing. Its story of a forgotten co-founder resonates with collectors who are tired of the big brands.
Price and positioning
Czapek watches cost roughly $20,000 to $30,000 for the Antarctique and Quai des Bergues, with complications higher. That puts it in the same range as H. Moser & Cie and Laurent Ferrier among independents, and against steel sports watches from Vacheron and AP.
Czapek watches in our library
- Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake ($24,000 to $26,000)