Czapek presents the second special series created to mark the 10th anniversary of the brand's rebirth in 2015. Following on from the Antarctique Tourbillon launched in April, this new edition presents an exceptional interpretation of the house's sports watch with an integrated bracelet, characterized by a plique-à-jour enamel dial.
Plique-à-jour is a complex and delicate enameling technique that is characterized by its luminous transparency. Unlike other forms of enamel that are fused to metal supports, plique-à-jour enamel is suspended in a delicate metal frame, allowing light to penetrate the glass surface. The effect is similar to that of a miniature stained glass window. Fine wires or thin sheets of metal are shaped to create a network of small cells or cloisons that define the design. These cells are carefully filled with translucent enamels composed of ground glass mixed with various metal oxides to achieve the desired shades. The dials are made using MD'Art, which creates the metal structure, while Bagues-Masriera is responsible for the enamel work and PBMC carries out the fine polishing and thickness adjustments.
“What makes this dial so extraordinary and unique is its transparency,” explains Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel. “In fact, unlike the traditional plique-à-jour enamel technique, which is often slightly opaque due to air bubbles that form in the enamel, the technique used in the Antarctique Plique-à-Jour allows for complete transparency. The subtle gradient adds yet another level of complexity to what was already a true masterpiece.”
To allow light to pass through and enhance the feeling of transparency, Czapek naturally chose the skeletonized version of his micro-rotor movement, the in-house caliber SXH7. It retains its well-known technical specifications – a 4 Hz frequency, a 60-hour power reserve and a recycled platinum micro-rotor. The decoration of the movement is elegant with open pawls, sandblasted rhodium-plated bridges, facet cut, straight side surfaces, hand chamfering and a total of 18 inward angles.
The watch comes with Antarctique's integrated C-Link steel bracelet, which features Czapek's exclusive “Easy Release” system for effortless strap changes and a micro-adjustment mechanism for greater comfort. A replacement rubber band is included. The Antarctique Plique-à-jour is released in an exclusive limited edition of 10 pieces. The price is at 61,200 CHF before tax.
For more information, visit czapek.com.
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