Czapek raised over 10% more than its initial objective, which is an exceptional achievement for equity crowdfunding in Switzerland. In fact, it is a world-first: no single company has so far held such a campaign simultaneously in three different jurisdictions (Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom) on two different platforms, Raizers and Crowd for Angels.
The 93 new shareholders come primarily from Switzerland, France, Poland, the Czech Republic and England, but also from China and Canada (11 different countries in total).
The Quai des Bergues collection has earned the respect of lovers of haute horlogerie. It features a number of unique details, such as a secret signature that appears on the enamel dial. What attracted so much support, however, was the bold idea of reviving a brand by sharing it.
"Our aim was to be faithful to Francois Czapek and at the same time to listen to watch lovers," says Xavier Roquemaurel, one of the project's founders. "Meetings with potential investors gave us an opportunity to converse with people we would have liked to meet and greet beyond this adventure. It was passion and curiosity that put them in our path so that we can now build the next chapter of Czapek history together."
Completion of the fundraising signals the start on the development of an exclusive distribution network. To that end, Czapek will have a stand at Baselworld 2016.
A number of potential investors left it too late to take part in this adventure. Will the brand launch a second crowdfunding round? In a few months, some new markets such as Japan and the USA will be targeted, but the brand does not exclude offering more equity in Switzerland over a short period.
Three months after the official renaissance of Czapek, on 10 November 2015 the brand now enters the second phase of its development. With movement production now started, the first buyers will receive their Czapek watches in November this year.
