The Polish name of Czapek is becoming increasingly familiar around the shores of Lake Geneva. And for good reason. The brand is rising from the ashes, thanks to three passionate watch connoisseurs who decided two years ago to bring back a name that had been all but forgotten. Meeting with CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel.
It was two years ago now that you, Harry Guhl and Sébastien Follonier decided to take over Czapek & Cie. How did that come about?
All three of us are watch enthusiasts, and we wanted to target other enthusiasts like ourselves. We came across the brand Czapek & Cie, which had been virtually forgotten, and we thought it would be perfect for our project. We wanted to bring the brand back to life but we didn’t have the financial resources, so we looked into crowdfunding, a participatory system that no one else in the watch industry has used. And that is how we got our current shareholders on board. By investing in the company, our shareholders become part of the Czapek & Cie adventure. They play a special role by writing part of the brand’s history. Also, they are entitled to preferential pricing on our products, paying as little as 60% of full retail price.
Are all your models available to shareholders at this special price?
No, only the six watches in the Quai des Bergues collection. Each of these watches has the SXH1 calibre, a manually-wound mechanical movement with a 7-day power reserve, and the iconic Czapek & Cie design.
What has your crowdfunding initiative achieved so far?
Mid-january our first international campaign achieved its target of raising CHF 860,000. This is a key landmark, because that is the amount we need to take our project to the next level. We are absolutely delighted. At the end of the month we finally closed the campaign, after extending it for a further two weeks to give new shareholders the possibility of registering on the Raizers platform. We’ll let you know in the next few days how much we raised.
How did 2015 go for Czapek & Cie?
Quite simply, 2015 was the year the brand was reborn. We pulled it out of obscurity and put it back on its feet. We brought it back to life, largely thanks to crowdfunding. Now we have to think about making it commercially viable.
What market are you targeting?
We’re not targeting any particular market, we are simply looking for good partners. Whether it’s in Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, New York or Madrid, the important thing is to find good people to work with, retailers who are as passionate about watches as we are.
What are your plans for 2016?
This year will be about consolidating all the work we have put into bringing Czapek & Cie back to life. We will be focusing on sales and on marketing our products internationally. We will also be unveiling our next collection, entitled Place Vendôme in reference to François Czapek’s second workshop and boutique in Paris. But you’ll have to wait a little longer if you want to know the details.
