The brand's new Faubourg de Cracovie comes in a slightly modified 41.5-millimeter Quai des Bergues Revolution case in sober steel. The famous crown protectors are still in place and now serve, ingeniously, as pushers. The dial, under an edgy sapphire crystal, is also unmistakably Czapek: The two signature subdials have been enlarged and moved up to 3 and 9 o'clock positions, where they now display the chronograph's minutes and hours respectively.
A small seconds subdial shares the date spot at 6 o'clock. The razor fine "trotteuse" chronograph hand stands out thanks to its bright red tip, which homes in on an equally visible red Roman "12" or "60" at the top of the hour, depending on the model.
The Faubourg de Cracovie comes in two different dials crafts
One style reintroduces the fascinating guilloché "Ricochet" of the Quai des Bergues collection. Intersecting circular lines form a pattern of bas-relief squares that make the dial come alive, recalling the wave interference pattern a stone might make when ricocheting on water. This traditional technique was made possible by the rose engine lathe, which was devised in the late Eighteenth century and became a key machine in fine dial-making. The Ricochet design goes back to François Czapek himself.
The other dial, coated with brilliant grand-feu white enamel, is perhaps the most unexpected in a modern chronograph. It provides a contrasting backdrop for the various functions displayed and the watch's delicately skeletonized hands. The two welded subdials have been enlarged to the maximum technically possible for greater visual balance. The dial shape is “bombé”, another technical prowess of Donzé Cadrans and at the same time the illustration of Czapek & Cie spirit. Finally, the brand's "secret signature" adorns once again the enamel.
“Grand Feu”, “L’Heure Bleue” and “Dioné & Rhéa”
While the explanation of the first name is evident, the other two have a romantic inspiration related to Nature. The “Heure Bleue”, “Blue Hour”, a nautical term, is a period of twilight in the morning and in the evening when the sun is below the horizon and the residual sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade. On a clear day, blue hour can be a colorful spectacle, treasured by many artists. “Dioné & Rhéa”, instead, are two of the four moons of the planet Saturn, discovered by Italian astronomer Cassini and called so after two Titaness of Greek mythology. The two white satellites stand bright in the dark sky as the two subdials in the black guilloche dial of the eponymous model.
Czapek's first chronograph is driven by a bespoke automatic movement, the SXH3. This integrated column-wheel chronograph movement was built by the outstanding craftspeople at Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier in the Jura mountains, the cradle of Swiss watchmaking. It delivers 65h power reserve from a single barrel that drives the balance wheel at 36,000 vph. The movement makes use of some of the most advanced and effective mechanical elements, like the linear hammer, which reduces wear and tear on parts and resets all the associated dials in one easy movement. A modern solution, the vertical clutch, ensures a perfect start for the chronograph hand. Finally, the diamond-blasted anthracite bridges give the final aesthetic twist to the movement visible through the transparent case back.
It will be available as of June 30, 2018.
