Last month, Czapek & Cie unveiled the latest edition to their Faubourg de Cracovie collection, a chronograph timepiece with a stunning new dial that is limited to 50 pieces worldwide.
The Swiss watchmaker has a great love for using aventurine dials on their timepieces. This iconic glass has already been used by Czapek for their “Midnight in Geneva” timepiece, a limited edition model for the Qual des Bergues collection. This model was created back in 2019 to celebrate the opening of the brand’s first store in Geneva.
This new Faubourg de Cracovie Aventurine chronograph timepiece features three aventurine dials. One for the main dial and two for the sub-dials at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Cutting out pieces of aventurine glass is certainly no easy task as the CEO of Czapek & Cie explains that “cutting out aventurine, a very fragile class is a challenge in itself. If you add the fact that the indices are applied and not transferred, with the risk of creating fractures by piercing the dial, you appreciate the high end of savoir faire when working with aventurine.” Having applied markers on the aventurine dial gives the timepiece a sportier look, which is the aesthetic that Czapek & Cie is looking to create.
The Faubourg de Cracovie Aventurine chronograph comes in a 41.5mm stainless steel case, which has the traditional vichet case design and luxurious appeal. The unique design appearance of this timepiece is that the chronograph pushers are blended in with the crown protectors, so they don’t protrude out. This will be down to personal use if one likes this type of design or whether they like to feel the pusher as it engages the chronograph.
Inside the Faubourg de Cracovie Aventurine chronograph is the brand’s own SXh3 calibre movement, which is a COSC-certified automatic movement. The movement operates at an impressive 5Hz (36, 000 VpH) while giving out a decent power reserve of approximately 65 hours, derived from a single barrel. The watch comes with an open case back, where this movement can be partially seen. Various finishes such as finely sandblasted and diamond-blasted anthracite bridges snailed trottoirs, and the golden skeletonised rotor with Czapek logo can all be seen from the case back.
The aventurine dial gives this timepiece not only luxury appeal but also a beautiful visual aesthetic with the stark contrast against the white hands, indices, and inscriptions on the dial. Czapek & Cie has given the watch a black alligator strap which goes well with the overall appearance of the timepiece. Limited to just 50 units, the new Faubourg de Cracovie Aventurine chronograph watch is available from Czapek’s official retailers, the Czapek Geneva boutique, and on Czapek.com.
