Steven Rogers
Introduced in 2020, Czapek's Antarctique collection represented a pivotal moment for the independent brand, establishing it as a key player in the luxury sports watch segment. Featuring a brushed and polished angular steel case with integrated bracelet and powered by the in-house SXH5 automatic movement, the Antarctique perfectly balanced sporty versatility with refined elegance.
Since then, Czapek has expanded the line with a variety of dial designs and case materials that have solidified the Antarctique's reputation as a modern classic. The latest addition, featuring a gorgeous aventurine dial with diamond indexes, promises to further elevate the collection’s allure for both seasoned collectors and newcomers to the brand.
Allissa Pataki
My first thought as I slipped on the Antarctique Flying Diamonds was “wow”. I love aventurine dials, the way light dances across their surface. But it’s not just about the looks; there’s a fascinating story behind their creation. For those of you who didn’t know, aventurine is a delicate type of glass that was accidentally discovered in the 17th century by a Murano glassmaker. Legend has it, metal shavings were accidentally dropped into a cooling glass mixture, giving birth to the multicolored sparkle we admire to this day. (The name “aventurine” itself comes from the Italian “all’avventura”, meaning “by chance”). I spent my fair share of time staring at the dial, its visual depth, and the contrast between the subtle sparkle and the 13 Antarctique-cut, trapeze-shaped diamond indexes. These diamonds, with their 24 facets, catch and reflect light far more intensely than a standard baguette cut. It feels like looking out at space, surrounded by stars and planets. As Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel put it: “At Czapek, we like to dream with our feet on the ground and our head in the stars”. I do too!
Mathieu Rotzer
With all the focus on the magnificent aventurine dial on this Czapek Antarctique, I wanted to turn the watch around and focus my attention on the magnificent sapphire crystal case back and movement. First of all, this movement is of very high importance for Czapek as, being an Antarctique, it houses the calibre SXH5, the first movement entirely conceived in-house by the brand. What struck me the most was the beauty of the skeletonized bridges, the finishing of the components and the architecture of the whole movement. Depending on the light, the hand-bevelled internal angles and various engravings take on new life. It is a true masterpiece. To top it all off, the whole movement is unobstructed by a large oscillating mass due to the presence of an intricate micro-rotor. As beautiful as the dial is, I wouldn’t mind wearing this piece back to front from time to time!
Sophie Furley
What I love the most about this new Antarctique model is its unisex design that works both in the larger and the smaller models. In fact, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a woman rocking the larger 40.5mm version or a man wearing the smaller 38.5mm one. The unisex nature of the watch doesn’t stop there either; the sparkling midnight-blue aventurine dial and trapeze-shaped diamond indexes are neither feminine nor masculine. They sparkle, for sure, but in a way that adds depth and interest to the timepiece without making it overly feminine. If ever a watch was truly unisex, I feel this is it. As men are now embracing everything from mini watches to strings of pearls, this Czapek Antarctique is a beautiful way for everyone to add some diamonds into their lives so we can all benefit from a little sparkle.
Skay Fasano
I thought it could be fun to do a day in a life with this sporty-chic watch. I will show you how versatile the new Czapek Antarctique can be!
Let’s start the day bright and early and go for a hot yoga class. I am wearing Alo dark blue workout clothes to match the aventurine dial. It's an excellent way to dress it down! On the way, I stopped by a coffee shop to get a skinny flat white and got a compliment from the barista on how stunning my watch was!
Yoga is done, and it is time to head to the city to shop with a girlfriend. Of course, the watch stays on my wrist and compliments my casual-chic outfit: a white t-shirt, a Ganni striped blue blazer, a pair of straight jeans, and silver Adidas (matching the bracelet!). We got a little hungry, so we got a Tunacado and people-watched for a while.
Then, it was time to head home and get glammed up for my dinner date! It's the perfect way to dress up my Czapek. Full-face makeup with bronzer and lip oil, leather jacket, knee-high boots, and a denim mini Jodie. What better way to end the night than with the new Czapek on one hand and a Martini in the other?
