Czapek & Cie. continue to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their modern revival with the launch of a brand new collection following a series of intricate editions of the Antarctique – the R.U.R and Plique-á-Jour. The new model is called the Czapek Time Jumper and is an ode to science and science fiction in equal parts. It also debuts the Calibre 10, the latest expression of their watchmaking skill.
The science and science fiction elements of the watch’s design might not be immediately obvious, but it starts with the design of the case. It’s a 40.5mm design with a round shape (in either steel or rose gold) and short lugs that pays tribute to the Disco Volante style, Disco Volante translating to flying saucer, as in the classic shape of an alien UFO. The Czapek is not a true Disco Volante watch as it should have hidden lugs but it’s close enough that I think it gets a pass, especially as the display has a central magnification loupe that stands out like the central cockpit of a spaceship.
That loupe is part of a half-hunter cover that’s decorated with a spiralling guilloché pattern. The pattern is inspired by the classic image of a black hole warping the field of gravity around it, fusing the science fiction of the saucer shape with a bit of actual science. Through the central loupe you can see the 24-hour jump hour time display and below that is the peripheral minutes display on a rotating disc. The choice of a 24-hour display rather than 12-hour is another nod to science as watches designed for astronauts have often been adapted to 24-hours in order to keep them grounded when whizzing about above the planet unable to rely on the standard day-night cycle to determine the time – the most famous example being the Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute.
There’s so much going on with the design of the Czapek Time Jumper that I glossed over the fact that the main display consists of a half-hunter cover. What that means is that it’s a hinged cover over the top of the watch that can be opened in the same style as pocket watch. When opened the watch showcases the inner workings of the new Calibre 10 movement. The Calibre 10 is specifically designed to be a new family of movements by Czapek, making this movement’s official reference the 10.01, as the first model in the series.
The core concept though is that while the movement can be equipped with a variety of complications and types of display in the future beyond jump hours, it is not a modular movement. With a modular movement you take a base movement and add extra modules that feature the various extra complications that might be added, such as date windows, chronographs, GMTs etc. That’s not the case here. Instead, the architecture of the movement has been designed expressly so that it is easy to adapt and change in order to integrate the new complications directly into the movement, reducing friction compared to the use of a module.
As for the specs, the Calibre 10 has a 60-hour power reserve supplied by a skeletonised rotor made from recycled platinum and operates at a 4 Hz frequency. It also measures 30mm x 6.13mm so that it will fit in watches as small as 36mm in diameter. Additionally, the 24-hour jump hour function with its twin sapphire discs is patent pending. The movement is produced 75% in-house, though Czapek note they have no intention to move toward full vertical integration.
The Czapek Time Jumper is a limited edition of 130 pieces, split between 100 steel references and 30 gold. The steel is priced at £46,300 and the gold £72,800. There will also be 50 additional Calibre 10.01 movements produced for special projects with 10 reserved for bespoke creations made to order at customer request.
Price and Specs:
40.5mm diameter x 10.5mm thickness, 3N 18k yellow gold with guilloché inlay (gold)
£72,800, limited to 30 pieces (gold)
More details at Czapek.
