Czapek & Cie Unveils The Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector Watch

Though built-in bracelet sports activities watches have been round for many years, their widespread recognition lately has made them one of many extra frequent types of timepieces being produced right this moment. Whereas the unique built-in bracelet sports activities watch pattern occurred throughout the Seventies, numerous new additions have entered the market inside the final ten years, and a good portion of the world’s high producers now all have some variation of this core aesthetic of their respective portfolios. Again in 2020, Czapek & Cie launched its Antarctique assortment, which is the Geneva-based model’s model of an built-in bracelet sports activities mannequin. Since making its debut, the Antarctique has appeared in a handful of various colorways and configurations, and the most recent launch from the model for 2023 is the Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector, which contains a distinctive time-only dial and embraces a largely monochromatic grey colorway to create a extremely fashionable tackle the model’s built-in bracelet sports activities watch design.

Much like the unique model of the time-and-date Antarctique, the brand new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector options an angular tonneau-shaped case that measures 40.5mm in diameter by 10.6mm-thick. Nonetheless, on the brand new Darkish Sector model of the mannequin, the case and built-in bracelet are actually each crafted from titanium with brushed and polished surfaces. Past the change in supplies, a lot of the exterior design and building of the watch stays the identical, and it options an anti-reflective field sapphire crystal sitting above its dial, together with rounded crown guards flanked by outstanding cutouts on both facet of its case.

Much like earlier variations of the Antarctique, the reverse facet of the case on the brand new Darkish Sector model will get fitted with a screw-on caseback that options a big sapphire show window, whereas the winding crown on the 3 o’clock location screws down to assist create 120 meters of water resistance. Moreover, whereas the signature design of the gathering’s bracelet with its C-shaped middle hyperlinks has remained unchanged, the brand new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector additionally comes with a further strap in both grey calf leather-based or rubber.

The usage of titanium for the case and bracelet will inevitably create a barely completely different look in comparison with the prevailing stainless-steel fashions, though probably the most distinctive function of the brand new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector is its dial. Utilized on high of an anthracite grey floor are two rows of segmented concentric rings that sit simply contained in the perimeter of the printed minute monitor. The rings are segmented on the location of the 12 hour markers, and reasonably than having the utilized parts themselves function the indexes, it’s the voids between the ring segments that really operate because the hour markers.

Not like the calendar-equipped Antarctique fashions that function date home windows on the 6 o’clock location, the brand new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector contains a minimalist time-only show to raised spotlight the symmetry of its distinctive and fashionable dial. Nonetheless, identical to earlier three-handed variations of the Antarctique, the brand new Darkish Sector version shows its time with a set of slender sword-shaped palms, together with a skinny seconds hand that has been given a vibrant crimson tip. Moreover, to enhance the small sprint of colour on the seconds hand, the dot situated on the 12 o’clock place inside the minute monitor additionally seems in an identical hue of vibrant crimson that additional leans into its up to date styling.

All issues thought-about, the “Darkish Sector” a part of this new watch’s title is pretty applicable given the sector-style format of its dial and the way the darkish grey voids between the utilized segmented rings function the hour markers. Nonetheless, this moniker additionally serves as a reference to the Darkish Sector Laboratory and telescopes, that are situated on the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, the place the skies are the darkest and clearest in your complete world.

Powering the brand new Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector is the model’s Cal. SXH5 computerized motion, which has been fully designed in-house by Czapek & Cie. Whereas it contains a distinct structure with seven bridges that recall the designs of Nineteenth-century pocket watch actions, the plates and bridges themselves have been given a black sandblasted end for a extremely fashionable look. Operating at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) and providing customers an influence reserve of roughly 60 hours, the Czapek & Cie SXH5 motion additionally contains a micro-rotor design and a variable-inertia steadiness, with the oscillating mass for the micro-rotor crafted from recycled platinum.

Watches are similar to automobiles in that you’ll usually end up paying extra for one thing that weighs much less and has fewer options. Consequently, the brand new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector is accompanied by an official retail worth of $36,000 USD, which makes it a good bit costlier than what Czapek was asking for unique date-displaying stainless-steel fashions again after they made their debut appearances. Moreover, whereas whole manufacturing for the brand new watch won’t be capped at a selected variety of examples, Czapek has acknowledged that the Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector could have a restricted yearly manufacturing of 100 items, that means {that a} little bit of persistence could be required if the brand new mannequin finally ends up being fashionable amongst collectors. For extra info on the Czapek & Cie Antarctique Titanium Darkish Sector, please go to the model’s web site.