zapek & Cie’s vision of haute horlogerie – as well as that of François Czapek, whose eponymous 19th-century watchmaking house inspired the modern company – rests on two pillars: the pursuit of Beauty, and the spirit of sharing. With this foundation, the Geneva-based Maison is constantly open and listening not only to its fans and watch enthusiasts, but also to evolving directions in the wider world of art, fashion and society.

“The demand for an Antarctique model in a precious metal, and more specifically in gold, was so strong among a certain type of collectors that we could not ignore it,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “To create this new model, we went to explore not only the origins of this successful collection but also the geography of Antarctica.”

Located on Ross Island in the frozen continent, the Mountain from which the new Antarctique ‘Mount Erebus’ takes its name is the southernmost active volcano on Earth and one of the very few constantly active volcanoes in the world. It was named after one of expedition ships that discovered Ross Island in 1841, captained by Sir James Clark Ross, HMS Erebus – which, in turn was named after a deity in Greek mythology born of Chaos and personifying darkness. A remarkable feature of this volcano is the presence in its lava of gold, which is projected into the atmosphere at an estimated rate of 80 grams per day, dissolved in the escaping volcanic gases and therefore impossible to harvest.

The origins of Czapek’s Antarctique line are present in ‘Mount Erebus’ thanks to the lamé dial, a finish originally created for the first iteration of Antarctique, launched in May 2020 – the limited- edition Terre Adélie. Created in collaboration with Metalem, Czapek’s long-time manufacturing partner, it is crafted using a special kind of comb that creates an effect like a highly textured satin finish. Complementing the rose gold ‘Mount Erebus’ case, the dial offered in Deep Blue is made with a CVD (chemical vapour deposit) technique.

With a 40.5 mm in diameter and 10.6 mm height, the gold case shares all of the design codes that make the Antarctique steel case so distinctive: the flowing curves, finely honed angles and carefully judged balance of brushed and polished surfaces that bring the composition to life. The 5N rose gold case and the 2N yellow gold one are respectively complemented by a rose gold or a yellow gold bracelet. Alternatively, both models are proposed with a rubber strap in various colors.

The Antarctique Mount Erebus Deep Blue in 5N rose gold will be produced in a limited run of 100 pieces and available for pre-order at Czapek’s authorised dealers worldwide, its flagship store in Geneva and at Czapek.com. The 2N yellow gold version, limited to 50 pieces only, will be offered online at Czapek.com.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FUNCTIONS

• Hours, minutes, seconds
• Date at 6 o’clock

MOVEMENT

• Calibre SXH5 Czapek’s in-house self-winding mechanical movement
• Diameter 30 mm - 13 lines 1/4
• Height 4.2 mm
• Number of parts 193
• Jewels 28
• Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance wheel regulated by 4 small cylindrical inertia-blocks
• Frequency 4Hz - 28800VpH
• Power winding system micro-rotor with a recycled platinum mass
• Power reserve 60 hours, one single barrel
• Barrel torque: 9.8 Nmm

FINISH

• Openworked ratchets, sandblasted bevelled black bridges, drawn flanks, hand-bevelled concave angles

CASE

• 5N rose gold case
• DIameter 40.5 mm
• Height 10.6 mm
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on the inside and outside surfaces
• Water-resistance 120 m
• Screwed-down crown

DIAL

• Blue dial with lame finish made for Czapek by Metalem
• Luminiscent “sword” hands and indexes

BRACELET

• Rose gold integrated bracelet with Czapek exclusive East Release system
• Optional rubber strap with matching rose gold deploying buckle