ReviewHonouring Tradition: Czapek’s Quai des Bergues—The Havana Brown And Others

Czapek’s illustrious heritage endures, much like the timeless appeal of their timepieces. The revival of the esteemed Czapek name began in 2012 when a trio of entrepreneurs embarked on a mission to breathe new life into the brand. In late 2015, the Czapek legacy was gracefully resurrected with the sophisticated Quai des Bergues, a design inspired by a mid-19th-century pocket watch. This revival was met with acclaim as Czapek & Cie swiftly secured the prestigious Public Prize at the GPHG, with the award-winning Quai des Bergues No33bis leading the charge. Presently, the collection boasts a range of exceptional timepieces, each paying tribute to the very spot where François Czapek established his company in Geneva back in 1845. From this remarkable ensemble of watches, the Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Havana Brown captivates the eye almost instantly. Boasting a refined rose gold case, a sumptuous handmade Havana Brown bombé guilloche dial, and elegant fleur de lys hands crafted in rose gold, this timepiece exudes sophistication and charm like none other.

The Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Havana Brown

The Quai des Bergues collection presents an extraordinary selection of striking and vivid guilloche dials, with the Havana Brown undeniably taking centre stage. This exquisite timepiece boasts a 42.5mm 5N rose gold case, which encloses a captivating handmade domed Havana brown guilloche dial, adorned with Czapek’s exclusive ricochet pattern. The warm brown tones of the dial evoke a sense of cosiness and echo the earthy hues found in nature. The dial’s magnificence is further intensified by a galvanic coating that interacts with light, enabling the dial’s shade to shift in response to varying lighting conditions.

The rose gold case of the Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Havana Brown houses a mesmerising brown guilloche dial, embellished with Czapek's exclusive ricochet pattern

₹41,50,000

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The dial's charm is amplified by a galvanic coating that adjusts its shade in response to light, adding to the allure of the Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Havana Brown

₹41,50,000

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While the dial of the Havana Brown shows small seconds between seven and eight o'clock, the power reserve indicator and day of the week appear between four and five o'clock

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Enhancing the Havana Brown's earthy palette, an alligator leather strap in rich brown with a 5N rose gold pin buckle gracefully embraces the wrist, uniting comfort and refinement

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The Havana Brown is powered by the Czapek SXH1 manual winding movement, which makes 21,600 vibrations per hour and achieves a solid power reserve of around 168 hours

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Given that the guilloche dial is handmade, the Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Havana Brown is only available as a limited series of 15 pieces. While the brown dial shows small seconds between seven and eight o’clock, the power reserve indicator and day of the week appear between four and five o’clock. The watch finds its immense power in the Czapek SXH1 manual winding movement, which makes 21,600 vibrations per hour and achieves a whopping power reserve of around 168 hours.

The mechanical engine also features blued screws, sandblasted bridges, and hand chamfering for an added layer of attention to detail. Complementing the brown palette, a luxurious brown alligator leather strap with a 5N rose gold pin buckle gently encircles the wrist, fusing comfort and sophistication. Water-resistant up to 30 metres, the rose gold body comes fitted with a domed glass and caseback, in sapphire crystal, both with antireflective coating on the inside.

The Quai des Bergues Collection: Taking The Legacy Forward

The Quai des Bergues collection finds its creative spark in a historic pocket watch produced by François Czapek around 1850 in Geneva, known by the reference number 3430. By weaving in aspects of this vintage timepiece, the Czapek Quai des Bergues line elegantly honours the classic tradition.

The modern interpretations stay true to the original layout and strike a perfect balance between simplicity and elegance. While certain models display intricate guilloche dials as works of art, others embrace minimalism with their pristine white watch faces, exuding a classic fascination.

In recent times, the revived brand have expanded the Quai des Bergues collection by introducing a variety of captivating colours, further enhancing the appeal of the guilloche series that effortlessly blends dressy and sporty elements, thanks to its rose gold, steel, and titanium cases. The dials showcase a unique guilloche design, aptly named ricochet, which artfully simulates the captivating interference effect that occurs when multiple waves intersect one another, resulting in a richly textured pattern.

The Czapek Guilloché Ricochet Royal Blue is a delightful Quai des Bergues timepiece that sits snug inside a 42.5mm rose gold case, which has been paired with a blue leather strap

The Czapek Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Royal Blue is powered by the manully wound SXH1 movement, delivering a power reserve of around 168 hours

Czapek Quai Des Bergues

₹29,60,000

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The Quai des Bergues Guilloché Ricochet Royal Blue mesmerises with its resplendent blue guilloche dial, while the enchanting Quai des Bergues Emerald Green L dazzles with its spirited green watch face that radiates irresistible energy. Not to be outdone, the Rhubarb Red S commands attention with its rich red tones that beautifully juxtapose the steel case for a truly eye-catching effect.

The Czapek Quai des Bergues Emerald Green L has been packed inside a 42.5mm steel case and presents vivid hues in green, courtesy the spectacular guilloche dial

₹21,40,000

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The brown leather strap offers an impressive contrast when paired with the steel case of the Quai des Bergues Emerald Green L

₹21,40,000

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Powered by the manually wound SXH1 movement, the Quai des Bergues Emerald Green L achieves a power reserve of around 168 hours and is water-resistant up to 50 metres

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“It’s important to have a twist in the watch’s design with a disruptive element,” explains Czapek’s CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel. “It took us a year to find the engine turning pattern that we wanted and to stand out from the tens, if not hundreds, of existing historical motifs. Nevertheless, we think that there are still many new possibilities that we can look into to develop this even further. The same is true for the dial colours, for which we believe few other brands offer such a bold selection of colours.”

The Quai des Bergues collection by Czapek beautifully encapsulates the marriage of history and modernity, ensuring that watch aficionados can treasure a piece of horological heritage while adorning their wrists with a contemporary symbol of elegance and refinement.

The Czapek Quai des Bergues In Sapphire Blue

A far departure from the first Quai des Bergues in gold, with a white ‘grand feu’ enamel dial, this one is among the first editions that were created using the ricochet pattern via intricate guilloche work. While it’s not like the GPHG-winning version, which was modelled after François Czapek’s archival reference 3430, this model is quite like the Havana and other renditions seen above, albeit in cooler tones of steel and blue. The Quai des Bergues Sapphire Blue comes in small and large sizes, at 38.5mm and 42.5mm respectively. Like the other Quai des Bergues, this one too has the power reserve indicator along with the day of the week at 4:30, and the small seconds at 7:30.

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The Greener Quai des Bergues

Unveiled more recently was a lush green version of the Quai des Bergues watch. Called ‘rainforest green’, this verdant rendition of the classical timepiece brings in twice the vividness, with the green on the dial, complemented by the green on the leather strap. With a steel case in contrast to the rainforest green, the execusion of this hue in the collection is very balanced and harmonipus. And while the pattern of the crocodile leather strap breaks the monotony fo a flat solid green, the dial too offers nuanced appeal with the texture.

The ricochet guilloche pattern almost has a gradient quality in this tone, as the rainforest green goes towards a much darker shade around the periphery. The ricochet texture invites much brighter tones in this green dial, when viewed from different angles. It’s an exemplary execution of the signature collection from Czapek.