Michèle Rothen, Czapek's independent master engraver, hand-engraved the gold rotor of its new flying tourbillon with a pattern that echoes a black hole.
Czapek introduces the Antarctique Tourbillon, driven by the new in-house Calibre 9 and its flying tourbillon. It comes in three dial colours: Glacier Blue, Photon Sphere and a grey named Secret Alloy, the last limited to 50 pieces.
The dial pattern, called Singularité, is a hand-guilloché vortex that Czapek developed with Metalem, meant to look like it falls away into infinite depth. Unlike ordinary guilloché, the starting point moves with each pass of the lathe. The hour markers sit on the flange rather than the dial. The tourbillon, gear train and barrel are all visible on the dial side, aligned on a single vertical axis.
“Our pursuit of aesthetics drives us to create mechanical beauty,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. The gold winding rotor is convex too, and Michèle Rothen, the brand's independent master engraver, hand-engraved it with a pattern that answers the dial's.
The case takes its curved glass box from the Antarctique Rattrapante, raised at both front and back. The case back reads as though it has no bezel at all, its engravings set inside the crystal itself.
The Basics
Brand: Czapek
Model: Antarctique Tourbillon (Secret Alloy; Glacier Blue; Photon Sphere)
Diameter: 40.5mm
Thickness: 11.5mm
Case material: Stainless steel; sapphire crystal glass box, anti-reflective inner side; sapphire case-back glass box, anti-reflective inner side; case back engravings set inside the crystal by metallisation
Dial: Hand-guilloché “Singularité” vortex pattern by Metalem. Secret Alloy: grey, blued markers and hands with Superluminova. Glacier Blue: PVD blue hue, blued markers and hands with Superluminova. Photon Sphere: PVD 5N gold hue, rhodium-plated markers and hands with Superluminova
Water resistance: 50m (5 ATM)
Strap: Integrated steel bracelet, “Easy Release” system, micro-adjustment; additional rubber strap
Limited edition: Secret Alloy: 50 pieces. Glacier Blue and Photon Sphere: not limited
The Movement
Calibre: 9, in-house, automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, 60-second flying tourbillon
Winding: Automatic, hand-engraved 5N gold oscillating weight
Power reserve: 72 hours
Frequency: 3Hz
Jewels: 20
Images courtesy of Czapek.