Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023, the Czapek & Cie Antarctique Révélation is a striking new model in the popular Antarctique collection. This skeletonised watch houses the new bespoke, purpose-built movement, the Calibre SXH7.
The Czapek & Cie Antarctique Révélation proudly showcases its inner workings, the interplay of the hollowed-out bridges, wheels, and hands around a filigree mainplate.
The movement itself is placed on the dial side, where it acts as a fascinating animation to thrill the wearer. It recalls the Antarctique Rattrapante launched in 2021, which featured the first split-seconds chronograph to appear on the dial.
The SXH7 is an evolution of Caliber SXH5, the movement used in the Czapek Antarctique automatic watch with a date display.
Inspired by the nineteenth-century Czapek pocket watch movements, SXH5 features fine bridges angling over to grip the gearwheels.
The decision to place the movement on the dial side raised a number of significant challenges, the first one being to completely reverse the escapement. Then the oscillating mass had to be engraved on both sides, and the crown mechanism, now visible to the naked eye, had to be reworked entirely.
Moreover, the seconds hand could no longer be connected by a bridge to the center, so space was made at 4:30 for a small seconds dial. The solution was to use sapphire crystal ring for the seconds. It is discreetly attached to the larger sapphire ring carrying the hours and minutes and ensuring as much transparency as possible.
Gradually, what emerged was a new movement, the SXH7. As it evolved, elements from other Czapek models found their place, like the central tripod from the Antarctique Rattrapante holding together the finely cut out bridges.
The position of the small seconds, too, is reminiscent of the famous day-date subdial of the Quai des Bergues.
The Antarctique Révélation is available in a limited yearly production of 100 pieces.
Technical details
Model: Czapek & Cie Antarctique Révélation
Movement
Calibre SXH7: Czapek’s in house self-winding mechanical skeletonised movement
Diameter: 30 mm – 13 lines ¼
Height: 4.2 mm
Number of parts: 152
Jewels: 25
Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance fitted with four gold inertia- blocks
Frequency: 4 Hz –28,800 VpH
Power winding system: Micro rotor with a recycled platinum mass
Power-reserve: 60 hourson one single barrel
Finish
Open ratchets, sandblasted black bridges, bevelling, straight-grained sides, hand-chamfered
Hand-beveled main-plate
Functions
Hours, Minutes & Small Seconds
Case
40.5mm steel case
Height: 10.6 mm
Sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment
Sapphire case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inner side
Screwed-down crown
Water resistance: 120m
Dial
Minutes track and small second subdial in grey smoked sapphire crystal
Luminescent, steel “Sword” hands
Luminescent, rhodium plated steel hour markers
Bracelet
Integrated stainless steel bracelet with Czapek exclusive “Easy Release” system and micro-adjustment device
Additional calf leather or rubber strap
Edition
Limited to 100 pieces
