Czapek & Cie: Unique ARTISANAL DIALS

Rare in production numbers,  Czapek & Cie places an extraordinary effort in perfecting all details of watchmaking, especially when it comes to dial designs. Deep textures especially crafted to capture the light and create lively color reflections, such as the Antarctique Passage de Drake patterns, but also ‘philosophical’ concepts, as in the case of Titanium Dark Sector dial, where time is indicated by the voids among the segments. Moreover, most of the brand's dial designs are officially registered at the Swiss design register.

ARTISANAL DIALS

The Czapek dials are not just the “face” of watches. They are, in essence, the natural extension of our mechanical movements in both beauty and complexity. Whether it is Hand Guilloché, Grand Feu Enamel, or Flinqué, the incredible skills required to create each one of them are the prerogative of only few rare people in this world. Today we present THE ART OF GUILLOCHÉ

"Guilloché (also called engine-turning) is a decorating technique in which intricate geometric patterns are engraved onto dials and, sometimes, cases".

A DECORATING TECHNIQUE

Guilloché (also called engine-turning) is a decorating technique in which intricate geometric patterns are engraved onto dials and, sometimes, cases. Lines are etched into the part via a hand-operated lathe, either in straight lines or in circles. The difficulty of this process does not only rely on the precision required but also on the correct and continuous pressure of the hand in order to get a perfectly regular pattern. Most of the current Master-Guillocheurs, learned through an apprenticeship with another Master as this art is no longer taught in watchmaking schools.

GUILLOCHÉ  EAUX-VIVES

The new and distinctive guilloché Eau-Vive pattern is an evolution of the guilloché Ricochet invented by Czapek’s manufacturing partner Metalem, a Swiss master of hand-crafted engine-turned dials. Its creation is exceptional also because it has been initiated by Metalem’s team of artisans. As they worked on our Ricochet pattern, they started experimenting and thus emerged this extraordinary and unique design, looking like white waters. The bombé guilloché Eau-Vive dial is available in two different tones, both refined and sophisticated: silver, for the Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis, and dark blue, for the Quai des Bergues Aurora Borealis Blue. The base material is Czapek’s precious “Secret Alloy”.

GUILLOCHÉ  DOUBLE SOLEIL

Czapek, together with its dial-making partner Metalem, has developed an entirely new guilloché pattern. They have named it Guilloché ‘Double Soleil’, after the parhelion phenomenon, an optical illusion that appears under certain atmospheric conditions as a luminous spot on one or both sides of the sun. Also known colloquially as ‘sun dogs’, parhelia occur when the sun shines through thin cirrus clouds composed of hexagonal ice crystals, which refract the rays, rather like the effect of a prism. This spectacular and rare phenomenon most often occurs in winter, when the sun is low in the sky. Through a process of iteration, with greater emphasis on vertical symmetry and straighter, deeper cuts, the new Double Soleil pattern achieves a bolder and more contemporary look. And it plays an intriguing visual trick: are the lines radiating outwards like sunrays from behind the sub-dials or are they being drawn inwards?

GUILLOCHÉ  RESONANCE

Called Résonance, this special guilloché is derived from the Ricochet ® pattern of the Quai des Bergues collection: concentric circles originating from the two sub dials at 3 and 9 o’clock intersect and form bas-relief squares. But this time, the lines are much deeper and wider, creating a sporty guilloché, never made in watchmaking. 

GUILLOCHÉ  RICOCHET ®

Derived from the Ricochet ® pattern of the Quai des Bergues collection: concentric circles originating from the two sub dials at 3 and 9 o’clock intersect and form bas-relief squares. But this time, the lines are much deeper and wider, creating a sporty guilloché, never made in watchmaking. It took our Master Guillocheur much effort and time to get the right result but the biggest challenge was elsewhere: in order to enhance the light effects, we decided to add to this pattern a curvy, “bombé” shape. So, to avoid any deformation or distorted lines, we had to find a special alloy, replacing the soft 18 carat gold used traditionally.