Czapek & Cie Unveils The Limited 25-Piece Antarctique Rattrapante Gold Dust SHH Edition

The launch of Sincere Fine Watches’ latest concept boutique, SHH in Kuala Lumpur, spotlights the intricacies and marvels of independent watchmaking, delivering a uniquely luxurious retail experience tailored for Malaysia’s most discerning watch connoisseurs.

In collaboration with Sincere Fine Watches, Czapek & Cie released a unique variation of its Antarctique family of timekeepers. The 25-piece Antarctique Rattrapante Gold Dust SHH Edition is a split-second mono-pusher chronograph with its fascinating mechanism visible from the dial side.

In the leadup to the grand opening of the largest SHH boutique to date, Sincere Fine Watches – the exclusive retailer of Czapek in South-East Asia – reached out to the Swiss independent Maison to create a special edition of the Antarctique Rattrapante exclusively for Sincere to commemorate this milestone. The 25-piece limited edition is distinguishable from its counterparts with its unique solid 18-carat 5N rose gold for the chronograph counters and the peripheral minutes ring. As the only Antarctique Rattrapante to incorporate this material into its chronograph counters and peripheral minutes ring, the warm tone of the precious metal provides a rich yet subtle contrast to the cool undertones of the grey and silver movement, case and bracelet.

Additionally, this enchanting shade of rose gold found within the Czapek & Cie Antarctique Rattrapante Gold Dust SHH Edition has been carefully curated to echo the resplendent aura of the esteemed SHH boutique. The refined shade of rose gold is not just a mere embellishment; it is an ode to the very essence of SHH’s boutique identity, where creativity and refinement converge. This remarkable timepiece is an encapsulation of the values both Czapek and Sincere stand for, as both brands continue their unwavering stance of delivering unparalleled sophistication, with every detail a testament of their commitment to bringing to market products that go beyond the arbitrary.

The Quintessence of Sporty Elegance

A fundamental pillar of Czapek & Cie’s philosophy towards watchmaking is to always maintain a delicate balance between high-end mechanics and refined aesthetics; the Antarctique Rattrapante perfectly expresses this ideal. “We released the Antarctique line in 2020 as the epitome of sporty elegance,” says CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel. “It was calling for a complication that would amaze and delight our aficionados and, in our minds, a rattrapante chronograph was the natural choice.”

A split-second chronograph is, in fact, a complex mechanism – a high complication representing the pinnacle of mechanical creativity. The most noticeable element is the clamp, which instantly immobilises one of the chrono wheels when the split-second pusher is activated. Meanwhile, the other chronograph hand continues its time-counting undisturbed. When the clamp is released, the immobilised hand will “catch up” (rattraper in French) with its companion.

Created in collaboration with Chronode, Czapek’s proprietary calibre SHX6 is a double column-wheel chronograph movement – a work of art both mechanically and aesthetically. The main components were reduced in both number and thickness to fit into the 42.5-millimetre case, to ensure that the iconic streamlined look and feel of the Antarctique was maintained.

Entirely visible from the dial side, the focus of the movement is a tripod bridge in the centre that holds down a patented satellite minute train and the patent-pending split-second mechanism just below. The minute totaliser at four o’clock and the small seconds at seven o’clock emphasise the symmetry of the layout.

“As with a classic chronograph, the split-second runs on energy tapped from the second wheel,” explains Xavier. “We favoured a horizontal clutch rather than a vertical one to highlight the aesthetics of the transmission”.

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A column wheel visually anchors each half of the movement – one at the top (for the chronograph), another at the bottom (for the split-second mechanism) – maintaining the link to the company’s spiritus rector, the great 19th-century watchmaker, François Czapek, who used vertical symmetry as his visual guide.

The 25-piece Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante Gold Dust SHH Edition comes with both Czapek & Cie’s iconic integrated bracelet, as well as an integrated blue rubber strap. The 25-piece limited edition will be available at the SHH Boutique, #B2M-202 of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, and Sincere Fine Watches, #01-12 of Takashimaya S.C. – with a retail price of SGD$98,500 (including GST).

• Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante Gold Dust SHH Edition

Ref: 1614

RSP: SGD $98,500 (including GST)

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