Czapek Reimagines the Antarctique in Titanium with Cosmic Blue Dials

At Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, Czapek & Cie explores the appeal of lightness with a trio of Antarctique models crafted in grade 5 titanium. Celebrated for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility, titanium offers a distinctly different wearing experience— one defined by comfort without compromising durability. The three new references— Antarctique Dark Sector Cosmic Blue, Antarctique Révélation Cosmic Blue, and Antarctique Tourbillon Cosmic Blue— are united by the Maison’s proprietary blue, a color developed to achieve exceptional depth and intensity. Interestingly, it appears subtly different across the models, a visual effect created by the varying textures and finishes of each dial. 

Framed by the Antarctique’s signature design codes— box-shaped sapphire crystal, slim rounded bezel, and integrated bracelet with C-shaped links— these watches combine contemporary sportiness with haute horlogerie refinement. For the first time in titanium, the bracelet is offered with fully brushed or mixed brushed and polished finishes, and features a micro-adjustment and quick-release system, along with an additional rubber strap.

Antarctique Dark Sector Cosmic Blue

First introduced in 2023 as the inaugural titanium execution within the Antarctique collection, the Dark Sector distinguished itself through a bold and unconventional dial architecture. For 2026, Czapek revisits this model, refining its visual identity by pairing the lightweight metal with its proprietary Cosmic Blue hue. Enhanced by a velouté finish, the color gains notable depth and saturation, subtly shifting with the light and reinforcing the model’s dynamic character. Reinterpreting the traditional sector dial with a contemporary twist, the display is structured around a classical peripheral minute track framing two concentric, slightly domed circles with polished surfaces. These are punctuated at 12 intervals, where voids replace conventional hour markers, creating a rhythmic interplay of presence and absence. As the luminescent, sword-shaped hands traverse the dial, they animate this composition: the hour hand aligns precisely with each aperture, while the minute and seconds hands— accented by a red-tipped sweep— momentarily fill these spaces in passing.

Inside, the self-winding Caliber SXH5— Czapek’s first fully in-house movement— features a micro-rotor in recycled 950 platinum, beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) with a 60-hour power reserve. Its seven skeletonized bridges, visible through the sapphire case back, are finished with a combination of sandblasting, hand-beveling, and black polishing. Inspired by François Czapek's 19th-century pocket watches, the movement was created for the launch of the Antarctique collection in 2020.

The watch is offered in a 40.5mm titanium case (10.6mm thick, 44.5mm lug-to-lug) and a 38.5mm “S” version (42.8mm lug-to-lug), both water-resistant to 120 meters. Limited to 25 pieces (40.5mm) and 10 pieces (38.5mm), each is paired with an integrated titanium bracelet featuring quick-release and micro-adjustment. Pricing is marked at CHF32,000 before taxes or approximately $40,000 when converted to USD.

Antarctique Révélation Titanium Cosmic Blue

Introduced in 2023, the Antarctique Révélation marked a significant step in Czapek’s ongoing exploration of movement transparency within its sports watch collection. At its core is Caliber SXH7, derived from the manufacture’s SXH5 but extensively reworked rather than simply skeletonized. The project originated from a collector’s request to invert the movement architecture, prompting a complete re-engineering. As a result, the escapement is  positioned on the dial side, accompanied by a visible stop-seconds mechanism that reveals its function during time-setting. The transformation necessitated a fully skeletonized mainplate, creating the impression of multiple bridges in a trompe-l’œil effect that recalls the layered construction of the SXH5. With the central seconds no longer structurally viable, the display is relocated to a small seconds counter at 4:30. Despite the emphasis on openness, legibility remains a priority. In the Titanium Cosmic Blue version, the Cosmic blue peripheral dial ring provides contrast against the exposed mechanics and titanium case, ensuring that the indications remain clearly readable. Thanks to luminescent sword hands night-readability is guaranteed.

The self-winding Caliber SXH7 operates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vph) and delivers a 60-hour power reserve via a micro-rotor in recycled platinum. It goes without saying that the movement is finished to haute horlogerie standards, including openworked ratchets, sandblasted black bridges, straight-grained flanks, bevelling and hand-chamfered details. It is housed in a 40.5mm or 38.5mm Grade 5 titanium case, both measuring 10.6mm in height and offering water resistance to 120 meters. Production is limited to 50 pieces per year for the 40.5mm version and 25 pieces for the 38.5mm model. Each watch is delivered on an integrated titanium bracelet with a quick-release system, along with an additional rubber strap. Pricing is marked at CHF42,000 before taxes or approximately $52,600 when converted to USD.

Antarctique Tourbillon Titanium Cosmic Blue

When the Antarctique Tourbillon was created, the fundamental design principle was that the key elements of Caliber 9 should be displayed on the dial side. The flying tourbillon, gear train and barrel would be perfectly aligned on the vertical axis and appear to float above the trompe l’oeil vortex effect created by the hand-guilloché ‘Singularité’ design, developed specially for the watch by Czapek’s long-time partner, Metalem. The name of the pattern is taken from the astronomical term singularity, meaning those places in the universe such as black holes, where space and time become infinite and undifferentiated. Now, a year after the launch, the Cosmic Blue dial of the new titanium version of the Antarctique Tourbillon amplifies the visual drama, creating the impression of infinite depth at the heart of the display and enhancing the purity of the mechanical structure floating in the void above it. The contrast between the blue dial and the hour markers, which are attached to the flange rather than being set on the dial, increases this effect. Against the rich blue background, the hand-polished angles of the long, slender gear train bridge and open-worked barrel bridge and satin-polishing on the top arms of the tourbillon cage create fascinating plays of light and shadow. 

On the reverse side of the caliber, the 18k gold winding rotor echoes the impression of floating, its convex surface hand-engraved with a black-hole inspired pattern by Michèle R., Czapek’s treasured independent master engraver. Caliber 9, which operates at 3 Hz and delivers an impressive 100-hour power reserve, marked a new stage in the brand’s technical evolution as the first Czapek movement not only designed, conceived and constructed in-house, but also machined mostly in-house. Significant technical prowess is also evident in the new geometry for the tourbillon, which dictated a finely machined convex titanium cage, and the anticlockwise crown wheel that required the development of a new proprietary toothing.  As themanufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds continues to build its repertoire of skills, certain elements of component finishing, including the hand-beveling and sandblasting of the large central bridge that spans the dial, were also executed in-house for the latest iteration of the movement. Housed in a 40.5mm titanium case (11.5mm thick, 45mm lug-to-lug), the watch is water-resistant to 50 meters and presented on an integrated titanium bracelet with quick-release system. Limited to 25 pieces, the watch is priced at CHF67,000 before taxes or approximately $83,900 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Czapek, here.