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Czapek Antarctique Passage De Drake CM1483
Ref. CM1483
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
Czapek spent most of the twentieth century dormant, the original Geneva manufacture having closed in 1869. The Antarctique line was the centrepiece of the brand's revival, and the Passage de Drake sits at the heart of it — named for the notoriously hostile waters between Cape Horn and Antarctica, a passage that demands both function and nerve in equal measure. The calibre SXH5 inside is among the more architecturally interesting movements in this price neighbourhood: its bridges are sandblasted black, a deliberate reference to nineteenth-century pocket watch finishing, and the micro-rotor that winds it is machined from 100% recycled solid platinum. It runs for 56 hours on a full wind, and the exhibition caseback makes the hand-bevelling worth seeking out. On the dial side, the stamped flinqué surface carries Czapek's registered trapezoid pattern — described as "Stairway to Eternity" — which gives the blue dial a layered, almost architectural depth that shifts noticeably depending on where the light falls. At 10.6mm thick for a case rated to 120 metres, it wears considerably closer to the wrist than the rating might suggest. The bracelet earns attention on its own terms: the centre links are polished into a distinctive C-shape, and the double folding clasp incorporates both a micro-adjustment device and Czapek's quick-release system, so the fit can be dialled in without tools and the bracelet swapped without a springbar tool.
- Reference
- CM1483
- Brand
- Czapek
- Collection
- AntarctiqueCase Size: 40
- Case size
- 40.5mm
- Case thickness
- 10.6mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- SXH5
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 120m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.5mm
- Power reserve
- 56 hours
Learn more about Czapek
Franciszek Czapek fled Warsaw after the failed November Uprising and reached Geneva in 1832, gallicising his name to François. In 1839 he went into partnership with a fellow Polish exile, Antoine Norbert de Patek. That firm — Patek, Czapek & Cie — ran six years, and when it ended Patek went on to found what became Patek Philippe.
Czapek founded Czapek & Cie on 1 May 1845 with Juliusz Gruzewski. He became watchmaker to Prince Napoleon, and at its height the company had an atelier on the Quai des Bergues in Geneva, a boutique at 23 Place Vendôme in Paris from 1850, and a third in Warsaw from 1854. Then, around 1869, he lost control of the company and disappeared from the record entirely.
The name was resurrected in 2011 by Harry Guhl, later joined by Xavier de Roquemaurel and the watchmaker Sébastien Follonier. Rather than seek a single backer, they raised over two million francs from more than a hundred collectors — a house owned by the people who buy from it.
The relaunch model, the Quai des Bergues, took its two-subdial layout from an 1850 Czapek pocket watch and won the Public Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2016. Collections since are named for the old boutiques: Place Vendôme, Faubourg de Cracovie.
The Antarctique brought an integrated-bracelet sports watch on an in-house micro-rotor calibre, and remains the model most people meet the brand through.
- 1832
- François Czapek reaches Geneva after fleeing Warsaw.
- 1839
- Founds Patek, Czapek & Cie with Antoine Norbert de Patek.
- 1845
- Founds Czapek & Cie on the Quai des Bergues.
- 1869
- Loses the company; the name falls dormant.
- 2015
- Revived in Geneva, funded by over a hundred collectors.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,953), Automatic Watches (1,324), Blue Dial Watches (792) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (100).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 120m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 44.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Czapek's range as we list it
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | CM1483 | pfc930-1020001-400182 | 18.3300.3604/69.C922 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £20,495 | £19,900 | £21,300 |
| Case size | 40.5mm | 41mm | 39.5mm |
| Water resistance | 120m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 56 hours | 60 hours | 60 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 120m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 56 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £20,495, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £20,495 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths test every pre-owned watch for authenticity, timekeeping and water resistance, and warrant it for 2 years — the same term they give on a new watch.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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