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Czapek Quai Des Bergues S Black Enamel
Ref. QdB s Black Enamel
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Stepping up in Czapek's range
A 38.5mm polished stainless steel case houses a handmade Grand Feu black enamel dial, its surface carrying white Roman numerals and white gold Fleur de Lys hands. The sapphire crystal is coated to reduce reflections on both the front and caseback. Complications are arranged with considered restraint: a small seconds sub-dial sits at 7:30, while a combined power reserve and weekday indicator occupies 4:30. The hand-wound Calibre SXH1, built with Chronode across 31 jewels, delivers a seven-day power reserve through dual mainspring barrels. An alligator leather strap with a steel pin buckle completes the watch. Production is limited to ten pieces per year.
- Reference
- QdB s Black Enamel
- Brand
- Czapek
- Case size
- 38.5mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- SXH1
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
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 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,157), Leather Strap Watches (1,052) and Dress Watches (555).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 38.5mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Sits in the lower half of Czapek's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Czapek Quai Des Bergues S alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | QdB s Black Enamel | 3713-260-3/03 | 103610 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £20,900 | £20,660 | £26,200 |
| Case size | 38.5mm | 42mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Titanium bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 96 hours | 192 hours |
| This watch |
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|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedCheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £20,900, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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