Czapek & Cie. has returned to its historic roots in Geneva with a new flagship boutique at Quai des Bergues 27. Ahead of Geneva Watch Days, the maison has also introduced two watches linked to the occasion – the Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” in a new 40.5 mm stainless steel case, and the Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue, a 10-piece platinum edition created through the long-standing partnership between CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel and German-born master watchmaker Bernhard Lederer, a founding member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). The new flagship opened to the public in July 2026, followed by an inaugural evening on September 1, bringing together press, collectors, local institutions, and friends of the Maison.

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The Quai des Bergues holds an important place in the brand's history. In 1839, Czech-born Polish watchmaker François Czapek fled to Geneva after the failed Warsaw uprising of 1830 and established his first company with a fellow and a local partner from Versoix at Quai des Bergues 29. For six years, the workshop produced some of the period’s most prestigious timepieces. After the partnership ended in 1845, Czapek founded Czapek & Cie. on May 1 of the same year, later opening the first watchmaking boutique on Paris’ Place Vendôme. The brand mysteriously went dormant in 1871 and was revived in 2015 by a group of entrepreneurs, including Roquemaurel. The brand has returned to the same quay, this time at 27.

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The new boutique introduces Czapek’s latest retail concept in a fully Maison-owned space. Developed with design agency Live Teams, the concept was first introduced in Czapek’s authorised retailer corners in late 2023. The interior combines raw stone walls inspired by Geneva’s historic streets with American walnut furniture and midnight-blue Alcantara. Instead of a conventional retail counter, the space uses shared tables and open display stands to create a more informal setting for browsing and conversations. The showcases were developed with Xavier Dietlin. Polish-born international artist Oskar Zięta’s Rondo sculptures are used as a central visual feature. Made from mirror-polished steel, the sculptures have inflated forms created through Zięta’s concept of “controlled loss of control,” in which the material itself helps determine the final shape. A dedicated living room is available for collector discussions and watchmaking services, while the main gallery displays Czapek’s collections, calibres, and vintage watches.

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Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva”

The Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” is a new version of a watch first introduced to mark Czapek’s return to modern Geneva. When Czapek opened its first modern Geneva boutique in 2019, it released an 18-piece edition with a 42.5 mm stainless steel case, a deep-blue aventurine dial, and the manual-wound SXH1 calibre, which offered a 7-day power reserve.

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For the new flagship, Czapek has reduced the case to 40.5 mm. This becomes the third size offered in the Quai des Bergues collection. The stainless steel case retains its curved profile, characteristic lug geometry, and sapphire caseback. Refined recesses on the case sides accommodate the movement, while the lug slope has been adjusted to improve the fit across different wrist sizes. The dark-blue aventurine glass dial is also being offered in this diameter for the first time.

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Production remains limited to 18 pieces, matching the number used for the 2019 edition and referencing the address of Czapek’s first modern Geneva boutique, Rue de la Corraterie 18. The watch is available at the new Geneva flagship and selected authorised retailers worldwide, with immediate delivery. It is priced at approx. INR 2.30 Cr.

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Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue

The second release is the Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue, limited to 10 pieces and housed in a Pt 950 platinum case measuring 41.8 mm in diameter, 48.22 mm lug-to-lug, and 14.8 mm in thickness.

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Its main technical feature is an open-worked double-escapement system with two independent balance wheels oscillating in opposite directions. Each balance has its own escapement, with a differential positioned at 12 o’clock. The mechanism is visible from the dial side. It features a light-blue PVD-treated, grainé main plate, a matching light-blue PVD circular-grained hours and minutes track, faceted mirror-polished rhodium-plated indexes, and partially skeletonised rhodium-plated sword hands.

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The watch is powered by proprietary manually wound Calibre 8, developed in collaboration with Lederer. The movement operates at 3 Hz and provides a 72-hour power reserve. The reserve is indicated between the two balance wheels. The movement is finished with hand-bevelled bridges and main plate, as well as 18 hand-chamfered inward angles.

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The watch comes with an alligator strap and a Pt 950 platinum pin buckle mounted on a titanium folding clasp. The Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue will be available through Czapek’s new Geneva flagship and authorised retailers worldwide. It is priced at approx. INR 1.20 Cr.

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Images: Czapek & Cie.

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