When you know the health scares and uphill battles that Xavier de Roquemaurel has endured to create some of today’s most beautiful integrated bracelet watches, you can’t help but root for him.
Czapek revived a rare decorative technique to create a stained glass window that exposes the Antarctique's beating heart.
During the pandemic when supply chain disruptions threw the industry into disarray and lockdowns created immense uncertainty, the CEO of Czapek & Cie. was struck by a life-threatening curveball—a heart aneurysm that he’s grateful to have survived.
Yet by September 2022, he was back on his feet at Geneva Watch Days. Energized by the success of his first integrated-bracelet sports watch, the Antarctique (released in 2020), and the earlier triumph of Czapek’s debut watch, the Quai des Bergues (2015) that won the GPHG Public Prize, the watch world’s bubbliest personality reemerged, unveiling new creations with his trademark optimism.
This week at WatchTime New York 2025, de Roquemaurel revealed the Czapek Antarctique Plique-à-Jour Polar Blue, a 10-piece limited edition that revives a 6th-century Byzantine enameling technique to produce a dial reminiscent of stained glass.
Translating from French as “let the light in,” plique-à-jour involves applying enamel into open metal cells, creating a translucent effect without any backing. The process demands painstaking control—each layer must be carefully fired to achieve the right gradient, free of bubbles or cracks. Few artisans still possess the savoir-faire required.
“What makes this dial so extraordinary and unique is precisely its transparency,” explains de Roquemaurel. “Indeed, unlike traditional plique-à-jour enamel, which is often slightly opaque due to air bubbles that form within the enamel, the technique used for the Antarctique Plique-à-Jour allows for complete transparency. The subtle color gradient adds yet another layer of complexity to what was already a true tour de force.”
To achieve this, Czapek collaborated with a trio of renowned partners: MD’Art, which created the metal structure, pad printing, surface finishing, and dial-foot attachment; Bagues-Masriera, which carried out the enameling; and PBMC, which performed the fine thickness adjustments and polishing.
The result is a jubilant dial that reveals the beating heart within—the Czapek SXH7 Calibre, the same openworked movement that powered 2023’s acclaimed Antarctique Révélation. Through the crystal-clear enamel, one can glimpse the scuttling 4Hz balance wheel and the exquisite hand-finishing on the plates and bridges.
The Antarctique’s case and integrated bracelet also receive alternating finishes, creating a refined interplay of texture that complements the dial’s ethereal glow. I’m certain that this special decorative technique will be well received by watch collectors, and that Czapek will follow up with color variants.
“Czapek has always sought to explore métiers d’art and reinterpret them through contemporary design and novel techniques,” says de Roquemaurel. “This project is about preserving a rare artisanal know-how while giving it a new role in modern watchmaking.”
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Czapek & Cie continues to affirm its reputation for marrying artistry with mechanical innovation. This year’s highlights include the Antarctique Tourbillon, the Promenade Plissé, and a trio of Antarctiques brandishing precious stone dials. Even its playful side has shone through in the much-talked-about Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R., whose robot eyes glow yellow when the chronograph runs, red when stopped, and blue when reset.
