Czapek recreates antique pocket watches with its Quai des Bergues collection

Czapek is recreating the spirit of antique pocket watches with its Quai des Bergues collection at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE), which concludes today at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
“The idea is the time travel of a pocket watch that ends on the wrist of a gentleman,” Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel told Gulf Times at the brand’s booth in the Blue Salon pavilion.
He also highlighted the rich history of the brand and legacy of its founder, François Czapek. The CEO noted that Czapek’s collection is a mix of the best craftsmanship and some original and unique ideas that have never been done before. Czapek, a Czech-born Polish watchmaker, was a man who made very soft, subtle but very clear changes to classical watches.
After Czapek parted way with Antoni Patek in 1945, he founded Czapek & Cie, which flourished. He became a watchmaker for Napoleon III and wrote a book about watchmaking.
But nobody remembers Czapek, a totally forgotten watchmaker, according to the CEO. “Until people realised what he did and realised his works deserved to be revived.”
In November 2015, Swiss entrepreneurs de Roquemaurel, Harry Guhl, and a watchmaker transformed the iconic watch company into a contemporary boutique brand when they launched the first model in Geneva.
One of the unique features of this model is the ‘secret sentence and signature’ carved almost unnoticed on its dial.
“It is something that we make bespoke, only on order, when a customer wants to have it because all these dials are handcrafted so they are made one by one, we can introduce some elements to change them,” he added. Czapek also created a smaller version of the original model, which debuted in Doha.