Czapek Experiments with New Dark Matter Tourbillon

Czapek & Cie unveils the Place Vendôme Tourbillon Dark Matter, the “rockest” version of its most luxurious collection. Inspired by the Place Vendôme ‘Ombres’ in titanium, it features a black titanium case with ADLC coating and dark bridges with PVD treatment. A limited edition of 10 pieces.

In a family, there’s always a rebel, a black sheep as some say. The Place Vendôme, among the three families of Czapek & Cie watches, is the most refined and complex. Launched in 2017 with two models in limited edition in platinum and rose gold, the collection boasts a proprietary caliber with a suspended tourbillon, a GMT function and the indication of day and night in the second time zone, as well as of the power reserve.

At Baselword 2019, Czapek presented two new entries in the collection: a sumptuous version in platinum with a baguette-cut diamonds setting, Etincelles, and a sporty model in titanium with a black enamel ring, Ombres. Today, at the Geneva Watch Days, the exclusive high watchmaking event of 2020, the Geneva-based brand unveils the ‘bad boy’ of the Place Vendôme collection, called Dark Matter.

The newly born timepiece is not only inspired by the Ombres tourbillon in titanium, but takes elements from other watches in the Czapek portfolio. The 43.5mm case, in titanium, features a black ADLC coating same as the Faubourg de Cracovie ‘Courage every second’ chronograph – the unique piece donated by Czapek to the Only Watch charity event and auctioned off by Christie’s for 110’000 CHF on November 9, 2019.

The fine-looking black bridges of the Dark Matter have been treated with PVD coating, ensuring the conservation of the color over time, by the same company that crafts the blued gold Fleur-de-Lys hands in the Quai des Bergues collection.

“Within our Place Vendôme line, we started with the most luscious version and we are now launching the ‘rockest’ one,” says Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “While the rose gold tourbillons are sold out, proving the public appreciation of those models, the Only Watch auction success showed us that collectors were eager to also have sportier models with unusual materials combinations, still made with best-in-class haute horlogerie craftsmanship.”

Manufactured in a limited edition of 10 pieces, the timepiece will be only available at the brand’s official retailers. The rebellious brother in the Place Vendôme collection by Czapek has just been born, and its name is Dark Matter.