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3 September 2023

CZAPEK PLACE VENDOME COMPLICITÉ

By In Brands, Czapek, General

As all watch enthusiasts know, summer is usually the quietest period in horology. That’s why we can all agree we definitely needed Geneva Watch Days, which started on Tuesday August 29th and will last until Saturday September 2nd. Many watches have already been unveiled in these first days but in today’s article we will focus on the Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité, by the independent Swiss watchmaker from Geneva.

Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité. Detailed picture of the differential gear
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité skeletonized dial – Photo courtesy of Czapek

The main characteristic of this new release is the presence of two different escapements connected via a differential gear, which can be admired thanks to the skeletonized dial. Before going on and having a look at this novelty, let’s spend some ink on the purpose of this uncommon complication for those of you who are not familiar with it. The benefit of having two balance wheels is to reduce the errors in chronometry and, as a consequence, improve the timepiece performance. But how does it work? To put it simply, each balance wheel works as usual as in every other mechanical watch but, as we have two of them here, their outcomes are averaged by another device named differential. As a result, the entire gear train will receive a feedback which comes from two different balance wheels and, therefore, this leads to more precision.

Picture showing the Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité – Photo courtesy of Czapek

The Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité is powered by the hand-winding Calibre 8, which has been developed in collaboration with Bernhard Lederer, a German watchmaker who happens to be the father of a schoolmate of one of Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel’s children. I have to say it really was a happy coincidence! The result of this encounter is a double balance timepiece with a stunning symmetrical dial. Indeed, they have positioned the differential at 12 o’clock and the power reserve indicator of 72 hours at 6 o’clock, between the two balance wheels which are positioned at 5 and 7 o’clock respectively. Of course, the layout is a nod to the brand’s first models Quai des Bergues and Place Vendôme and it perfectly reflects Czapek’s vision and philosophy: pushing themselves beyond still connecting past and present. I really appreciate the name decision as well, as “Complicité” is both a reference to the above collaboration and the relation between the two balance wheels.

Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue and Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Startdust with rose gold and whote gold case respectively
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité – Photo courtesy of Fratello Watches
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue. Picture showing the case back and the Calibre 8 in particular
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue – Calibre 8

The dial features open-worked hands, applied indices and a minute track that gives a further dynamism by running as a roulette along the perimeter of the case. This idea is probably emphasized by the boxy sapphire glass with antireflective treatment on both sides. As for the material and colour, this release is available in two limited edition versions (50 pieces each): Place Vendôme Complicité Stardust (featuring a white gold case and a grey base of the dial) and Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue (featuring a rose gold case and a blue base of the dial). Both models are equipped with an alligator strap with white or rose gold folding buckle.

Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue. Picture of the watch on the wrist taken during Geneva Watch Days 2023
Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Harmony Blue

With a price of CHF 85,000, the Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité will compete for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (Mechanical Exception category) and we at Watchype look forward to discovering how it will be perceived!

Written by Renato Spada

Super curious since 1990. One of his first questions was "And why?" He is now a localization project manager 8 hours per day and watch enthusiast for much more. Before being attracted by watches, he is charmed by their stories and what they mean for their owners.