Christie’s is honoured to present this exceptional and unique titanium Place Vendôme "Al Kanz" Tourbillon GMT created by Czapek & Cie in collaboration with the Arab Watch Club. The proceeds of the sale of this watch will be used to support the Emirates Foundation - an independent organization set up by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE.
Czapek’s Place Vendôme pays tribute to the visionary entrepreneurial spirit of the founder of the original company, François Czapek, who always serves as a guiding thread for the company. The model itself represents a new technical landmark for Czapek & Cie, being the first to feature a suspended tourbillon. Yet the Place Vendôme does not focus solely on the technical qualities of the tourbillon, it is equally important as a travel time watch. Indeed, the watch is appropriately named ‘Place Vendôme Tourbillon Suspendu’ ‘Ici et Ailleurs’ or ‘Here and Elsewhere’. It's an invitation to travel.
In the manufacturing of this unique timepiece, Czapek & Cie have not only made changes to the visual appearance of the model, they have also especially created components made from materials not previously used by the brand, or perhaps ever before in watchmaking. In using state-of-the-art 21st century technology, materials and finishes whilst at the same time employing the traditional talents of the finest artisan craftsmen, Czapek & Cie have created the "Al Kanz", meaning "The Treasure".
The unique features of the "Al Kanz" are the grade 5 titanium case, Zoisite chapter ring, hand-engraved centre with Arabic motif and green CVD-coated rings surrounding the tourbillon and GMT apertures. The functions of the watch are: hours and minutes; one-minute tourbillon; second time zone; day and night indicator and power reserve indicator.
The "Al Kanz" cannot fail to impress even the most demanding of collectors and connoisseurs with its combination of superb styling, technologically advanced materials, high degree of complication - and, last but not least, the noble cause behind its creation.
Zoisite Chapter Ring – A World Première
The chapter ring dial is made of Zoïsite, a very special green semi-precious stone with an irregular dark grey speckling. Until now, gemmologists and collectors have overlooked this stone considering it too fragile to make a dial… Czapek & Cie decided, with their partner GT Cadrans in Lonay, near Lausanne, to investigate the possibility to use it, and thus reveal one of the Earth’s unknown treasures!
This was the inspiration for the name "Al Kanz" - the Treasure.
The Dial Centre
The small centre dial has been engraved following an Arabic pattern redesigned by Czapek’s head designer Adrian Buchmann, to recall the beautiful motifs of the Blue Mosque and other legendary buildings. The engraving is made by hand by Michèle Rothen-Rebetez, one of the most famous and skilled hand-engravers of the moment. Michèle is based in Le Locle and performs all the Czapek engravings.
The Aubergine colour has been achieved with electroplating by Comblemine in Saint-Sulpice, also renowned for collaborating with various haute-horology companies in the Neuchâtel area. Aubergine is a very rare, perhaps unique, iteration of electroplated colour.
The Tourbillon and GMT Rings
The two green rings are made of steel covered with a nanometrical layer of green colour. This process, originally invented for the medical industry, is a variant of Chemical vapour deposit, called ALD. It is performed by Positive Coating in La-Chaux-de-Fonds.
The Hands
The white gold Fleurs de Lys hands are a typical and now recognised shape for Czapek watches.
The Movement
Calibre SXH2, Haute Horlogerie proprietary mechanical hand-wound movement developed by Chronode and Czapek & Cie. Anthracite sand-blasted plate with hand-bevelling. Power reserve of 60 hours with one barrel spring. Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 VpH)
The Case
Titanium grade 5 case, 43.5 mm diameter, curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, sapphire crystal case back with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, water-resistance: 50 meters (5 atm).
Czapek & Cie
François Czapek was a Czech-born Polish watchmaker who fled to Geneva in 1832 after fighting in the Polish uprising. He immediately started his own atelier and in 1839 entered into a partnership with Antoine Norbert de Patek, introducing him to the world of watchmaking. In 1845, at the end of their partnership, he created Czapek & Cie and achieved considerable success. He became the official watchmaker of Napoleon III and opened, what was probably the first watchmaking boutique on the Place Vendome in Paris. He wrote a book about watchmaking, but unfortunately, he died before publishing a second one.
The name of Czapek & Cie was revived in 2015 with an exceptional collection, whose leading model won the Public Prize in the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in Geneva in November 2016. This collection takes its inspiration from an 1850’s Czapek time piece. It features a beautiful enamel dial and a 7-day proprietary movement perfectly combining craftsmanship with design and exclusivity with rarity. The Company’s second collection, a suspended Tourbillon with a second time-zone, was launched one year later in 2017, while the first Czapek chronograph, ‘Faubourg de Cracovie’, was unveiled at Baselworld 2018.
The company’s headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
Arab Watch Club
Arab Watch Club has been established in 2015 as the first club for watch enthusiasts and collectors in the Arab region gathering collectors from the Levant such as Syria and Lebanon to the entire gulf region. The club main objective is to bring more horological knowledge to the region but also to be the first facade of the Arab collectors to the International community. As of today, the club has released over 14 special limited editions created with some of the most amazing brands in the industry of which Czapek was the latest one. The club also started 2 years ago with their involvement with charity foundations creating a 50 pieces special watch for "Year of Zayed" with all sales donated to Zayed Foundation in 2018. It only made sense to continue along those lines with the partnership with Czapek & Cie.
Emirates Foundation
Emirates Foundation was launched on 12 April 2005 as an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Emirates Foundation is a national organization set up to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE, putting them at the forefront of economic, social, and human capital development through market-based research programs.
The Foundation works with public and private sector partners to meet national goals and respond to society’s most pressing challenges in the areas of youth empowerment & engagement, volunteering, and entrepreneurship powered by digital smart platforms and defined through data-driven market needs.