ANTARCTIQUE PASSAGE DE DRAKE BLACK INK 12

It exudes a feeling of preciousness, but could also be worn and admired in everyday life. The Passage de Drake, named after the English explorer Sir Francis Drake, the Drake Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans between Cape Horn (the southernmost point of South America) and the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic. The stormy seas and icy conditions make it one of the most challenging places to navigate and sailors say to prepare yourself for an experience somewhere between bad and terrifying!

There's more to haute horlogerie than virtuosic complications. Movement design, rare and fine finishing, selected materials or intricate case surfaces, and attention to detail, are all key factors that increase a timepiece's value. On the dial, the date window is positioned at 6 o'clock to maintain the Czapek aesthetics based on vertical symmetry. The hand's design is reminiscent of a sword, sporty and easy to read, as well as the three-dimensional indexes. The 40.5mm stainless steel case is integrated with an original double ‘trompe l'oeil’ curve, another unconventional design choice that makes this timepiece unique and exclusive.

The new Antarctique Passage de Drake collection takes the sport-chic case design of the Antarctique Terre Adélie line and pairs it with an atypical trapezoid dial motif whose three-dimensional stamped surface creates a play of shadows across the dial. “This unique dial design is called the ‘Stairway to Eternity’ and was actually our initial concept dial for the Antarctique, as we were looking for a signature dial design that would be very different from anything else, but it was such a lengthy process to perfect that we launched with another dial, based on a forgotten workmanship technique, the combed ‘lamé’ dials,” shares Czapek & Cie. CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel. “We finally discovered the perfect motif when our designer accidentally enlarged the trapezoids by 50% without realizing it, and it looked amazing. That’s the beauty of mistakes!” All Czapek designs are officially registered, demonstrating the company’s directional approach.