THE ANTARCTIQUE RATTRAPANTE ‘R.U.R.’
ONCE WERE ROBOTS…
Will robots rule all our lives one day? Or will Czapek’s Rare People escape that fate? Might the answer be found in Czapek & Cie’s new Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’, where a robot adds a playful animation to the mechanics revealed beneath the grey-metallised sapphire dial? As the chronograph function is activated, the robot’s eyes change colour: press start, the eyes turn yellow (recalling Shrike in the movie Mortal Engines). Stop: they turn red. And on reset they turn blue.
TRIBUTE TO KAREL ČAPEK
The Czapek team’s discovery that the word robot had been introduced to the wider world exactly a century earlier by another man called Čapek (with the Czech spelling), made the rattrapante-with-robot idea irresistible. A prominent Czech intellectual, Karel Čapek was deeply concerned about the scientific materialism that emerged in the early 20th century. His play, R.U.R. – Rossum’s Universal Robots, about mechanical men that were built to work on factory assembly lines but that rebel against their human masters, was a critique of the dehumanising potential of science and technology.
OPEN-WORKED BEAUTY
Created in collaboration with Jean-François Mojon of Chronode, Czapek’s Calibre SXH6 effectively turns the split-seconds chronograph movement inside-out to reveal the beauty of the rattrapante mechanism. While a chronograph mechanism is normally on the underside of a calibre, in the Antarctique Rattrapante the split-seconds mechanism takes centre stage on the dial side. A tripod bridge in the centre holds down a patented satellite minute train and split-second mechanism. Each half of the movement is visually anchored by a column wheel – one at 12 for the chronograph and one at 6 for the split-seconds mechanism. The entire operation of the chronograph mechanism is laid open for the viewer to enjoy: the engagement of the horizontal clutch, the action of the rattrapante clamps, and the way that the two column wheels work opposite one another and in tandem with the activation of the two pushers.
AN INGENIOUS MECHANISM: THE ISOLATOR
A split-seconds chronograph is one of watchmaking's most prestigious complications – distinguished from regular chronographs by a pair of clamps that instantly immobilises one of the chronograph wheels when the split-seconds pusher is activated. Meanwhile, the other chronograph hand continues to count the time. When the clamps are released, the immobilised hand will ‘catch up’ (rattraper in French) with its companion.
In the bowels of its split-second mechanism, the Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R. hides an ingenious mechanism: an isolator. Thanks to a lever, the isolator enables the split-seconds mechanism to completely decouple the two chronograph seconds wheels without generating friction in the rest of the mechanism. This sharply reduces the chronometric disturbances that may occur during use of the split-second function. With this additional function, the R.U.R. represents a step forward in the construction of the Czapek split-second chronograph.
HAUTE HORLOGERIE FINISHING
Czapek’s calibres are distinguished by a wealth of haute horlogerie hand-finishing on the components, creating a play of light that amplifies the beauty of the movement architecture. On the dial, the mirror-polished heads of the screws and column wheels and the hand-bevelled levers and bridges contrast with the matte sandblasted finish of the main plate. On the reverse side, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, an oscillating weight made of 5N recycled rose gold is complemented by matte bead-blasted bridges outlined by hand-polished chamfers and other finishes including circular satin-polished wheels and black-polished screws. The rotor winds a single barrel that provides the 4Hz movement with 60 hours of running autonomy. Complementing the sleek design of the 42.5 mm. case, the integrated bracelet echoes the movement finishing with its combination of brushed surfaces and highly polished C-shaped links.
THE MOVEMENT
A glance at the SHX6, Czapek’s proprietary calibre created in collaboration with Chronode, is a work of art from the mechanical and aesthetic standpoint. For one, the number and thickness of the main components had to be reduced to make sure the timepiece would keep its streamlined look and feel and fit well into the 42.5-millimeter case. “As with the classic chronograph, the split-second runs on energy tapped from the second wheel,” explains Xavier. “This time, we favoured a horizontal clutch rather than a vertical one to highlight the aesthetics of the transmission”.Furthermore, to ensure the streamlined look of the watch, the number of parts and their thickness was reduced to a minimum. Everything had to fit in the 42.5-millimeter case.
EVERY DETAIL COUNTS
But there’s more, since January 2022, this bracelet also features a micro-adjustment system, allowing the wearer to extend its lenght by few milimeters in an instant. An additional strap is provided, as Czapek has developed an exclusive quick-change system allowing the wearer to switch from one strap to another in a minute. A large choice of straps is now offered to provide a maximum versatility and playful experience. A range of rubber straps whose pattern recalls the "Stairway to Eternity" design on the Passage de Drake dial are available. A selection of soft calf straps with contrasting topstitches can be also order on demand.
ORDERS OPEN ON
SEPTEMBER 5th 3PM CET
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS WATCH
