Czapek Returns to Quai des Bergues with a New Geneva Flagship and Two Limited Editions

Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” and Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue mark a historic homecoming for the independent Swiss Maison.

Geneva has always occupied a special place in the history of Czapek & Cie. Nearly two centuries after François Czapek established his first watchmaking business on Quai des Bergues, the Maison has returned to the very same waterfront with the opening of its new flagship boutique at Quai des Bergues 27.

More than simply inaugurating a new retail space, the occasion marks a symbolic homecoming. Timed with Geneva Watch Days 2026, Czapek celebrates this new chapter with two limited editions that reflect different sides of the Maison’s identity: the elegant Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” in a newly introduced 40.5 mm stainless steel case, and the highly technical Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue, created in collaboration with master watchmaker Bernhard Lederer and limited to only ten pieces.

Back to the roots

The story begins in the nineteenth century. François Czapek, a Czech-born Polish watchmaker, arrived in Geneva after fleeing the political turmoil that followed the Warsaw uprising of 1830. In 1839, he established his first company on Quai des Bergues together with fellow Polish and Genevan partners, creating an atelier that would become home to some of the most prestigious watches of its era.

After the partnership ended in 1845, François Czapek founded Czapek & Cie and went on to become one of the most respected watchmakers of his generation. His journey eventually led him to Paris, where he opened the first watchmaking boutique on Place Vendôme and became Purveyor to the Imperial Court of Napoleon III.

When the modern Czapek & Cie was revived in 2015 by a group of passionate entrepreneurs, its very first collection was named Quai des Bergues as a tribute to this remarkable chapter in the brand’s history. Opening a flagship boutique on the same quay therefore represents far more than a prestigious address—it reconnects the contemporary Maison with its origins.

A different kind of flagship

Located at Quai des Bergues 27, the new boutique introduces a completely new store concept developed together with design agency Live Teams. Rather than following the traditional luxury watch retail model, the space has been conceived as an environment for conversation, discovery and collecting.

Raw stone walls reference Geneva’s historic streets, while American walnut furniture and midnight blue Alcantara introduce warmth and texture. One of the most noticeable decisions is the absence of a traditional sales counter. Instead, visitors encounter shared tables and open display stands that encourage them to explore the watches naturally, reinforcing the Maison’s belief that collecting begins with dialogue rather than transaction.

The boutique also features sculptural works by Polish artist Oskar Zięta. His mirror-polished Rondo sculptures reflect both the architecture of the space and the people within it, creating an ever-changing visual experience that complements Czapek’s emphasis on craftsmanship and individuality. A dedicated living room offers a more intimate setting for discussions surrounding watchmaking, collector services and vintage pieces, while the main gallery presents the complete breadth of the Maison’s collections.

Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” returns in 40.5 mm

The first commemorative release revisits one of the Maison’s most poetic creations. In 2019, when Czapek opened its first modern boutique in Geneva, it introduced the Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva”, a limited edition of eighteen pieces distinguished by its deep blue aventurine dial and hand-wound seven-day movement. For 2026, that idea returns in an entirely new format.

The new Midnight in Geneva adopts the recently introduced 40.5 mm case, becoming the third size within the Quai des Bergues collection. The proportions have been carefully refined while preserving the characteristic curved silhouette and distinctive lug architecture that define the model. Subtle changes to the case-side recesses and lug geometry improve the overall fit across a broader range of wrist sizes without altering the visual identity of the watch.

The most striking element remains the dial. Crafted from dark blue aventurine glass, its surface captures countless sparkling mineral inclusions that resemble a night sky above Geneva. Aventurine is notoriously difficult to work with due to its fragile nature, and Czapek developed a particularly intricate construction for this version. Instead of machining recessed sub-dials directly into the material, the main aventurine dial is cut completely through, allowing the small seconds and power reserve displays to sit on an underlying metal plate only 0.4 mm thick. The result preserves both the structural integrity of the aventurine and the visual depth of the dial.

Elongated Roman numerals reinforce the classical elegance of the collection, while the silver powder-coated steel Fleur-de-Lys hands provide a distinctive historical signature. Small seconds are positioned at 7:30, while the power reserve indicator with English weekdays sits at 4:30, giving the watch its unmistakable asymmetrical layout.

Inside beats the proprietary hand-wound Calibre SXH1, a haute horlogerie movement offering more than seven days of power reserve through twin barrels. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the calibre features open bridges, hand-finished anglage, circular graining, heat-blued screws and the meticulous decorative finishing expected from Czapek’s traditional approach to movement architecture.

Like its predecessor, the new Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” is limited to just eighteen numbered pieces – a subtle reference to Rue de la Corraterie 18, the address of Czapek’s first modern boutique where the original edition was introduced in 2019.

Technical Specifications – Czapek Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva”

Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue

Alongside the Midnight in Geneva, Czapek also unveils a completely different expression of haute horlogerie with the Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue.

Limited to only ten pieces, this platinum timepiece continues a project born from the friendship between Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel and renowned independent watchmaker Bernhard Lederer. The name “Complicité” reflects precisely that relationship—a collaboration between two creators united by a shared vision of mechanical innovation.

At the heart of the watch lies one of its most fascinating features: two independent balance wheels oscillating in opposite directions. Each balance is governed by its own escapement, while a differential positioned at 12 o’clock continuously reconciles any variation between their respective rates. Rather than relying on a single regulating organ, the architecture creates a dynamic mechanical dialogue between two oscillators working simultaneously.

This extraordinary mechanism is displayed openly on the dial side. The Glacier Blue edition introduces a light blue PVD-treated grainé main plate that provides a cool, textured backdrop for the exposed mechanics. Rhodium-plated faceted hour markers and partially skeletonised sword hands maintain excellent legibility without distracting from the movement beneath.

The proprietary manually wound Calibre 8 comprises 293 components and delivers a 72-hour power reserve, indicated between the two balance wheels. Every balance features variable inertia with four adjustment screws and four weights, while both Breguet terminal curve balance springs are carefully tuned to operate together as part of the regulating system.

The finishing is equally impressive. Two sapphire bridges reveal the complete gear train from the front, supported by six rubies set in gold chatons. Turning the watch over reveals eighteen inward angles, each individually hand-chamfered, together with bridges and main plates finished entirely by hand.

The 41.8 mm platinum case features hollowed-out sandblasted lugs, a domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment and water resistance to 50 metres. Completing the watch is an alligator strap secured by a platinum pin buckle integrated into a titanium folding clasp.

Technical Specifications – Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue

Two watches, one philosophy

Although they belong to very different worlds, both limited editions perfectly illustrate Czapek’s contemporary identity.

The Quai des Bergues “Midnight in Geneva” celebrates history, elegance and traditional Genevan aesthetics through aventurine and a beautifully proportioned seven-day hand-wound movement. The Place Vendôme Complicité Glacier Blue instead explores independent haute horlogerie at its most experimental, placing an extraordinary double escapement and differential system openly on display.

Together with the opening of Quai des Bergues 27, these two releases reinforce the same message: Czapek continues to build its future by remaining closely connected to the place where its story first began nearly two hundred years ago.

For more information, please visit the official Czapek website.

Explore the releases of 2026.