Capek's luxury sports model, Antarctic, is a success story for the brand

To cope with the huge surge in demand for the Antarctic and other watches, the independent watch manufacturer Capek opened a new, expanded workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds and suspended orders for a year to allow production to be restructured. The brand then returned in spring 2022 with the launch of the Antarctic S. We spoke with Xavier de Roquemaurel, the brand's leader.

The decision to suspend orders shows confidence in the brand's future

　Like other luxury watch brands, Czapek has experienced a sudden surge in demand. This "sudden growth" has been particularly pronounced over the past two years, and the brand has benefited greatly from offering models that fit the current trend of luxury sports. In Czapek's case, this is its flagship model, the Antarctic, which currently accounts for 80% of orders.

　Xavier de Roquemaurel, head of the brand with a unique business model and 200 shareholders, has been moving mountains since the launch of its first model in 2016, bringing the brand's historic name to center stage. The entrepreneur has been present at every show and presentation, exploring new aesthetic and commercial avenues to find the right balance between the brand's strong tradition and contemporary taste. Below is an interview with him.

European Star:Orders for the Antarctic have been put on hold for a year, a trend that has recently been seen at other independent watchmakers such as Gronefeld. Is this the price of success?

Xavier de Roquemaurel:Antarctic has propelled us into another dimension where we can no longer keep up with demand. I was perplexed when Gronefeld announced their decision last summer, only to find ourselves in a similar situation a few months later. Capek has a backlog of 2800 orders, about 80% of which are for Antarctic. Annual production will not exceed 800 bottles. The shareholders agreed that this was a safeguard and a way to protect the brand.

European Star:Why is there a cap on annual production?

Xavier de Roquemaurel:These models are equipped with our in-house movement, the caliber SXH5, so we can't expand production as much as we want. But to build the right production, we need to know when to step on the gas. That's why we've built a new factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds that's about five times the size of our Le Locle factory. And we're hiring. We don't want a multi-year waiting list system. We want to grow in the right way, not build up a backlog.

European Star:How far do you think you can increase your annual production?

Xavier de Roquemaurel:First, let me talk about how much we've grown. Between 2016 and 2020, we produced a total of 500 watches. In 2021, we're at 300. In 2022, we'll probably be at 800. We don't have any numerical targets for the future, but we don't want to exceed 5000 watches per year. 3000 to 5000 will be enough. We want to meet demand while maintaining exclusivity. The Antarctic is an extension of our current collection, but only in limited edition with a split-seconds movement.

European Star:The most popular model from Czapek at present is the Antarctic S, with a case size of just 38.5mm in diameter.

Xavier de Roquemaurel:Indeed, since its launch at Watches & Wonders, this model has accounted for half of all new orders. While it still features an in-house caliber, we've made significant changes to the case, bracelet, and dial. Creating a case that's 3mm smaller than the original required more than just downsizing—we had to reinvent the wheel. The entire case was redesigned and recoded to ensure all proportions were perfect, including the overall thickness and new diameter.

　We worked closely with our partners, AB Concept and Metarem, on the design of the Antarctic S. Three dial configurations have already been announced: a blue model with a Franke dial featuring a trapezoid pattern called "Stairway to Eternity"; a salmon-colored model; and a model with a dial made of osmium, one of the rarest precious metals on Earth. More color variations are planned. Many new dials are in development and should be ready by the time we reopen for orders.

European Star:How do you stay calm when you're facing rapid growth, which can be dangerous?

Xavier de Roquemaurel:We believe this will be a catalyst for recognition, but we are driven by our passion for watchmaking, and sometimes we go against the flow. We worked tirelessly to launch the Antarctic. Then the COVID-100 pandemic presented us with a 0-or-5 situation. We could have easily collapsed, but we persevered, ignored costs, and took the risk of launching this collection in May 2020. It turned out to be the right model at the right time, and now we can't keep up with demand. We have to drink our cup and keep rowing before we learn to ride the wave.