1811
Marked the birth of Franciszek Czapek in Semonice, kingdom of Bohemia (nowadays Czech Republic). He emigrated to Poland with his family in his youth, retaining Czech and Polish citizenship.
1832
Franciszek fled to Switzerland following the collapse of the Polish uprising, in which he actively participated. A gifted watchmaker, he soon founded his first company, "Czapek & Moreau", with a local partner, and Gallicized his name to François.
1839
François Czapek and Antoine Norbert de Patek, both Polish emigrants, survivors of an insurrection that had forced them to flee, met in 1836. This encounter changed their lives. Czapek invited his countryman Patek to delve into the realm of watchmaking. Together they founded the company Patek, Czapek & Cie on May 1. 1839.
1845
The partnership between François Czapek and Antoine Norbert de Patek lasted six years, during which they created several exceptional timepieces. At the end of their contract, in April 1845, they dissolved the partnership. Both men continued producing timepieces. Czapek founded Czapek & Cie on May 1st, 1845, with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski.
1850
Czapek writes one of the first watchmaking treatise ever written in Polish.
1855
Czapek rises to become one of the great watchmakers of his time. In France, he becomes Purveyor to the Imperial Court, Watchmaker of His Imperial Highness, Prince Napoleon. At its height, his company has boutiques in Geneva, Warsaw and on Place Vendôme in Paris.
1871
2012
On December 12th, 2012, the Czapek company name is officially resurrected.
2013
The three entrepreneurs behind the revival decide to “share the company with fellow watch lovers.” First, though, they analyse a library of Czapek’s timepieces to steep themselves in his work and personality. In their own words: “We labored on new designs as though François himself were seated amongst us.”
2015
November 10: Czapek & Cie is officially launched in Geneva in the presence of journalists, friends and watch lovers. Fellow enthusiasts are given the opportunity to take part in Czapek’s renaissance by investing in the company by way of an equity crowdfunding campaign. It becomes the first haute horlogerie company revived by watch aficionados worldwide.
2014
November 10, 2016: Czapek & Cie wins the coveted Public Prize of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for the Quai des Bergues No. 33bis. The following years, the company introduces two new collections: the Place Vendôme, featuring a one-minute suspended tourbillon, a GMT function and a day/night indicator; and the Faubourg de Cracovie, a state-of-the-art integrated chronograph with vertical clutch and a 5-Hertz frequency.
2019
The first boutique of the resurrected Czapek & Cie is inaugurated in Geneva in the emblematic rue de la Corraterie, a few steps away from the Quai des Bergues, where François Czapek had his atelier in the 19th Century. The store opening marks an important milestone in the history of the brand.
2020
Czapek & Cie unveils the SXH5 caliber, the first movement to be entirely conceived and developed in-house by the Maison. The first limited editions of the Antarctique collection powered by the SXH5, sell out within a few weeks.
2022
In April 2022, the Company inaugurates its new Manufacture in La-Chaux-de-Fonds. The newly renovated, standalone premises now incorporate machining, milling and polishing capabilities to gain in manufacturing speed, as well as independence. 2023 also marks another milestone with the launch of the Place Vendome Complicité, a dual escapement timepiece with differential.
2024
To be
continued...
Return to the top