First Look at the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante “R.U.R.” Watch Review
A Creative & Technical Update to Czapek's Signature Rattrapante
Czapek’s latest Antarctique brings the split-seconds chronograph to the dial side and adds a small titanium “robot” whose eyes change color to indicate run, stop, and reset in sync with the column wheel. The watch remains a daily-wear sports piece—steel case, integrated bracelet, and 12 ATM water resistance—produced in a run of 77 pieces with deliveries slated to begin on September 5, 2025.
Why It Matters
Dial-side rattrapantes are rare, and making one both legible and robust is rarer still. Czapek’s solution is to turn the chronograph inside-out: twin column wheels, a horizontal clutch you can watch engage, and an isolator that decouples the split-seconds train to reduce parasitic friction and keep the rate stable while you time splits. The result is mechanical theater with practical timekeeping—very much in keeping with the Antarctique line’s brief.
Movement
Calibre SXH6 is automatic, beats at 4 Hz, and runs for roughly 60 hours. More important is the architecture: the rattrapante mechanism sits on the dial side under a central tripod bridge, anchored by two column wheels (chronograph at 12, split at 6), so you can see the clamps, levers, and clutch work in real time. Finishing alternates matte, linear-satin, and black-polished steel; winding is via a recycled 5N rose-gold rotor. The movement uses 49 jewels and—per the brand’s latest update—441 components.
Mounted directly over the chronograph’s column wheel, the “robot” turns the watch’s state changes into color you can read at a glance: yellow when the chronograph is running, red when it’s stopped, and blue when it’s reset. Because it’s mechanically indexed to the column wheel, each press of the pusher advances the mechanism and flips the eyes without electronics or gimmicks—just levers, springs, and precise tolerances. It’s playful, yes, but also practical: you always know whether the chronograph is live, paused, or back at zero without tracking the hands or sub-registers.
What's "R.U.R."?
The name nods to Karel Čapek’s 1921 play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), which popularized the word “robot”; Czapek leans into that reference as a light, slightly mischievous way to talk about technology through levers and springs. Execution details matter here: the head is milled in titanium, hand-polished, laser-engraved, and micro-painted for vibrancy at this scale.
Wrist Size: 6.5 in / 16.5 cm
Design & Wear
Dimensions are familiar to anyone who’s tried the Antarctique Rattrapante: 42.5 mm in diameter, 46.6 mm lug-to-lug, and 15.3 mm in overall height with a box sapphire crystal; visually it reads thinner—about 10.5 mm from bezel to caseback—thanks to how the crystal and back are profiled. A sapphire back, screw-down crown, and 12 ATM rating round out the case spec. On the wrist, alternating brushed and polished facets echo the movement’s mix of textures and keep the look squarely in the Antarctique family.
Dial & Legibility
A grey-metallized sapphire minutes ring and registers float above the mechanics to preserve contrast. The central chronograph seconds hand is white; the split-seconds hand is blue with a white tip; the primary hands are lume-filled swords—choices that keep the display readable even with the movement on show. Sub-registers sit at roughly 4:30 (30-minute counter) and 7:30 (small seconds); the split-seconds pusher is around 10:30, with an on/off indicator at 6:00 and the robot’s status up at 12.
Bracelet & Strap
The integrated steel bracelet uses Czapek’s Easy Release system and adds a micro-adjust for quick sizing tweaks. A rubber strap is included in the box, and calf leather is available on request—useful if you want to shift the watch toward dressier territory without losing the integrated silhouette.
Final Thoughts & Availability
Since its launch, the Antarctique has been Czapek’s modern platform—a steel, integrated-bracelet collection that pairs crisp casework with movements designed to be looked at as much as they’re worn. The first dial-side rattrapante set the tone; this edition refines the idea, keeping legibility front-and-center while adding a clear, playful narrative.
The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante “R.U.R.” is a limited edition of just 77 pieces, and is available now at collectivehorology.com. Get in touch with your questions. And thanks as always for reading and for supporting independent watchmaking.