Key Highlights
- Two limited editions: Antarctique Frozen Meteor in 40.5mm (38 pieces) and Antarctique S Frozen Meteor in 38.5mm (25 pieces)
- Dials cut from Gibeon meteorite — sourced from a mass that fell over present-day Namibia approximately 600 million years ago — with a layered denim-blue lacquer finish
- Every dial carries a unique Widmanstätten crystal pattern; no two pieces are identical
- New V2 integrated stainless steel bracelet with tighter tolerances, satin undersides, and a redesigned push-button clasp
- Powered by in-house Calibre SXH5, 30mm x 4.2mm, 60-hour power reserve, platinum micro-rotor in 100% recycled 950 platinum
- Passage de Drake Black Ink and Ice White discontinued in both case sizes from 30 June 2026
- Orders open now; deliveries begin September 2026
The Essential Details
The Frozen Meteor editions follow directly from the Antarctique Green Meteor of 2024, which first brought the particular logic of meteorite dials to the collection.
Both new references use dials produced by GT Cadrans, near Lausanne, from slices of the Gibeon meteorite. That mass — a classifiable octahedrite iron-nickel — fell over what is now Namibia in prehistoric times and is estimated at roughly 600 million years old. Each disc is acid-washed and hand-polished to expose the full geometry of its Widmanstätten lines before any tinting begins. Where the Green Meteor retained a warmer register, the Frozen Meteor applies successive layers of light blue lacquer, polished to a precise finish, that reads less saturated than Czapek’s Cosmic Blue and distinctly colder than the Aqua tone. The result is the quality of raw denim: blue without being vivid, metallic without being grey.
Design & Coherence
The denim blue was chosen for its resonance with the brushed surfaces of the stainless steel case.
The faceted trapezoid indexes and sword-shaped hands of the Antarctique are left in their characteristic simplicity, ceding visual authority to the dial’s crystalline architecture. Because the Widmanstätten pattern is determined by the plane of the cut — not any repeatable process — the geometry differs across every single slice. Each of the 38 pieces in the 40.5mm edition and each of the 25 in the 38.5mm carries a dial that cannot be duplicated.
Movement & Materials
Calibre SXH5 remains the technical and emotional core of the Antarctique line.
Conceived entirely in-house and introduced with the collection in 2020, it measures 30mm in diameter and 4.2mm in height, housing 193 components across 28 jewels. The movement runs at 4 Hz via a Swiss lever escapement with a variable-inertia balance wheel regulated by four gold inertia-blocks, and delivers 60 hours of power reserve from a single barrel at 8.8 Nmm torque. The off-centre micro-rotor is produced in 100% recycled 950 platinum, a material chosen for its density, which guarantees optimal inertia within an extremely compact footprint. Seven skeletonised bridges, their silhouette drawn from the architecture of François Czapek‘s 19th-century pocket watches, arrange the gear train for visual transparency. Finishing is consistent with Fondation Haute Horlogerie standards: sandblasted black bridges, straight-grained flanks, open ratchets, and six hand-chamfered inward angles.
The V2 Bracelet and Portfolio Context
The V2 bracelet is a revision of execution, not of identity.
Its C-shaped polished central links and brushed outer surfaces are unchanged from the original. What differs is the precision throughout: tighter machining tolerances produce sharper transitions at edges and angles, less play between links, and certain undersides refined from a brushed to a satin finish for better geometric fidelity. The clasp has been redesigned entirely, replacing the previous rotating mechanism with an ergonomic push-button release operable by thumb without tools. The bracelet is now fully disassemblable, simplifying after-sales refinishing. The system is already rolling out across current Antarctique S, steel, and titanium models; V1 bracelet owners may upgrade through Czapek’s authorised service network at a preferential owner price.
Alongside the Frozen Meteor release, Czapek confirms the discontinuation of the Passage de Drake Black Ink and Ice White — in both case sizes — from 30 June 2026. The decision, described by CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel as an act of curation rather than retirement, is consistent with the brand’s position that a smaller, more intentional portfolio serves collectors better in the long term. Watches and Wonders has become the principal showcase for this kind of portfolio discipline, and Czapek’s approach here follows that same editorial logic.
Both editions are available to order through Czapek authorised retailers worldwide, the boutique in Geneva, and at czapek.com. Deliveries begin September 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What case sizes are available for the Czapek Antarctique Frozen Meteor?
The Frozen Meteor is offered in two sizes: 40.5mm, limited to 38 pieces, and 38.5mm (the Antarctique S Frozen Meteor), limited to 25 pieces.
What makes the dial of the Frozen Meteor different from other Antarctique models?
The dial is cut from the Gibeon meteorite — an octahedrite iron-nickel mass that fell over present-day Namibia roughly 600 million years ago — and treated with a layered light blue lacquer to produce the denim blue tone. Because the Widmanstätten crystal pattern varies with every slice of the raw mass, no two dials share the same geometry.
What movement powers the Czapek Antarctique Frozen Meteor?
Both sizes are powered by Calibre SXH5, Czapek's first fully in-house movement. It measures 30mm across and 4.2mm in height, runs at 4 Hz (28,800 vph), delivers 60 hours of power reserve, and is wound by an off-centre micro-rotor in 100% recycled 950 platinum.
What changed in the V2 bracelet compared to the previous version?
The V2 bracelet retains the same design language as its predecessor but achieves tighter machining tolerances throughout, producing sharper edges, reduced play between links, and a more defined feel on the wrist. The clasp has been redesigned with an ergonomic push-button release operable by thumb without tools, replacing the earlier rotating locking mechanism.
When will the Czapek Antarctique Frozen Meteor be available to order?
Both editions are available to order through Czapek authorised retailers, the Geneva boutique, and czapek.com, with deliveries beginning in September 2026.
