Czapek's Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Lightning is an 18-piece chronograph born from motor racing, with Calibre SXH3 beating at 5 Hz. Available now in the Middle East.
What Makes It Special
- Hand-cut Crossroads guilloché in Alloy 401, a proprietary blend of gold, platinum, palladium and silver coloured deep black, produced exclusively at Metalem in Geneva, gives the dial its track-inspired geometry.
- Limited to 18 pieces, each dedicated to Swiss racing driver Jacopo Mazza and the broader Czapek collector community.
- Calibre SXH3, built by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, beats at 5 Hz to measure elapsed time to the tenth of a second, with COSC chronometer certification and 65 hours of power reserve.
- The 41.5 mm stainless steel case carries a box sapphire crystal above and a sapphire case back below, exposing anthracite bridges finished by sandblasting and diamond blasting.
Design & Mechanics
Colour and geometry here come from a helmet, not a mood board.
The palette of black, silver and red traces directly to Jacopo Mazza’s racing helmet. Around the dial, a tachymeter scale in black with a dégradé red accent recalls the tool drivers once used to calculate speed over a fixed distance. The guilloché itself, developed with Metalem, uses wide-set straight lines that shift in relief as the wrist turns. Applied baton indexes, a double index at 12 o’clock and rhodium-plated arrow hands with SuperLuminova keep legibility intact under any light. Counters sit at 3 and 9 o’clock; small seconds and date land at 6.
Movement & Materials
Czapek asked Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier for a calibre that measures time the way a racing driver does: corner by corner, to the tenth.
The Calibre SXH3, created in 2018 to Czapek’s own specifications, beats at 5 Hz. That frequency captures the tenth of a second that can separate a pole position from a mid-field row. A column wheel governs the start-stop sequence; a vertical clutch engages the chronograph without a jump of the seconds hand. Resetting sends a linear hammer to return every counter to zero in one movement. Power reserve stands at 65 hours, and each watch is COSC-certified.
The case back opens onto anthracite bridges, sandblasted and diamond blasted, framed by snailed trottoirs. The strap, available in Alcantara or calf leather, closes with a deployant clasp.
Who It Is For
The Lightning was not designed for drivers alone.
Czapek’s CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel states: “It belongs to anyone who has ever given everything to a dream.” The 18-piece limit and the personal story behind the piece point toward a collector who values context as much as construction, someone already familiar with Czapek’s independent position in Geneva. Jacopo Mazza instructs at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Autodrome, and races in European GT championships, so the watch already carries a Gulf connection beyond the press release. For a collector in the region who watches motorsport or participates in track days, that provenance is specific rather than decorative.
Edition Details & Where to Find It
Availability is immediate through czapek.com, the Czapek boutique at 27 Quai des Bergues, Geneva, and the official retail network. For collectors attending Watches and Wonders in Geneva, the brand’s growing profile makes it a natural destination.
| Movement | Calibre SXH3, integrated automatic chronograph, 5 Hz, by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier; COSC-certified; 65-hour power reserve |
| Case size | 41.5 mm |
| Case material | Stainless steel, box sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Crossroads guilloché in black Alloy 401 (gold, platinum, palladium, silver); tachymeter scale with dégradé red accent; counters at 3 and 9; small seconds and date at 6; rhodium-plated arrow hands with SuperLuminova |
| Strap | Alcantara or calf leather with deployant clasp |
| Availability | Czapek boutique, 27 Quai des Bergues, Geneva; czapek.com; official retail network |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What movement powers the Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Lightning?
The watch houses the Calibre SXH3, an integrated automatic chronograph created in 2018 by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier to Czapek's own specifications. It beats at 5 Hz, allowing elapsed time to be read to the tenth of a second, and carries COSC chronometer certification with a 65-hour power reserve.
How many pieces of the Czapek Crossroads Lightning are being made?
The Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Lightning is strictly limited to 18 pieces.
Is the Czapek Crossroads Lightning available to buy in the Middle East?
The piece is available through czapek.com and Czapek's official retail network, which serves collectors across the Middle East, as well as directly from the Czapek boutique at 27 Quai des Bergues, Geneva.
What occasion or collector profile suits the Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Lightning?
Czapek positions the Lightning for anyone who commits fully to a pursuit, whether that is motor racing, another competitive discipline, or a professional ambition. The brand describes its community as people who 'give themselves completely to something, long before anyone is watching', making the piece appropriate for a driven collector rather than a casual one.
Who is the racing driver behind the Czapek Crossroads Lightning design?
The watch is inspired by Jacopo Mazza, a young Swiss driver who instructs at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Autodrome and races in European GT championships. The black, silver and red palette comes directly from his racing helmet.
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