Czapek
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 40 mm Black Platinum
Photography on request
Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Czapek · Faubourg de Cracovie
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 40 mm Black Platinum
Reference 31211OR.75
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Czapek
- Collection
- Faubourg de Cracovie
- Model
- Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 40 mm Black Platinum
- Reference number
- 31211OR.75
- Year / era
- 1972 · 1970s — quartz-crisis era
- Complication
- Moon phase
- Movement
- In-house automatic
- Case material
- Platinum 950
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Water resistance
- 100 m
- Limited-edition status
- Limited edition of 50 pieces
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 40 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- Platinum 950
- Bezel
- Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Skeletonised sword hands, white luminescent
- Indexes
- Diamond-set hour markers
- Bracelet / strap
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 20A — In-house automatic
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Moon phase
- Functions
- Flying tourbillon, power reserve
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1972 – 1983
- Limited-edition quantity
- 50 pieces
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
In-house design studio
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 40 mm Black Platinum sits within Czapek's Faubourg de Cracovie line, introduced in 1972. It carries the house codes established since 1845 — platinum 950 case, black lacquer dial and in-house automatic — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
The House
Czapek
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1845
- Founder
- François Czapek
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Swiss & Independent
- Major collections
- Antarctique, Quai des Bergues, Place Vendome, Faubourg de Cracovie
- Signature technologies
- Certified chronometer regulation · Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- Micro-rotor automatic · Manual-winding, hand-finished · Satellite-hour automatic · In-house automatic
- Notable watches
- Czapek Antarctique 40 mm Salmon 18k (1980) · Czapek Antarctique 36 mm Blue Carbon (1958) · Czapek Antarctique 36 mm Ice Platinum (1966) · Czapek Antarctique 44 mm Ice Carbon (1963)
Brand history
Czapek has spent more than 181 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Antarctique, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
François Czapek established Czapek in 1845, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Czapek calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1845
François Czapek founds Czapek in Switzerland.
1885
Czapek earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Czapek to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Czapek enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Czapek continues to produce Antarctique, Quai des Bergues, Place Vendome and other icons in limited numbers.
More Faubourg de Cracovie
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 44 mm Meteorite Platinum
Ref. 38442OR.77
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 38 mm Skeletonised 18k
Ref. 87360OR.75
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 39 mm Mother-of-pearl Stainless
Ref. 65708ST.26
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 37 mm Green Sapphire
Ref. 23565OR.92
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 38 mm Slate Carbon
Ref. 42571OR.20