Robots, Rattrapantes & R.U.R.: Czapek’s Playful Take on Sci-Fi Horology
Will robots one day enslave us, or just keep us company on the wrist? Czapek clearly prefers the latter, because their latest Antarctique Rattrapante isn’t just a chronograph – it’s a conversation between man, machine, and a titanium-headed robot with mood-ring eyes.
Yes, you read that right. Meet the new Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’, where the split-seconds complication gets a sci-fi sidekick. As the chronograph runs, a tiny robot on the dial reacts in real time: hit start and its eyes glow yellow (think Shrikes from Mortal Engines), press stop and they flash red, reset and they cool off to blue. It’s playful, a little nerdy, and very, very Czapek.
Dial talk: robot language & laser art
Look closer and you’ll notice this isn’t just another Antarctique Rattrapante dial. The main chrono hand is crisp white, while the rattrapante hand is aluminium blue with a white tip. The peripheral seconds track and sub-dials are dotted with cryptic “XX” symbols – the so-called robot language of this watch, inspired by Predator’s Yautja alphabet but also a sly nod to Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel (yes, the “X” is his).
The robot head itself, crafted by MD’Art, is a feat of micro-engineering. Titanium, laser-engraved, hand-polished, and then topped off with eyes hand-painted in neon tones. Each set of eyes is basically its own miniature work of art, because of course it is.
Robots, a century in the making
This isn’t just whimsical watchmaking for the sake of it. The R.U.R. name reaches back to 1921, when Czech writer Karel Čapek first introduced the word robot to the world in his play Rossum’s Universal Robots. The play was a critique of unchecked industrialisation and spawned a century of dystopian sci-fi, from Blade Runner to Terminator. The irony? A hundred years later, Czapek – with almost the same name – flips that dark vision into a joyful wrist-mounted automaton.
Mechanics inside-out
Underneath the robot antics is some serious watchmaking. The Calibre SXH6, co-developed with Jean-François Mojon’s Chronode, literally turns the split-seconds mechanism inside out. Instead of hiding under the movement, the rattrapante is laid bare on the dial, anchored by twin column wheels (12 o’clock for the chronograph, 6 o’clock for the rattrapante). Press the pushers and you’ll see the horizontal clutch engage, the clamps snap, and the two column wheels dance opposite one another.
And yes, the robot’s eye-changes are directly linked to the column wheel clicks. Function meets fun.
A hidden trick: the isolator
Czapek didn’t just copy-paste a rattrapante. This calibre hides an isolator system that decouples the split-seconds wheel to reduce drag and improve accuracy. In other words: it’s haute horlogerie with a nerdy sense of humour.
Haute horlogerie meets sci-fi
Flip it over and you’re back in more familiar territory: a 5N recycled rose gold rotor, bead-blasted bridges with hand-polished bevels, satin wheels, black-polished screws – the works. The 42.5mm case sits on Czapek’s famously comfortable integrated bracelet, brushed with polished C-links that echo the movement’s finishing. Power reserve? 60 hours. Frequency? 4Hz. Production? Just 77 pieces.
The Collector’s Dossier: Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.
Functions
- Split-second monopusher chronograph, hours, minutes & seconds
- Chronograph minutes counter at 4:30
- Small seconds at 7:30
- Split-second pusher at 10:30
- Rattrapante ON/OFF indicator at 6:00
- Robot head at 12:00 indicates chrono state (yellow = running, red = stopped, blue = reset)
Case
- 42.5mm stainless steel case
- Lug to lug: 46.6mm
- Height with glass box: 15.3mm (perceived height: 10.5mm)
- Sapphire crystal glass-box with AR coating
- Sapphire caseback with inner AR treatment
- Water resistance: 12 ATM
- Screwed-down crown
Movement
- Calibre SXH6 automatic split-second monopusher chronograph
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
- Variable inertia balance wheel
- Two column wheels, horizontal clutch
- 49 jewels, 441 components
- Diameter: 34mm
- Rotor: Recycled 5N rose gold with Czapek logo
Bracelet & Straps
- Integrated stainless steel bracelet with “Easy Release” system & micro-adjustment
- Complementary rubber strap
- Optional calf leather strap
Price & Availability
- Limited to 77 pieces
- Retail: CHF 58,000 (before taxes) (~RM304,412)
- Available September 5, 2025, via Czapek retailers, Geneva boutique (18 rue de la Corraterie), and Czapek.com
