François Czapek was an outstanding Czech-born Polish watchmaker who arrived in Switzerland in 1832. In 1839, he founded the watch company,  “Patek, Czapek & Cie” together with fellow Pole Antoine Patek.

In 1845, he founded another company, Czapek & Cie, which rapidly developed a reputation for timepieces with unique design that became very popular as gifts among Europe’s nobility. Czapek even became the purveyor of timepieces to the French Emperor, Napoléon III. At its' height, Czapek & Cie had boutiques in Geneva, Warsaw and on the prestigious Place Vendôme in Paris.

In 2013, three entrepreneurs with a deep appreciation of fine watchmaking came together to revive Czapek. They designed an innovative business model allowing watch fans to acquire shareholding equity in the brand and get privileged access to the watch collection. 

Czapek aims to become a directional Haute Horlogerie brand for watch collectors by watch collectors.

It represents the quest for beauty thanks to the measurement of time...A quest shared by the hundreds of watch lovers who have become shareholders since 2015 and participate directly in the rise of the Company. 

On November 10, 2015, the company was relaunched in front of journalists, friends and watchlovers in Geneva.

Czpek & Cie won the coveted Public Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve in 2016, a true recognition from a public of connoisseurs who rewarded the beauty and the horological quality of the Quai des Bergues No.33bis. Every year since, Czapek has launched a new collection with a new calibre: the Place Vendôme in 2017, the Faubourg de Cracovie in 2018.

The Company has raised more than CHF 3.5 million in 2 years and is now inviting fellow watch aficionados to join the current co-owners on their journey in re-building the brand and growing the Company.

The business model is based first on Czapek direct selling and selective distribution through twenty retailers which is being implemented.The goal is to have one in a number of key cities. The current points of sales of the brand include exclusive horlogeries in Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Vevey, Poznan, Warsaw, Prague, Madrid, Mexico and New York.

By essence the brand will be personal, limited in number of units produced (<1000 per year) and focused with a collection of 4 to 5 propietary movements spanning a price range of CHZF 10'000 to 500'000 to enable young collectors to access the brand and core collectors to complete their collection.

The shareholder base will give direct access to a first market through their first orders at shareholders prices, for themselves or a friend. Direct selling generates a very profitable business, even in these conditions. 

Czapek & Cie is the first Haute Horlogerie Company funded by watch lovers worldwide.  In the UK, the Czapek and Cie Branch No. BR017964 entitles UK investors to get the EIS tax relief while investing in the Top Company based in Switzerland.

Important notes:

The investment is in Swiss Francs. The price for each share is CHF 77 which at the agreed exchange rate is £62

Investors will be investing under a Shareholders agreement which can be found on the documents tab.

The Crowd for Angels pitch reflects the investment of its own members and that reported by the Czapek & Cie management team. Whilst we do ask for evidence of the committed funds from the company, these funds are not processed by Crowd for Angels.