Mario Canonizado 
The Polish-born, Swiss-based brand is redefining the meaning of ‘drip’ with this new version of the Goutte d’Eau – this time, with decadent diamonds and sapphires!
When freely browsing all the watch world has to offer, one might eventually stumble upon the jewellery watch subgenre. This ‘niche within a niche’ typically involves the merging of haute horlogerie (high watchmaking) with haute joaillerie (high jewellery). Simply put, jewellery watches are often regarded as the perfect marriage of watchmaking and jewellery craftsmanship at the highest possible level.
While you might think that the practice of embedding egregious amounts of precious stones into timepieces is uncommon, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Ever since people could tell the time with a set of hands, the privileged few who could afford it have sought out the most ostentatious, ambitious, and spectacular jewellery watches in the world — either to keep as prized heirlooms or to wear as the talk of the town. In the modern watch landscape, the practice is — perhaps unsurprisingly — still alive and well today. It seems, then, that the desires of horology’s most elite enthusiasts may never be fully satisfied.
While the prospective buyer is certainly spoiled for choice in the jewellery watch sector — what with established brands like Cartier and BVLGARI having dominated the niche for decades — it’s always refreshing to see new competitors entering the fray. This is where Czapek & Cie. comes in. Founded in 1845 by Franciszek Czapek, one-time business partner of the legendary Antoni Patek, the brand was resurrected in 2012 after a long hibernation. Now headed by businessman and watch aficionado Xavier de Roquemarel, the independent brand serves to honour Czapek’s long-lost legacy by creating timepieces that are distinctive in both aesthetic design and technical mastery.
One such watch was the Promenade Goutte d’Eau (‘drops of water’), released at Watches & Wonders 2024. While the exterior design and movement technology met the incredible standards expected of Czapek, it was the dial that became the Goutte d’Eau’s most significant talking point. Made from blue enamel, it simulated drops of water radiating outwards from the small seconds sub-dial. Now, for 2025, Czapek has decided to elevate the model even further — not with enamel this time, but with a dazzling replacement: diamonds and sapphires.
Related Reading: Five Brands You Missed at Watches & Wonders 2024 (Part 1)
With over six hundred round-cut diamonds and sapphires adorning the dial, the Czapek Promenade Diamond Drops shines even brighter than its original counterpart. While the ripple pattern echoes the same design seen on the Goutte d’Eau, the Czapek team has opted to snow-set the gems into an 18k white gold dial. In snow-setting, diamonds of varying sizes are arranged in a seemingly random pattern, leaving as little visible metal as possible. Combined with the contrasting white and blue tones of the diamonds and sapphires, the result is a dial that leaves little to be desired on the aesthetic front.
The haute joaillerie continues with the 18k white gold case, which measures a modest 38mm wide, 42mm long, and 10.8mm thick. These universally appealing dimensions — though perhaps on the smaller side for some — do nothing to undercut the watch’s brilliance or wrist presence. This is thanks in large part to white gold being significantly denser than stainless steel, as well as the additional 173 round-cut diamonds set into the bezel.
Of course, as alluded to, the artistry of the Promenade Diamond Drops doesn’t lie solely in its delicately bejewelled exterior, but also in its sophisticated interior. Turning the watch over reveals the in-house Calibre SXH5.1 automatic movement—Czapek’s own engine powering this object of sheer extravagance.
Beating at the luxury standard of 4Hz (28,800vph) with a respectable 60-hour power reserve, the movement has received three significant upgrades: a Swiss lever escapement, which controls the flow of energy through the movement; a variable inertia balance, enhancing stability and precision; and, most importantly, a platinum micro-rotor. This downsized rotor not only frees up space to showcase the intricacies of a movement as horologically refined as the SXH5.1, but also grants the wearer a clear view of what might be — without exaggeration — one of the most beautiful watch movements I’ve ever seen.
My Thoughts
So, while the Czapek Promenade Diamond Drops won’t be for everyone — whether due to its bold artistry or the very real financial barrier — it still boasts a number of qualities that anyone but the most cynical gatekeepers of the watch world can appreciate. Whether it’s Czapek’s clear commitment to horological excellence through its meticulously crafted movement, the surprisingly wearable dimensions, or simply the fact that the whole thing is gloriously over-the-top, the Promenade Diamond Drops always has something worth admiring.
I’ve always had a soft spot for micro and independent brands. As a result, seeing Czapek not only succeed, but do so while maintaining full creative freedom, is music to my ears. And while a piece like this is clearly purpose-built for its ten lucky owners rather than us mere mortals, it’s always heartening to know that in a world where watches are often dismissed as irrelevant relics, there are still corners of the industry thriving harder than ever.
Reference: 7811
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 38mm case diameter x 42mm lug-to-lug x 10.8mm thickness
- Case Material: 18k white gold, bezel set with 173 round-cut diamonds (approx. 1.63ct)
- Dial: 18k white gold, snow-set with 679 round-cut diamonds & sapphires (approx. 3.08ct), heat-blued hands
- Movement: Automatic Cal. SXH5.1 with platinum micro-rotor, variable inertia balance, Swiss lever escapement, & small seconds complication
- Power Reserve: 60h
- Beat Rate: 4Hz (28,800VpH)
- Water Resistance: 50m (5bar)
- Strap: Blue nubuck leather with 18k gold pin buckle
