Fratello and Czapek put the SXH7 on display with the Promenade Transparencies “Viridian Green”
Borna Bošnjak- A green sapphire dial and a skeletonised movement are the highlights of Fratello’s latest collaboration with Czapek.
- Using the brand’s new Promenade collection as a base, the Transparencies “Viridian Green” is cased in steel, and measures in at 38mm in diameter.
- The watch is limited to 50 pieces, with pre-order deposits being accepted starting 06/12/2024, and deliveries expected in July 2025. Price: €32,000.
Paris. The epicentre of fashion, art, cuisine, and all the fine things one could wish for. Back in the day, that also included watchmaking. While French watchmaking has seen a resurgence across the board in the last couple of years, the latest Czapek and Fratello collab looks to tribute a particular colour developed in Paris in the mid-19th century, also lending its name to the watch. The Czapek Promenade Transparencies “Viridian Green” does have a lengthy name, and both the recipe and result are equal parts deceptively simple, and quite phenomenal.
Let’s start with the main event. For any watch in the Promenade collection (thus far), that would be the dial, and the situation is no different here. Using a translucent viridian green sapphire disk as a base, Czapek and Fratello are exposing the SXH7 movement beneath. Thanks to the tinted finish of the sapphire though, the Promenade “Viridian Green” doesn’t shout about its openworkedness. The dial also sports a fairly noticeable gradient finish, which starts at the small seconds sub-dial and darkens as it radially expands.
Angle it just right though, and the light completely shines through the gaping space in the movement and the green dial – and Fratello’s shots show this off beautifully. Not only do you get the light peering through the big spaces, it’s all the little gaps of the skeletonised bridges that come alive that make it a sight to behold. Unlike many skeletonised watches, the Promenade Transparencies is still fairly legible – or at least as the important hands go – as the printed small seconds gets a bit lost as it floats above the fourth wheel and its adjacents under certain light. Although you probably won’t have a strong backlight emanating from your wrist that would cause this issue.
The 38mm steel case is unchanged from previous Promenade models, and there’s nothing to complain about here. Its softened shape is mostly polished, with a bead-blasted portion hiding within the scalloped lug sides that flow into Czapek’s signature crown guards that have been completely minimised here. With a height of 10.8mm and a lug-to-lug of 42mm, this is as good as it gets for a more dressed up daily wearer. A 50-metre water-resistance rating is a welcome addition, and one that’s not guaranteed for this style of watch.
Contrary to what I just said, Fratello and Czapek chose to fit a pretty casual green cordura strap to the Promenade “Viridian Green”, complete with curved spring bars to really integrate it into the case. While this is a decision in the sporty direction, Czapek does offer the Promenade on a wide range of leather straps, as well as a curved-link Milanese mesh that would look absolutely killer on this watch.
Flipping the Promenade Transparencies over will give you the best look of the SXH7 movement that’s ever so slightly obscured by the tinting of the dial. Its layout may look somewhat familiar, and you’d be right to think so, as it’s lifted from the Antarctique Révélation released last year. However, instead of the darkened bridge and cock surfaces of that particular SXH7, everything is finished in a tonal silver here. That does mean that there’s less contrast, but the raised, polished edges of the bridges and polished surrounds of the jewel bearings still look just as beautiful, as does the overall movement layout – as we’ve become accustomed to from Czapek.
If you’re thinking that the SXH7 looks a lot like Czapek’s widely used SXH5, you’d be right again, though it’s far from just a skeletonised variant of that movement. Czapek made several modifications to make it more pleasing to the eye for its all-on-show format. You’ll notice the balance wheel is now front-and-centre on the dial rather than the caseback, while the seconds moves to a sub-dial at 04:30 to allow it to be driven by the fourth wheel, rather than needing additional bridges to support the indirect central seconds of the SXH5. This has no effect in terms of stated performance, which is still commendable with a 4Hz beat rate and 60-hour power reserve.
The Czapek Promenade Goutte d’Eau is already part of our roundup of the best blue dials (its guilloché variants aren’t too shabby either), and I’m sure I won’t be the only one to agree that the Promenade Transparencies deserves a shot at the green list. While it does seem like Czapek’s best work is often produced in limited quantities, the Transparencies “Viridian Green” is an excellent proof that the Promenade shape and layout works well in a skeletonised format too.
Czapek Promenade Transparencies “Viridian Green” x Fratello pricing and availability
The Czapek Promenade Transparencies “Viridian Green” x Fratello launches on 06/12/2024, with deliveries expected in July of 2025. It’s limited to 50 pieces, and available from the Fratello Shop. Price: €32,000 (~US$34,000)
| Brand | Czapek |
| Model | Promenade Transparencies “Viridian Green” x Fratello |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 10.8mm (T) x 42mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Green fumé sapphire |
| Strap | Green cordura, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | SXH7.1, in-house, micro-rotor automatic |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds |
| Availability | 50 pieces, launching 06/12/2024 |
| Price | €32,000 |