Ali Bin Ali launched new brands in the Qatari market during the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, and Czapek Geneve was one of them. OHLALA had the opportunity to talk to Patrick Capek, the brand’s Chief of Staff.
OHLALA – Can you tell us how watchmaking entered your life?
Patrick Capek – In 2006, I moved to Geneva and, when you are living there, it’s automatic, you get exposed to watches. So that started my interest and just when I was researching a little bit, the brands, looking into what’s going on in the market and falling into those rabbit holes, which never let you out anymore, I discovered that Xavier de Roquemaurel wanted to resurrect an old brand called Czapek. Of course, my reaction was, wait, that’s my name without the z. I later found out that Franciszek (who later changed his name to François) Czapek was born close to Prague in the old Bohemian Empire, and my family originally comes from the same region. So there might be some ties, but I am not a descendant – it was just meant to be. The relaunch happened in November 2015, and I became a shareholder in 2016. This means that this year we have our 10th anniversary of returning the brand to the market. And this will be a very exciting year for us because we will be launching some fascinating and very beautiful pieces.
OHLALA – How would you describe Czapek Geneve’s style?
Patrick – Everything started with a very classic watch, the Quai des Bergues, which was based on an old pocket watch from the 1850s. This was the watch that brought the brand from the past into the present. We turned a pocket watch into a wristwatch. From there, we developed the brand further, always keeping in mind and analysing the old watches from Czapek, trying to understand the driving force behind the brand and translating this into today’s concepts – we don’t simply do whatever we want. We try to set trends sometimes, but we always keep in mind, like, would François Czapek be OK with what we are doing? The mechanics are very important; it’s not just how it looks. It doesn’t need to be extremely complicated, but we want to be old-fashioned, so the execution must be at its finest.
OHLALA – What, in your opinion, gives people a deep appreciation for watches?
Patrick – What captivated me was when I saw for the first time how a mechanical watch functions entirely without any electronics. I was able to see what people in the 17th and 18th centuries were able to accomplish without any computers calculating things. This is something that still boggles my mind. I still don’t understand how they could do a perpetual calendar in a time when there were no calculations made by computers or something. It was all just made with some wheels, which were turning and suddenly showing even leap years. Incredible. The mechanicality of it is fascinating, which means that without any electronics, we can create something so precise and beautiful. That’s the appeal watches have for me, and I believe also for many other people.
OHLALA – What part of the watchmaking process do you find most interesting?
Patrick – I’m not in the manufacturing part of the industry. I’m into the development process and mostly brainstorming operations. I participate mainly as a quiet bystander because I am not involved in the engineering task force. So I love to see how, from the first brainstorming session, it suddenly becomes a living thing you can hold in your hand, and you remember when the first ideas were formed. So it’s a wow moment when I have the piece materialise in front of me. How it became real is fascinating.
OHLALA – What are the brand’s highlights for 2025?
Patrick – The 10th anniversary, of course, and the 180th anniversary of the original foundation of Czapek Geneve. We have a double anniversary in 2025. And there will be a brand new calibre coming later this year. We will have limited edition watches and anniversary special pieces.
OHLALA – Do you have a favourite watch?
Patrick – Yes, I have a favourite, which will be unveiled at Watches & Wonders Geneva. I cannot tell you more, but it’s right now my favourite. It is an incredible piece, so stay tuned.
OHLALA – What are the Czapek Geneve watches available at Ali Bin Ali boutiques?
Patrick – For the moment, we have primarily watches from the Antarctique collection. We have one very special piece, which is the Passage de Drake Sahara Sands with a trapezoid dial motif, the indexes in Hindo-Arabic at 12, three and nine o’clock and the date window at six o’clock, maintaining Czapek’s signature vertical symmetry. There are 25 pieces in a salmon shade and 25 in dark blue to commemorate the brand’s launch in Qatar.