Do The Robot With The New Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

Any Czapek will surely suffice to secure some attention and strike up a conversation at a party. A rattrapante Czapek should draw even more of a crowd. But if, for whatever reason, you want to make an even stronger statement, you’ll want a watch with a party trick up its sleeve. Look no further than the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R., a timely conversation starter if ever there were one.

The R.U.R. may take its inspiration from a 1921 work of science fiction, but it is more relevant today than ever. With a ton to unpack here, let’s dive in!

Robotic inspiration

The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R. got its name from the 1921 play Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Čapek (not related). In fact, Čapek was the first to apply the term “robot” to mechanical creatures, giving the word the meaning we associate with it today. The word was first cited in the Oxford Dictionary as a “central European system of serfdom, by which a tenant’s rent was paid in forced labour.” That should give you a feel for the tone of the play and Čapek’s expectations for the future.

The play describes how robots are created to serve on factory lines before revolting against their human creators. In a sense, it was a pioneering dystopian sci-fi work that would be oft-repeated in the century that would follow.

On to today. Once more, discussions about automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics dominate the headlines. For Czapek, the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place after a shareholder suggested incorporating a robot into the Antrarctique Rattrapante’s design upon the model’s release in 2021. With the topic more alive than ever and after discovering the term “robot” was coined by someone named Čapek, today’s release seemed inevitable.

The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

So, what are we looking at, exactly? At its heart, the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R. is based on the original Antarctique Rattrapante from 2021. With that model long sold out, today’s release is the sole champion of the rattrapante complication in the collection.

The model features a 42.5mm stainless steel case with a 46.6mm lug-to-lug and a 15.3mm thickness. Like the original version, Czapek rates this version’s water resistance at 120 meters. We find a box-type sapphire crystal up top and another sapphire window in the case back.

Inside ticks the automatic caliber SXH6. Visible through the open-worked dial, this movement is quite the work of art. While most rattrapante (split-seconds) complications sit on the back side of the movement, Czapek moved it to the front. This puts the intricate mechanism on full display, setting the Antrarctique Rattrapante apart from other skeleton-dial offerings. The movement runs at 28,800vph and offers 60 hours of power reserve. The chronograph complication features a horizontal clutch and two column wheels, one of which sits underneath the robot head at 12.

Do the robot with the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

This robot head is made of titanium, laser-engraved, and polished by hand. Its eyes are manually painted in three neon colors — blue, red, and yellow. This is where the connection with one of the column wheels comes into play, as the eyes change color as you operate the chronograph. Upon starting it, the eyes turn yellow. Then, when you stop it, the eyes turn red. Reset the chronograph to see them turn blue.

The theme continues around the dial perimeter and on the sub-dial rims. Both, by the way, are fashioned out of gray fumé sapphire. The numerals are represented in a robotic language invented for this watch and inspired by the Yautja alphabet from the Predator movies. As Czapek puts it, “It plays with the X of Xavier (no prizes for guessing who was behind that idea!).” For the uninitiated, Czapek’s CEO is Xavier de Roquemaurel.

The thematic elements are subtler than you might think. They kind of blend into the open-worked dial. I consider this a good thing, as it results in a more versatile watch. The fun stuff is there if you look for it, but it doesn’t force itself on you when you just glance at the time.

High-end finishing

When handling the new Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R., you immediately notice the high level of finishing. This isn’t limited to the external parts. The movement, in particular, is a joy to behold. The great thing is that, thanks to the open-worked dial, you get to enjoy it on the front side as well.

The mirror-polished screws immediately jump out at you. The same goes for the hand-beveled bridges and levers. Everything plays with the light beautifully, making for a lovely, dynamic view. Czapek sandblasts the mainplate, providing a matte backdrop for all of the glistening details. The same theme carries over to the back side, where the polished bevels contrast with the blasted plates. A 5N rose gold winding rotor completes an aesthetic that is simultaneously very modern and still rooted in traditional watchmaking.

Initial impressions of the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

If you follow my writing, you might know that I am generally not a fan of thematic watches. However, I find this one rather well done. As I alluded to earlier, the robot theme is present but subtle. It blends in with the overall design. The watch already has a very futuristic, almost sci-fi appearance, so adding the robot doesn’t feel like a leap. The integration with the rattrapante mechanism makes it particularly cool.

This is a conversation starter in the truest sense of the term. That conversation might start with a demonstration of the colorful robot eyes, but you can fill the rest of the evening debating the effects of the emergence of AI. Czapek steers you this way, even just by naming it after the dystopian play from 1921.

If I had to name one point of criticism, it would be the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.’s dimensions. At 42.5mm by 15.3mm, it feels substantial on the wrist. Still, the Czapek catalog offers plenty of smaller alternatives if that’s what you are after. The R.U.R., meanwhile, is a statement watch with a statement footprint. Czapek will make only 77 pieces (although our sample prototype’s case back states “1 out of 101”), and each will cost CHF 58,000.

What do you think of Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.’s theme and execution? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.