BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Czapek kicks off 2026 with a green version of its Faubourg de Cracovie chronograph piece dubbed the Faubourg de Cracovie “Crossroads” Victory Green Chronograph. As we know, the colour green is having its moment, and that means we get to see more and more of it on watches in new and interesting ways.
The Faubourg de Cracovie is Czapek’s premier dress chronograph piece and was one of their earliest-released collections. It sports a slightly muscular-looking 316L stainless steel case measuring 41.5mm and with 50m of water resistance, and is presented on either an Alcantara or calfskin leather strap. The pushers for the chronograph are integrated with the crown guards and appear quite slim in the case, rather than protruding significantly as some designs do.
The dial is the most captivating part, naturally. As well as the “Victory Green” dial colour, which is applied using PVD, there’s the attractive “crossroads” guilloché pattern, crafted for them by Metalem. The dial is made from “Alloy 401”, which is a secret blend of gold, platinum, palladium and silver. The guilloché pattern is a reinterpretation of the “double soleil” pattern used on the 40.5mm Quai des Bergues. We’ll have more on this soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, Czapek says that for the “crossroads” guilloché, the lines cut into the dial have been straightened and more deeply engraved to evoke the tread profile of racing-car tyres. I like it. Having seen Czapek dials similar to this in person, I can tell you that this watch’s dial will play with the light in ways you’d scarcely believe could happen.
This dial has a classic layout, too, with two silver-coloured subdials showing the elapsed hours and minutes for the chronograph. A running seconds can be found at 6 O’clock, and beneath that is an unobtrusive date window. The dial’s edge also features a tachymeter scale, and there’s plenty of SuperLumiNova on the hands and the markers for low-light usability.
Inside the watch is the self-winding calibre SXH3, which has been the star of the Faubourg de Cracovie range since its launch. Developed with Manufacture Vaucher to Czapek’s specifications, the SXH3 features a 65-hour power reserve and a 5Hz beat rate. The COSC chronometer certification and the higher-than-normal beat rate mean the Faubourg de Cracovie is an accurate watch and, therefore, its chronograph is accurate too. If you know your way around mechanical chronographs, you’ll be pleased to know that the SXH3 features a column wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch – meaning that the chronograph won’t suffer from juddering when it’s being interacted with, and continuously running the chronograph won’t risk damaging any components. There’s also a 22k gold rotor, which looks attractive.
Czapek is only going to make 18 of these watches, and all of their watches are popular at the moment, so if you want one, be sure to get in touch with them straight away to secure a piece. The cost of said piece is $44,800 before taxes.
