Czapek & Cie

Czapek & Cie is a Swiss haute horlogerie brand with a dual-stage history: a prestigious 19th-century origin as a royal watchmaker and a modern 21st-century revival through equity crowdfunding. Early Partnership (1839–1845): François Czapek, a Polish-Czech watchmaker, co-founded Patek, Czapek & Cie with Antoine Norbert de Patek in Geneva on May 1, 1839. Czapek served as the head of watchmaking, while Patek handled sales. Establishment of Czapek & Cie (1845): Following the end of his partnership with Patek, Czapek founded Czapek & Cie on May 1, 1845, with Juliusz Gruzewski. Imperial Success: The brand became the official watchmaker to the court of Napoleon III. At its peak, Czapek & Cie operated boutiques in Geneva, Warsaw, and at Place Vendôme in Paris, making it the first watchmaker to establish a presence at that prestigious location. Dormancy (Late 1800s): Czapek mysteriously disappeared from public records around 1871, and the company eventually became inactive.