Czapek introduces the Antarctique Frozen Star S – an elegant new 38.5mm. case size combined with an exceptional dial made of osmium, the rarest precious metal on earth. The Frozen Star S is a limited edition of 38 pieces only.

The Frozen Star S dial is made from the rarest precious metal on Earth – osmium. Very hard, dense and heavy, and one of the six platinum group metals, it was discovered in 1803 by British chemist Smithson Tennant. Found mostly in the Americas and in the Russian Federation, and 11 times rarer than gold, osmium is the least abundant stable element in Earth’s crust. Moreover, pure osmium does not occur in nature; it can be obtained only as a by-product from processing nickel or copper ore and, it is estimated, only about one tonne is produced globally each year.

This timepiece follows the successful launch of the original 40.5mm Antarctique in May 2020. It was a result of a demand for a smaller case size – one that would be more adaptable and elegant; more comfortable on slimmer wrists.

“Our greatest challenge was that the original Antarctique had turned out to be so right. For Antarctique S it wasn’t a question of just reducing the case; we had to do something as excellent as the original,” says Xavier de Roquemarel, CEO of Czapek.

To create a case 3mm smaller than the original design was not just a simple matter of shrinking; starting from scratch, the case had to be totally re-engineered and the codes rewritten to ensure that all of the proportions work perfectly – not least the ratio of overall thickness to the new diameter.

The 38.5mm case is defined by the same taut lines that characterise the original Antarctique but now the sides are flat, rather than cut away, and the shoulders protecting the crown have been subtly pared back – simplifications that achieve better visual balance in the smaller dimensions.

And Czapek’s attention to detail went beyond just the visual: the weight of the watch on the wrist had to feel appropriate to its reduced size.