Promenade L'Écume des Jours

From Czapek -

Courtesy of Czapek

This is the latest from Czapek, the Promenade L'Écume des Jours. The inspiration for this piece is a novel by French non vivant Boris Vian, L'Écume des jours. A rather interesting choice as the novel tells the tale of love and loss (fair enough) but caps off with his pet mouse killing itself... 

But then again, Monsieur Vian was a man of passions. A man who (if Wikipedia is to be believed) shouted these bon mots: "These guys are supposed to be American? My ass!" before keeling over from a heart attack at the screening of a film version of his 1946 roman noir (dark noir crime fiction) novel I Shall Spit on Your Graves (J'irai cracher sur vos tombes).  He was also an active figure in jazz among other artistic pursuits, an inspirational and supportive figure to Serge Gainsbourg, and as if all that wasn't enough, he was a formally trained metallurgist.

Courtesy of Czapek

But back to the matter at hand, the Promenade L'Écume des Jours. 

Per Czapek:

Courtesy of Czapek

PROMENADE 

L’Écume des jours
38 mm stainless steel case, dial layered in blue enamel, mother-of pearl and jade, with a laser-cut titanium water lily seconds in miniature painting, in-house Calibre SXH5.1 with micro-rotor. Limited edition of 18 pieces.

FUNCTIONS • Hours, minutes, small seconds at 4:30

MOVEMENT • Caliber SXH5.1 : Czapek's in house selfwinding mechanical movement with small seconds • Diameter: 30 mm – 13 lines ¼ • Height: 4.2 mm • Number of parts: 127 • Jewels: 26 • Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance fitted with four gold inertia-blocks • Frequency: 4 Hz – 28800 VpH • Power winding system: micro-rotor with a recycled 950 platinum mass • Power-reserve: 60 hours on a single barrel • Barrel torque: 8 Nmm

FINISH • Open ratchets, sandblasted black b

CASE • 38mm stainless steel case • Height : 10.8 mm • Lug to lug (12h to 6h) : 42 mm • Sapphire crystal glass-box with anti-reflective treatment • Sapphire case back with anti-reflective treatment on the inner side • Water resistance: 50 mm

DIAL • A layered dial built on a Goutte d’Eau enamel base, with a mother-of-pearl ring bearing hand-painted piano-key touches, a jade leaf laser-worked to form the seconds track, and a water lily laser-cut in titanium and finished in miniature painting as the seconds hand • Inspired by the novel «L’Ecume des Jours» written by French author Boris Vian • Created in collaboration with Donzé Cadrans and MD’ART

BRACELET • Nubuck leather strap in dark blue • Alternatively, Milanese mesh bracelet in stainless steel

RETAIL PRICE (before taxes) • 26’800 CHF • 28’800 EUR • 37’700 USD