Czapek & The Collective Hit the Beach With New P.04 Lanikai Collab

The Collective has announced their latest Portfolio series watch done in collaboration with Czapek, and it’s just in time to capture some major summer vibes. The watch, which is called the P.04 Lanikai, takes inspiration from Hawaii’s unique beaches with a conceptual dial that captures their vibrant colors and textures. It’s a dial you can almost hear and feel, taking full advantage of the given real estate by forgoing even hour markers to maximize the feeling of connection with the source of inspiration. The concept is built within Czapek’s Antarctique 40.5mm steel case with integrated bracelet, and as fun as the dial is, it’s all business around back. 

The watch is officially the Antarctique P.04 Lanikai for Collective, and the brand claims that three years of design, development and prototyping went into bringing it to life. Much of that revolves around the novel enamel dial which evokes those soft wave patterns of a sandy beach. The dial work was done by the artisans at Donzé Cadrans, who had to develop a process to create the unique scene in enamel. Their work begins with a concave blank, which creates the sense of depth to the dial even in its finished form. Next, the texture is stamped from a hand-engraved mold before the enamel itself is layered and fired. Enamel is notoriously tricky to get right, and the uneven depth at play here didn’t exactly help the situation, but there’s no arguing with the end result.

All of that work is apparent at a glance, with a dial that takes on new shades and tones as the light appears to catch each uneven surface of the texture, but in reality it’s the effect allowed by that concave starting structure. It truly feels alive but enjoys a softness elicits the same calm as the beach in Kailua for which the watch takes its name. Further adding to this effect is the lack of any chapter rings, hour markers, or date windows, which has the undertones of “hey, we’re at the beach, the exact time isn’t really important right now”. A closer look reveals tiny bubbles that add to the overall vibe, with a sand colored seconds hand providing a final note of fitting contrast. 

From a distance, the dial is bright and incredibly vibrant, though the subtleties are obviously lost. It feels like a personal experience for the wearer, though it’s noticeable as something quite different from across the room. It’s a provocative watch no doubt, and while the conceptual nature of its execution may seem a bit niche, there’s no denying the artistry at work here.

While the dial and inspiration are decidedly set to a certain frequency, the back of the case reveals a very different, though equally impressive scene of Czapek’s own SXH5 micro-rotor movement which we previously discussed in the release of the titanium Dark Sector earlier this year. It’s set within a 40.5mm case that measures 10.6mm in total thickness, which is inclusive of the glass box crystal sapphire. An integrated bracelet with polished C links tapers to their new butterfly clasp which gets the brand’s new quick adjustment system on each of the last links.

Overall the watch is incredibly easy to wear thanks to its svelte dimensions and bracelet articulation. It slips under a cuff and almost disappears from the mind altogether. Almost. At 130 grams it’s not a light watch but not particularly heavy, either. It should shed some of the grams with the optional rubber integrated strap options, which should also take the watch that much further into informal territory. Visually, the watch appears quite large thanks to the expansive dial and lack of any framing to bring a focal point inward. This feels entirely intentional, and given the artistic goals, entirely appropriate. 

The P.04 Lanikai will be limited to 50 examples, and will be priced at $26,500. One of the perks of this project is the availability of the watch, which will begin shipping this summer, presenting your quickest route to Czapek delivery at the moment. The P.04 Lanikai is available to the general public as of today, directly from The Collective.