The Spirit of Mr Genta Chimes On in the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater

A legend in his own lifetime and the name behind countless watch icons designed for other brands, Gérald Genta (1931-2011) also produced masterpieces for his eponymous brand founded in 1969, including the Grande Sonnerie, considered the most sophisticated and complex chiming watch in the world. The current custodian of the Gérald Genta brand is Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), an haute horlogerie atelier overseen by master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. Following the release of the wonderfully prickly Oursin collection, LFT unveiled the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater during the last edition of Geneva Watch Days (GWD), a timepiece that stole the hearts of many in attendance. A sensorial experience from start to finish, the new Minute Repeater engages our senses of sight, touch and sound.

Paying homage to Genta’s favourite complication and channelling the spirit of the late designer and artist, La Fabrique du Temps released this delightful minute repeater. However, before proceeding, it is essential to clarify one thing: this watch is not a replica or an interpretation of an existing Genta timepiece, like the Oursin, for example. Designed by LFT’s artistic director, Matthieu Hegi, the shape of the case is new but captures the legendary designer’s spirit to perfection, a fact confirmed by his daughter, Alexia Genta, during GWD.

An elegant and subtle case that couldn’t be more Genta

Unlike some of Genta’s more extravagant, baroque cases, the designer had a fascination with octagons, a shape that propelled the Royal Oak to stardom, but which also appeared on his more sophisticated Grande Sonnerie series. As Hegi points out, the smooth cushion-shaped case is a natural evolution of his signature octagonal form.

With no sharp edges or protrusions, perhaps the most surprising aspect of the beautiful tiered yellow gold case is its incredibly compact dimensions. If it weren’t for the discreet slider on the left side of the case, not many would have deduced that a minute repeater was hiding inside. Measuring just 40mm across, coupled with a lean height of 9.6mm, the refined yellow gold case is a beauty to behold.

The double gadroons and the horizontal gold bars at either end of the case (for the strap) reference Genta’s historical pieces and gleam with their brightly polished surfaces, contrasting with the satin-brushed finish on the lower part of the case. Following the smooth, sensual contours of the case, the polished slider for the minute repeater is slim and easy to manipulate, like the fluted gold crown with its black onyx cabochon.

A discreetly original dial

Channelling Genta’s preference for hardstone dials, Hegi has selected a sleek black onyx stone for the dial, generating a dramatic contrast with the warm, sunny 3N yellow gold case. The rich, inky black onyx is polished, and the devastatingly elegant black-tie appeal of the dial is enhanced with the polished, rounded gold indices and matching hour and minute hands. Other details of the dial reveal the designer’s hand, like the white railroad minutes track. The inner segment of the track close to the indices is circular, while the outer perimeter of the track emulates the cushion-shaped contours of the case.

LFT’s in-house Repeater movement

Having appreciated the beauty of the case and dial, it’s now time to address the sonic potential of the watch. Developed by master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas, the manual-winding minute repeater calibre was developed entirely in-house at LFT. As you can imagine, fitting a minute repeater inside such a small space poses enormous challenges, but the choice of yellow gold is an ideal material to maximise sound. To amplify the chime, the ultra-thin case walls and internal architecture are designed to allow the chime to breathe and resonate with sonorous clarity. To optimise sound propagation, some areas of the gold case have been whittled down to wafer-thin thicknesses of 0.6mm, and the sapphire crystal has been reduced from 1mm to 0.8mm.

The mirror-polished hammers and gongs received utmost attention. Each gong has been manually tuned by ear and hand, and each component has been cut and adjusted by watchmakers to ensure optimal vibration and amplitude. As a result, the gong emits an exceptionally clear and crystalline chime. Requiring more than four weeks to assemble a single movement, calibre GG-002 is lovingly decorated with haute horlogerie finishings – hand-bevelled angles, snailing on the base plate, and Côtes de Genève – and the governor is octagonal, a nod to Genta’s favourite shape. Beating at a frequency of 3Hz, the slim calibre packs a robust 80-hour power reserve.

Given the task of producing a watch that channels the spirit of the late designer must have been intimidating. However, Hegi’s wonderfully fluid and sensual case and dial design, combined with Barbasini and Navas’ mechanical solutions, has produced a sleek, stylish minute repeater that truly does justice to the artistic sensibility of Gérald Genta.

Availability & Price

Paired with a black sheep leather strap, the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is limited in production to 10 pieces a year. Positioned alongside influential players such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, the watch comes with a resounding retail price of CHF 320,000 (excluding tax).

More information at geraldgenta.com.