Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Entering The Luxury Sports Watch Game, Gerald Charles Presents The Masterlink Collection
Ticking all the prerequisite boxes of the luxury sports watch, the Masterlink unites Gerald Genta’s famous Maestro case with an impressively built integrated bracelet.
One trend that was once dominated by the big players in the watch industry and caught on with independent watch brands is the luxury sports watch. As one of the most popular, if not the most popular, watch categories, there are many candidates out there vying for your attention. While some flaunt their maritime or racing credentials, there are others that could be broadly categorised as dressy luxury sports watches, which is precisely the sub-genre that Gerald Charles enters with its brand-new Masterlink. Designed by Gerald Genta in 2006 for his Gerald Charles brand, the enigmatic contours of the Maestro case have been slimmed down and married to an integrated asymmetrical bracelet to become, the Masterlink.
Although there have been sporty versions of the Maestro in Gerald Charles’ portfolio, like the GC Sport Titanium, the new, slimmer Masterlink with its integrated steel bracelet is a bona fide player in the luxury sports watch genre. The challenge for Octavio García, creative director at Gerald Charles, was to create an integrated bracelet that respects the emblematic asymmetry of the Maestro case with its two-tiered bezel, rounded contours in the top half and the indented ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock. According to Gerald Genta, the concave depression on the lower half of the case, known as the ‘smile, was inspired by the leading proponent of Roman Baroque architecture, Francesco Borromini.
The redesigned case and new integrated bracelet were on the drawing board for four years. In honour of the legendary designer who created the Royal Oak, the choice of case material could only be stainless steel. The goal was to craft a slimmer, more elegant, and more contemporary watch that Gerald Genta, the ‘maestro’, might have envisioned today. Abandoning the rectangular base of the original Maestro case, the Masterlink is based on a square, and its 38mm x 38mm proportions are more compact and contained.
Respecting one of the original tenets of the luxury sports watch, the case is ultra-thin and has a thickness of 7.9mm. Despite the case’s slimness, it is fitted with a screw-down crown – adorned with the signature Clous de Paris grip – to ensure the 100m water-resistance. Still impressively complex with its 31 components, other design modifications on the case include the new flattened bezel with its vertical satin brush and the less rounded case middle that flows directly into the impressive, asymmetric integrated bracelet.
To echo the ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock, the bracelet’s links flowing from the lower end of the dial imitate the ‘smile’ and gradually straighten out by the third link. At the other end, the bracelet emulates the straight topline of the bezel. Impeccably engineered, the construction of the bracelet and the butterfly clasp are hidden, creating a smooth, seamless flow. Extending the finishings of the case, the central links of the bracelet pick up on the vertical satin-brushed bezel, while the outer links reflect the gleaming polished surfaces of the case middle. With no screws visible, the smooth, flawless flow of the bracelet seduces the eye. It is also equipped with a novel sizing system. To ensure the Masterlink fits perfectly, the owner can add or remove half links instead of whole links.
Verticality is the name of the game, as the dial is decorated with a vertical linear pattern composed of two separate levels layered together. Available in blue or silver, all the details on the dial of the Masterlink are unique to the new collection. The applied Arabic numerals, the elongated baton hour markers and the baton-style hands are all treated with Super-LumiNova.
The Masterlink is fitted with an ultra-slim 2.7mm thick automatic movement powered by a micro-rotor. The rotor is sandblasted at the base and has a sunburst brushed top, while the bridges feature vertical Côtes de Genève stripes, echoing the vertical grooves of the dial. Even the screws are original Gerald Charles star-shaped screws, first introduced in the Maestro 8.0 Squelette. Developed exclusively for Gerald Charles in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, the movement beats at a frequency of 3Hz and delivers a power reserve of 50 hours.
The new Masterlink time-only models retail for CHF 20,100 / EUR 19,500 / GBP 18,400 / USD 23,000 exc. VAT. For more information, please consult geraldcharles.com.
