Gerald Charles Releases Two Special 25th Anniversary Watches

Gerald Charles, the watch brand founded by the late watch designer Gérald Genta in 2000 and now in the hands of Federico Zivani, celebrates its 25^th anniversary with two special editions of its flagship Maestro watch. As a brand that relies on one case design alone, it is surprising how much variety it has introduced in the flamboyant Maestro case. One of the anniversary editions is the Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin with a lapis lazuli stone dial. The second model ups the horological complexity and beauty with a tourbillon complication and a métiers d’art hand-hammered gold dial.

Gérald Genta’s original Maestro case is described as an “asymmetric polygon with smooth edges”. As unique as they come, the rounded octagonal case has a pronounced double bezel and a series of wave-like shapes at its base. Said to be inspired by Rome’s Baroque architect extraordinaire Francesco Borromini, the undulations at the base form an “enigmatic smile”.

Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli

Like earlier editions, this Maestro model comes in a 39mm diameter case with a length of 41mm and a height of just 8.7mm. The stainless steel case is decorated with a bright, light-reflecting polished finish. Surprisingly, for such a dressy watch, the screw-down crown with its raised Clous de Paris pattern is fitted with a bespoke gasket, ensuring the 100m water-resistance of the case.

The bezel closest to the dial features a blue Colormix galvanic coating, echoing the colour of the stone dial. The lapis lazuli chosen for the dial was one of Genta’s favourite stones, but cutting the stone into 0.55mm-thin wafers and respecting the unusual contours of the dial was a challenge. Further difficulties included drilling holes into the brittle stone for the hands, hour markers and the framed date window at 6 o’clock. Polished by hand, the dial reveals the natural organic beauty of lapis lazuli with its rich royal blue colour and golden specks. The white railway-style minutes track follows the contours of the Maestro case, while the applied baton hour markers and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova. Another novelty is the new brand logo with ‘Geneve’ printed in white.

A sapphire crystal porthole on the caseback reveals the hexagonal-shaped apertures of the rose gold rotor powering the ultra-slim automatic Vaucher movement with a height of just 3.7mm. Beating at 4Hz, the calibre 2.0 has twin barrels for a comfortable 50-hour power reserve. The watch is paired with a blue Clou de Paris embossed rubber strap and retails for EUR 23,100.

Quick Facts: 39mm diameter x 41mm length x 8.7mm height – stainless steel, polished – internal bezel with blue Colormix – screw-down crown – 100m water-resistance – lapis lazuli dial – applied indices and hands treated with Super-LumiNova – date at 6 o’clock – calibre GCA 3002 (Vaucher) automatic – 23.3mm x 3.7mm – 28,800vph – 50h power reserve – hours, minutes and seconds (hacking) – blue rubber strap – ref. GC2.0-SSPS-LS-RSPN – EUR 23,100

Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon

Gérald Genta created a tourbillon complication for his Maestro collection in 2005. Celebrating the Roman architecture that influenced the Baroque profile of the case, the dial has applied Roman numerals at XII, III and IX and showcases a gorgeous hand-hammered background.

Similar to a model released last year, the polished stainless steel 100m water-resistant case measures 39mm x 41mm and has a thickness of 9.3mm. The stepped titanium bezel also flaunts a blue Colormix coating. The uncoated 18k white gold dial is decorated with a rare hand-hammered technique. Only a few artisans execute this métiers d’art, and production is limited to just two pieces a month. Radiating from the tourbillon, the hand-engraved surfaces come to life with squiggly, uneven patterns, ensuring that no two watches will ever be identical.

The hour and minute hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova and outlined in blue, matching the design of the Roman indices. Occupying a large aperture at 6 o’clock is the 60-second flying tourbillon with a gold tourbillon bridge and a titanium GC logo-shaped cage. The blue indicator on the cage indicates the small seconds. A window on the caseback reveals the refined finishings of the 9.0 calibre, a Vaucher automatic movement with a rose gold honeycomb rotor that operates at 28,800vph and delivers a solid 50-hour power reserve. The watch is paired with a matte blue alligator strap and a folding clasp. It is a limited edition of 50 pieces and retails for EUR 122,000.

Quick facts: 39mm diameter x 41mm length x 9.3mm height – stainless steel, polished –  titanium bezel with blue Colormix – screw-down crown – 100m water-resistance – hand-hammered white gold dial – applied Roman numerals with blue Colormix outlines and baton hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova – tourbillon at 6 o’clock – calibre GCA 3024/12, (Vaucher) automatic with 60-sec tourbillon – 28,800vph – 50h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds (hacking) and tourbillon – blue alligator strap – ref. GC9.0-A-RT-WG – limited to 50 pieces – EUR 122,000

For more details, please visit GeraldCharles.com.