The Complete Story of Gerald Charles: The Final Masterpiece by the Legendary Designer Reborn in Modern Times

In addition to watch enthusiasts, the Gerald Charles watch is beloved by many athletes, including tennis players, and celebrities. Dubbed the "ultimate timepiece," the Gerald Charles combines Gerald Genta's own designs with movements made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, creating a unique world. Expected to return to Japan in 2024, this is a brand not to be missed.

Gerald Charles' unique design seen in the "Maestro 8.0 Skeleton"

　Someone once called him the "Picasso of the watch world." There are few words more fitting to praise Gérald Genta, one of the greatest watch designers of the 20th century. Not only did he create numerous designs in response to requests from renowned luxury watch brands, but he also produced one eccentric design after another for the watch brand that bears his name, creating unconventional, artistic expressions that no one other than Gérald Genta could have achieved.

　The current "Maestro" collection is based on the original design from 2004, which is considered to be the final and greatest masterpiece left behind by Gerald Genta, who pioneered a unique world, during his time as Gerald Charles, and offers a wide range of watches, from simple ultra-thin models to complex watches such as chronographs and tourbillons.

　However, Gérald Charles is not solely focused on the legitimate inheritance of Genta's legendary designs. While paying homage to the master's unparalleled designs, he is also introducing new innovations to create practical luxury watches that fit modern lifestyles and can be worn in a wide range of situations, from formal occasions to sports. These include a thin case for comfortable wear, 100m water resistance, a rubber strap, and an automatic movement that can withstand 5G shocks and has a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Furthermore, the mechanical movement that is housed in the specially shaped, thin case was developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a specialist manufacturer renowned for its high quality and performance, underscoring the watch's unique character.

　Among Gerald Charles' current models, the Maestro 8.0 Skeleton stands out. While respecting Genta's case design, which was inspired by church architecture, Octavio Garcia, Gerald Charles' current creative director and designer, worked to innovate it to connect it to the future. Drawing hundreds of hand-drawn sketches, he spent several months on the draft and another three months perfecting it, ultimately settling on the theme of celestial maps to create a groundbreaking design. The skeleton not only accentuates the geometric shape of the case, but also evokes the image of stars shining far and near in the sky.

　Vaucher developed the movement from scratch to meet Octavio Garcia's challenging design, completing it over two years. The complex yet delicate skeleton movement, with its intertwining thin lines, including a star-shaped line revealing the micro-rotor, allows over 90% of the components, from the rotor to the gear train and escapement, to be seen in full detail from both the front and back. Furthermore, the movements in the rose gold and stainless steel models feature a dark anthracite finish on the plates and bridges, enhancing the contrast and accentuating their presence, with great attention paid to the aesthetics of the inorganic mechanical structure.

　The special charm that discerning fans have found in Gerald Charles watches, such as this skeleton model, is none other than the exquisite fusion of aesthetic design art and technical art. The day when it will become a hit in Japan is likely to be approaching.

The latest product, "Master Link," inherits and evolves the creativity of "Maestro."

　Born in Geneva in 1931 to an Italian family, Gérald Genta started out as a jewelry designer before moving into the watch industry. From the 1970s onwards, he designed many masterpieces for luxury watch brands, while also establishing his own company that produced watches under the Gérald Genta name, establishing his reputation.

　After selling his company, Genta relaunched the new company in 2000 under the name Gerald Charles, using his two first names as the brand name. After serving as head of the company for three years, he sold the company to the Giviani family, a prominent Italian watchmaking family with whom he had close ties, in 2003, and remained with the company as chief designer until his death in 2011.

　Gerard Charles is currently led by Federico Giviani, the son of Franco Giviani, who was instrumental in founding the company in 2000, and has been CEO since 19. The company has made remarkable progress over the past five years, welcoming new shareholders and expanding from the Middle East and Europe to the United States and Japan, while also building a new 300m5 atelier on Rue Mont Blanc in Geneva.

　Gerald Charles watches have a distinctive feature that makes them instantly recognizable: the unique shape of their cases. All models in the collection, named after "Maestro," the nickname Genta used during his lifetime, are based on cases he designed in 04. The complex contours were inspired by the Basilica of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, a church representative of Roman Baroque architecture, combining the hexagons, octagons, and cross shapes of the church's interior walls. Furthermore, the striking curve at 6 o'clock represents Genta's own smile line. This is a truly one-of-a-kind design, combining an irregular geometric shape with personal wit.

　The Maestro collection, whose watches conjure up images of masters, began with the 21 basic ultra-thin Maestro 2.0 Ultra Thin. The 22 Maestro GC Sport featured a crown on the left side of the case to prevent injury to the back of the hand while playing sports, and titanium was used to reduce weight. Another signature model is the Maestro 3.0 Chronograph, which has been available in a variety of case materials and dial colors since 21. Other notable examples include the Maestro 8.0 Skeleton, whose movement was developed to match Octavio Garcia's innovative design, and the Maestro 9.0 Tourbillon, developed in 05 based on the Maestro Flying Tourbillon designed by Genta in 23.

　The latest addition to the collection for 24 is the Masterlink, a step further than previous collections. The Maison's first stainless steel integrated bracelet watch was inspired by the last bracelet watch designed by Genta, but its asymmetrical design, with the bracelet made up of straight and curved links that follow the shape of the case, is once again original.

　This Masterlink also shares the same features as the Maestro, such as a slim design, 100m water resistance, 5G shock resistance, automatic winding, and a power reserve of approximately 50 hours, maintaining product consistency. Incidentally, the mechanical movements made by Vaucher used in these models have been adapted to the company's specifications or newly developed jointly. Gerald Charles shows no compromise not only on design, but also on technical quality and performance.

Six current collections based on original forms

Contact info: Gerald Charles Japan Tel. 03-5422-8087