LVMH Watch Week is one of the earliest announcements of new 2025 watches. Gérald Genta unveiled the Gentissima Ursin Fire Opal, the fourth addition to the Gentissima collection. The watch, which is full of ingenuity and incorporates the Sea Urchin design legacy, is sure to be a highlight, as is the high-end watchmaking that brings this design to life.
Gerald Genta's latest creation, the Gentissima Ursin Fire Opal
Since its revival, Gérald Genta has been attracting a lot of attention in the watch market. At LVMH Watch Week 2025, the brand unveiled the fourth and latest model in its Gentissima collection: the Gentissima Ursin Fire Opal.
Automatic (Cal. GG005 / Zenith Elite with redesigned rotor). 27 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 50 hours. 18K yellow gold case (diameter 36.5mm, thickness 9.64mm). Water resistant to 30m. Price TBD.
This limited edition watch, crafted directly by the Gérald Genta Laboratory, pushes the boundaries of watchmaking tradition with its design and creativity. The 18K yellow gold case of this limited edition is surrounded by individually screwed fire opals.
Fire opal, a complex gemstone with a unique chemical composition that has puzzled geologists for centuries. The stone's captivating orange hue and its significance as a symbol of creativity and self-confidence inspired Mathieu Hegy, Gérald Genta's Artistic Director. "Through this creation, we have pushed the boundaries of the creative concept of Gentissima Ursin, offering pieces adorned with rare gemstones and paying tribute to Mr. Genta's passion for organic colors, beautiful gemstones and beauty," explains Hegy.
The legacy of the Ulsan design continues
The story of the Ursin began in 1994, when the Genta family was on vacation on the island of Corsica. "Ursin" means sea urchin in French. Fascinated by its appearance, Gérard, as always, intuitively sketched the first design on the spot. Its spiky, spherical appearance is reflected in the rounded, beaded case, giving each model in every variation of this collection its distinctive charm.
Thirty years later, Ursin marks a profound new chapter for Maison Gérald Genta, with the fourth collection further exploring Mr. Genta's unique aesthetic sensibility and his fascination with powerful gemstones and their symbolic meaning.
Expressing Genta through vibrant aesthetics
The new Ursun Fire Opal is sensuously designed, reflecting the original designer's intuitive and creative approach. Historically associated with artists, musicians, and those seeking creative inspiration, the stone symbolizes the transformation of the unexpected into art. Genta's signature design principles are evident throughout, with a contemporary twist. The dial is crafted from orange carnelian, and Genta's signature faceted crystal is set on the slightly octagonal inner edge of the case.
The approximately 36mm diameter 18K yellow gold case has a glass-blasted finish that contrasts with the brilliance of 137 fire opals, each individually screwed into the case with 18K yellow gold pins.
"We have crafted this piece with meticulous attention to detail to complement the design," said Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, master watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. "We designed a special 18K yellow gold rotor for the automatic Zenith Elite movement."
Notable details
About Gérald Genta
Founded in 1969, the Gérald Genta brand has embodied Maestro Gérald Genta's vision of high watchmaking with a clear mission: to create exceptional watches for exceptional clients. Starting with his first creation in 1973, Gérald Genta established an unconventional aesthetic identity premised on the interplay of circular and linear geometric shapes. In 1981, he released his first ultra-thin minute repeater model, and in 1994, he released the Grande Sonnerie, the most sophisticated wristwatch at the time, earning him respect as one of the early pioneers of independent watchmaking.
The Grand Sonnerie in particular required five years of research and development. Never one to shy away from wit and eccentricity, Gérald Genta began boldly combining Disney animated characters with high-end watchmaking complications in 1984, a new direction that radically changed the watchmaking industry at the time. Today, the Gérald Genta brand is back, with the support of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, under the supervision of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, both of whom had previously worked with Genta.
The brand is focused on reviving Genta's DNA and uncompromising approach to reinterpreting high watchmaking complications into imaginative horological creations.
