Gerald Charles

Gerald Charles—The Maestro’s Legacy

Known as the ‘Fabergé of watches’, Gerald Charles Genta was a Swiss watchmaker and an artist par excellence, known for creating some of the most outstanding timepieces in the world of horology. These creations include the iconic Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak—luxury sports watches that ruled the haute horlogerie landscape in the 1970s.

Born in 1931, Genta finished his jewellery and goldsmith training and earned the Swiss Federal Diploma. He then went on to design the Universal Genève Polerouter—a timepiece that commemorated the first commercial flights over the North Pole operated by the Scandinavian Airlines System. An anti-magnetic timepiece, it provided pilots flying over the North Pole with much-needed resistance to strong magnetic fields.

After gaining relevant experience and recognition, Genta embarked on a journey with Patek Philippe and designed the Golden Ellipse in 1968. This timepiece garnered attention for its unique form and slim profile, which was a departure from traditional design codes. He also redesigned the iconic Omega Constellation and was subsequently offered an exclusive contract to produce several more for the collection. The revamped Constellation was fitted with a sleek C-Type case inspired by the Space Age and the introduction of integrated lugs.

Genta also designed the revered IWC Ingenieur which was launched in 1976. Genta provided the Ingenieur with a distinct makeover such as the five screws on the bezel and a soft iron inner case which protected the timepiece from magnetic fields.

It was after gaining expertise in designing extraordinary timepieces, that Genta created another icon with Italian maison Bulgari called the Bulgari-Bulgari. This timepiece born in 1977 was inspired by an ancient Roman coin and garnered attention for its unique design and architecture.

An Independent Voyage

After designing some of the best-selling timepieces for distinguished brands, Genta decided to follow an independent path in the watchmaking business. In 2000, he founded an eponymous brand—Gerald Charles—to produce watches, marked with his signature design and engineering know-how. For three years he stayed at the helm of the company and decided to sell it in 2003 but stayed as the designer-in-chief of the Maison. The legacy of his name is carried forward in every timepiece and lives by its motto of ‘artistic creativity, technical mastery’. In 2011 Genta passed away and left a treasure trove of various watch designs behind him. Since then, Gerald Charles has launched timepieces which deliver superior performance and precision as well as exceptional water and shock resistance. Today, the brand offers various timepieces under its Maestro collection, such as the 2.0 Ultra-Thin, 3.0 Chronograph, GC Sport, 8.0 Squelette, 9.0 Tourbillon, and some of the Historic models.