Gérald Charles Genta (1 May 1931 – 17 August 2011) was a Swiss
watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their par ...
and artist. He is known for his eponymous line of timepieces Gerald Genta, and his company Gerald Charles, as well as his design work with other high-end watch manufacturers, including IWC,
Omega
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
,
Universal Genève
Universal Genève SA is a Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1894 as Universal Watch. It is a subsidiary of Breitling SA. Since its beginnings, the company has produced complete watches with in-house movements. Along with neighboring Geneva ...
,
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe SA () is a Swiss luxury watchmaker and clock manufacturer, located in the Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. Established in 1839, it is named after two of its founders, Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Since 1932, the comp ...
and
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury good, luxury watches, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury good, luxury watches, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...
''Royal Oak'', to date the best-selling models of both houses. In addition, at age 23, he designed the Universal Geneve Polerouter, with the first commercially available Microrotor movement for SAS airlines. He is regarded as one of the most influential people in the history of
horology
Chronometry or horology () is the science studying the measurement of time and timekeeping. Chronometry enables the establishment of standard measurements of time, which have applications in a broad range of social and scientific areas. ''Hor ...
.
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
auction house of New York has called Genta's work ''"the Fabergé of watches"'', while ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' has called them the ''"world's most complicated and pricey watches"''.
Early life
Genta was born in Geneva to a Swiss mother and father of
Piemonte
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the northwest. Pied ...
(Northern Italian) descent. At age 20, Genta finished jewellery and
goldsmith
A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
training in Switzerland, earning his Swiss Federal Diploma.
Starting career with Universal Genève
Subsequently, Genta was recruited by
Universal Genève
Universal Genève SA is a Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1894 as Universal Watch. It is a subsidiary of Breitling SA. Since its beginnings, the company has produced complete watches with in-house movements. Along with neighboring Geneva ...
SA, at the time one of the most recognized manufactures in both the U.S. and Europe for its chronograph models. After Universal Genève settled a patent dispute involving the micro-rotor caliber, Genta designed Universal's Polerouter Microtors in the 1950s, as well as the Golden and White Shadows during the mid-1960s. The Shadows contained a micro-rotor, unisonic and accutron movement, the latter two a result of the
quartz crisis
The quartz crisis (Swiss) or quartz revolution (America, Japan and other countries) was the upheaval in the watchmaking industry caused by the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s, that largely replaced mechanical watches aroun ...
starting in the late 1960s.
Notable watch designs
Genta's work with Universal would be a precursor to future collaborations with other brands in Switzerland and throughout Europe, including Omega's ''Constellation'' (1959);
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe SA () is a Swiss luxury watchmaker and clock manufacturer, located in the Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. Established in 1839, it is named after two of its founders, Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Since 1932, the comp ...
's ''Golden Ellipse'' (1968).
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury good, luxury watches, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...
's ''Royal Oak'' (1970), IWC's ''Ingenieur'' (1976); Patek Philippe's ''Nautilus'' (1976); and
Cartier Cartier may refer to:
People
* Cartier (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Cartier Martin (born 1984), American basketball player
Places
* Cartier Island, an island north-west of Australia that is part of Australi ...
's ''Pasha de Cartier'' (1985).
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
One of Genta's most recognisable designs was that of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which was considered to be the first luxury sports watch in the world. The watch was inspired by traditional
diving helmet
A diving helmet is a rigid head enclosure with a breathing gas supply used in underwater diving. They are worn mainly by professional divers engaged in surface-supplied diving, though some models can be used with scuba equipment. The upper par ...
s and therefore featured exposed screw heads as well as a unique case design. The watch also featured an integrated bracelet.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
In 1976, Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus collection, designed by Genta, after deciding it was time to produce a high quality sport watch. The first model was Ref. 3700 and was made of steel. The Nautilus was released by Patek Philippe during the
quartz crisis
The quartz crisis (Swiss) or quartz revolution (America, Japan and other countries) was the upheaval in the watchmaking industry caused by the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s, that largely replaced mechanical watches aroun ...
in the hope that it would help re-attract people's attention to high-end Swiss mechanical watches.
The Nautilus collection played a key role in Patek Philippe's overall marketing strategy as it had to refresh the brand image while perpetuating tradition. The target was represented by dynamic business managers of the new generations. The Nautilus wristwatch has become one of the most popular collections from Patek Philippe, and the Ref. 5711 & 5712 models, which the company introduced in 2006 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the collection, are among the most popular models. Today the model Ref - 5711 has become a true icon of success and style as it is adorned by various famous celebrities and sports stars.
IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur SL "Jumbo" Ref.1832
Designed by Gerald Genta in 1974 and manufactured by
IWC Schaffhausen
IWC International Watch Co. AG, founded International Watch Company, better known as IWC Schaffhausen, is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Originally founded in Switzerland by American watchmaker Florentine A ...
in 1976, the Ingenieur SL Automatic Ref. 1832 is considered one of the most sought-after watches in IWC’s history. As part of IWC’s SL collection of luxury steel sports watches launched in the 1970s, the timepiece became known and appreciated for both its strong aesthetic codes and technical refinements: rubber buffers absorbed heavy shocks and impacts, while a soft iron inner case protected the automatic movement caliber 8541 from strong magnetic fields. Due to its large size and an impressive case diameter of 40 mm, which was particularly unique for its time, the Ingenieur SL was soon known among watch aficionados as the “Jumbo”.
Gerald Genta created the Ingenieur SL during the
quartz crisis
The quartz crisis (Swiss) or quartz revolution (America, Japan and other countries) was the upheaval in the watchmaking industry caused by the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s, that largely replaced mechanical watches aroun ...
, a challenging period for IWC and the entire watch industry. At that time, the watch manufacturer aimed at expanding its product portfolio to include more mechanical watches in stainless steel. Genta was commissioned to find a new visual identity for IWC’s Ingenieur, the manufacturer’s first anti-magnetic watch for civilian use developed in the 1950s. In his design of the new, robust Ingenieur model in stainless steel, Genta successfully highlighted its distinctive technical character. The watch’s integrated H-link bracelet, structured dial and, above all, the screw-on bezel with five recesses became the Ingenieur SL’s trademark features.
Eponymous brand & Designs
After starting his own brand in 1969, Genta would create the
sonnerie Sonnerie is French for "making sound" or "ring". The term generally applies to bell towers or bells in mechanical clocks or wristwatches (see for example grande sonnerie), but can equally be used, for example, for the sound produced by a telephone ...
s, among them the Gérald Genta ''Octo Granda Sonnerie Tourbillion'', which contained four
gong
A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...
s and an emulated Westminster Quarters bell ring at each quarter and on the hour, "the same melody rung out by London's Big Ben", and priced at $810,200. In 1994, he designed the ''Grande Sonnerie Retro'', the world's most complicated wristwatch, and priced at approximately $2 million. For private requests, Genta hand-designed the movements, dials and cases of his timepieces and employed limited or no external assistance, outsourcing or mechanization during the process; it was not unusual for a single watch to take up to 5 years to complete.
During the 1980s, Genta obtained special licensing with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
and distributed a limited edition of Disney character watches to the public; previously, they had been an unofficial private request by one of Genta's repeat customers. The dials consisted of illustrations of
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
, Minnie Mouse,
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...
, Scrooge and Goofy, with cases made of
18 carat
The fineness of a precious metal object (coin, bar, jewelry, etc.) represents the weight of ''fine metal'' therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardne ...
gold. Designed in
Le Brassus
Le Brassus is a village in the Vallée de Joux in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is part of the Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality Le Chenit.GEFICA SAFARI presented in Baselworld 1984 . First bronze case watch in history. Has a bronze compass on the deployante clasp, a complicated annual calendar and moonphase mecha quartz movement. The dial benefits of lapis lazuli or Coral insert, 18k gold accents and hands and real Shark leather strap. First version came in ardesia or real tortoise shell dial. Meteorite or mother of Pearl version came after as elephant strap. There were other versions during the 90s done in full gold or automatic chrono based on valjoux 7750.
Famous clients
Genta's clients have included athletes, business people, musicians, movie stars, politicians, and royalty, including Prince Rainier of Monaco, King
Hassan II of Morocco
Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...
, King
Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until his abdication on 19 June 2014. In Sp ...
Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 1920, 1921 or 1923 – 1 August 2005) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 13 June 1982 until his death in 2005. Prior to his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 1982. He was t ...
and
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...
of England.
Genta himself only designed wristwatches, he perferred not to wear them.
Acquisition of his brand by Bulgari then LVMH
After his eponymous company, trade marks, patents and designs were acquired by
Bulgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. Headquartered in Rome, the company was acquired by the French conglomera ...
in 2000, Genta resigned and created a new venture called Gerald Charles. Genta sold his latest brand in 2003, still remaining Gerald Charles’ designer-in-chief until his death. As of 2010, Gerald Genta watches were marketed solely under the Bulgari brand. In 2011 Bulgari was bought by
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...
. In 2019, Bulgari celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Gerald Genta mark. A re-edition of Bronze Gefica was done during 2003 with automatic movement and bigger diameter .
Family and posterity
With his wife and business partner Évelyne, Gérald had two children: Frédéric Genta and Alexia Genta.
During his life, Gerald Genta drew over 100,000 watch designs. When he died, he left Évelyne Genta over 3200 of his designs. This huge selection of drawings is made up of his most famous designs but mostly of unseen pieces. One hundred of them are being auction by Sotheby's in Spring 2022, each with a corresponding
NFT
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that is recorded on a blockchain and is used to certify ownership and authenticity. It cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchai ...
.
After Gérald died on 17 August 2011 at the age of 80, Évelyne Genta founded in 2019 the ''Gerald Genta Heritage'' association in order to honor his unrivalled contribution to the watch industry as well as encourage and nurture young talent in the industry. The association created the yearly Gérald Genta Prize in order to reward "''the young talented designers and the high potentials of watchmaking''".Un prix Gérald Genta pour le meilleur jeune designer horloger
Le Point
''Le Point'' () is a French weekly political and conservative news magazine published in Paris. It is one of the three major French news magazines.
''Le Point'' was founded in 1972 by former journalists of ''L'Express'' and quickly rose to be ...