Swiss watchmaker Gerald Charles begins its 25th anniversary unveiling a timepiece featuring Mr. Genta’s favourite stone – Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli – as well as the Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon in White Gold, which highlights its Métier d’Art
Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli
Neither a dress watch nor a sports watch, the Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli blends opulence and practicality. The creation of the lapis lazuli dial is a painstaking and highly skilled process, taking an average of 24 hours per individual dial. To make 50 dials at least 150 discs will be needed, with further attrition occurring at later stages.
The Maestro’s polished stainless-steel case has been enhanced by a blue Colormix coating to the bezel, which also improves scratch resistance. The contrast between the polished bezel and the main case echoes the bold juxtaposition of the applied hour markers, inlaid with white Swiss Super-LumiNova, and the organic pattern of the lapis lazuli dial.
The watch is powered by the Swiss Manufacture 2.0 calibre, an automatic movement hand-finished to Qualité Fleurier levels. The calibre boasts a 50-hour power reserve, runs at 28,800 vph and measures just 3.7mm thick. Decorated with a combination of traditional finishing techniques, it is topped with a customised oscillating rotor that commemorates the brand’s 25th anniversary.
Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon in White Gold
Mr. Gérald Charles Genta signature smiling case embraces a new hand-hammered white gold dial with the hand-stitched blue alligator strap. Featuring the iconic smile at 6 o’clock, the case has the perfect shape to host the tourbillon cage.
A 50-piece limited edition, the timepiece exhibits a Métier d’Art. The pure, uncoated 18K white gold dial, alloyed with palladium, results in a refined and consistent finishing pattern. The handmade production process is long and precise and only a few artisans can work with this dial technique. Only 2 pieces per month can be produced since a specialised artisan can produce one Roman Tourbillon in no less than 23 hours.
The tourbillon features a two-tone colour and two different materials with a blue titanium bezel on a stainless-steel case. The blue colour is the result of a Colormix blue treatment that increases its resistance. The watch features a 60-seconds flying tourbillon with the unique skeletonised cage in the shape of the GC logo, evoking the original Maestro flying tourbillon created by Mr. Genta.
The result is a highly sophisticated 60-seconds flying tourbillon that oscillates at 4hz, with three-dimensional contrasts of surgical-grade stainless steel case, a gold tourbillon bridge, and titanium flying tourbillon cage. A blue indicator applied to the “G” of the cage serves as a small seconds indicator. The timepiece is 10 ATM/100 mt water-resistant, 5G shock-resistant and offers 50 hour of power reserve.
