Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition

In its 25th anniversary year, Gerald Charles celebrates the boundless creativity of founder Mr. Gérald Charles Genta with the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition, and opens the brand’s exclusive archives to the public for the first time.

At Watches and Wonders Geneva, Gerald Charles, the Swiss independent watchmaking Maison, is delighted to mark its 25th anniversary with the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition, a watch inspired by the creativity and technical mastery of the Maison’s legendary founder, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta.

At the same time, the family-owned Maison will open the Gerald Charles archives to the public for the first time as part of the In the City activities taking place during Watches and Wonders Geneva. The museum will showcase the extraordinary depth of Mr. Genta’s creativity. As well as some of his sketches, the display will include examples of Gerald Charles archive designs, including the Turbo, Round 44, Renaissance, Sportside and Seaside. Each an example of Mr. Genta’s unique ability to play with form and function to create watches of unparalleled wit and imagination – and each a glimpse into the future of Gerald Charles.

It is a great honour for me and my family to guide Gerald Charles into its 25th anniversary year,” said Federico Ziviani, Gerald Charles chief executive. “Since the Maison’s revival in 2019, it has been our privilege to introduce it to a new generation of collectors. Across the globe, watch lovers have embraced Gerald Charles with wonderful enthusiasm. These successes have been built on the peerless Maestro and now it’s time to look to the future and showcase the breathtaking depth in the Maison and in the creativity of our founder, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta.”

25 years in the making: the story of Gerald Charles

Mr. Genta established Gerald Charles in 2000. By then, the artist, watch designer and businessman had already earned his place in horological history. He began his career in the 1950s and would go on to design some of the most celebrated and collectible watches of the 20th century.

A polymath, Mr. Genta brought to Gerald Charles almost five decades of watchmaking savoir-faire. He would serve as its creative director until his death in 2011, when he left the Maison as a final legacy to his unique, peerless talent, passing it into the ownership of the Ziviani family, his long-time business partners and friends. Today, Mr. Genta is widely revered as the most influential watch designer of the past 200 years. A master. The maestro.

In honour of his achievements and the Maison’s 25th anniversary, Gerald Charles has chosen to open up some of the mysteries that have so far defined its story: what’s behind Gerald Charles? What lies undiscovered in the archive? Are there designs penned by Mr. Genta during his 11 years with the Maison he held so dear that will showcase his artistic expression and lifetime’s work in ways as yet unknown?

This 25th anniversary year will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Maison’s history. The Ziviani family believed wholeheartedly in Mr. Genta’s vision for the Maison and worked with him from its inception. Today, led by Gerald Charles chief executive Federico Ziviani, the family commits to fulfilling Mr. Genta’s unforgettable vision and to sharing it with a global community of watch collectors.

Baroque beginnings: behind the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition

The Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is based on the Maestro GC39, an exquisite, rare example of what has become Gerald Charles’s signature design. Inspired by the classic “montre à guichet”, or “window watch” style, the original 2005 model had a sliding-hour complication developed by legendary master watchmaker and friend of Gerald Charles, Antoine Preziuso. It indicated the hour via a rotating disc revealed through an aperture in the dial.

This complex function required sophisticated technical and aesthetic solutions that in keeping with Mr. Genta’s philosophy would be executed with “No Compromise”. This had been the Maison’s mantra since he established it and was never more evident than in the Maestro design itself.

As with all Maestro watches, the original GC39’s esoteric case shape was inspired by forms Mr. Genta observed in a magnificent Baroque monument in Rome that was designed by the 17th century master architect Francesco Borromini. It was the façade that gave the watch its asymmetric case, cascading bezel and a convex “smile” at 6 o’clock.

Fitting the GC39’s movement inside this case was extremely demanding, but Mr. Genta insisted on utmost quality. The watch became one of the most sought-after examples of the Maestro, and today stands as a vivid example of Gerald Charles’s creativity, watchmaking ingenuity and savoir-faire.

Everything we do today stands as a testimony to the peerless talents of the maestro himself, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, and to his spirit of ‘No Compromise’,” said Mr. Ziviani. “The GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is a joyful celebration of Mr. Genta’s creativity and love of fine watchmaking, and demonstrates our continuing pursuit of aesthetic and technical mastery.”

A revival fit for the Maestro: introducing the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition

Those same characteristics come to the fore again in the new Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition, a watch that translates the landmark original for a contemporary audience of discerning watch collectors. As per Mr. Genta’s strict principle of always seeking improvement, the new watch elevates the original concept with high-concept decorations and elegant finishing, as well as a superb manufacture movement developed by the Maison’s in-house watchmakers. It will be limited to 100 pieces and only 40 will be delivered at launch.

The Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is defined by its familiar stepped, fluid case shape, its radiant dial and the playful manner in which it displays the time. At 12 o’clock, the dial opens to reveal a 12-hour disc and a “jumping hours” complication, whereby the disc jumps forward in one-hour increments every 60 minutes. Time is read off against this disc and a blued central hour hand, which is skeletonized to allow light to reflect through it.

The dial itself carries the spirit of Mr. Genta’s extraordinary artistic creativity and his parallel ability to harness state-of-the-art technology to realise it. It is meticulously crafted from three different components and materials that combine to create a partially hidden Baroque-style, multi-ray star motif that bursts into life as the light catches it. This mesmerizing effect is created using a proprietary new precision micro-chemical engraving technique developed by Gerald Charles called meta-guillochage.

The meta-guilloché process, which has never been used in watchmaking before, begins with a fine engraving that is then covered by a protective coating. A second engraving is then added, before the protective coating is removed, allowing the light to catch and reveal the star. The engraving is created with rounded channels that mean the three-dimensional surface catches the light in a non-linear fashion, leveraging the laws of physics to deliver a unique aesthetic and wearer experience. Another added benefit is that the technique extracts a very thin layer of material, ensuring the watch’s slimline, lightweight profile.

Then, at its heart, the dial is decorated with a delicate slice of lapis lazuli shaped to follow the Maestro’s distinctive case silhouette. The choice of this sparkling blue semi-precious stone is in deference to Mr. Genta, who loved lapis lazuli and used it in many of his designs.

As with a star or a Baroque statue, light emanates outwards from the dial’s lapis lazuli centre, interrupted only by a blued steel Maestro-shaped ring and a black minutes track with blued steel five-minute markers. The dial is finished with a special logo denoting the Maison’s 25th anniversary, which will only appear on select watches this year.

At 42mm squared, the Maestro’s GC39 25th Anniversary Edition’s case is 3mm wider than the time-and-date only Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin, and becomes the largest in the Maestro collection. As with the original GC39, it’s designed around the basic square shape, where the standard Maestro is rectangular. Despite the complexity of the case design and the movement’s jumping hours complication, the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is a mere 11mm thick.

However, because it’s cast in polished Grade 5 titanium, it retains the lightweight, ergonomic qualities for which the Maestro is now well known. Materiality is a vital component of any Gerald Charles watch: titanium is a challenging material to work with, but thanks to the ambition and relentless determination of the Maison’s in-house engineers, a solution was found that retains both the Maestro’s iconic case shape and its wearability.

In the same way, the watch is equipped with a screw-down crown and is water-resistant to 100 metres, and comes on a blue Clou de Paris vulcanised rubber strap with a polished Grade 5 titanium deployant buckle. Together, these signal the Maestro’s sporty heritage and the Maison’s commitment to creating versatile high-end watches that cross seamlessly from work to play and day to night.

A big jump forward: decoding Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Calibre Jumping Hours

Behind the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition’s spellbinding dial is an equally tantalising mechanical calibre. The new Gerald Charles Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Calibre Jumping Hours has been developed and patented in-house by Gerald Charles. It has a jumping hours function and a 50-hour power reserve and required an additional 80 components over a standard time-only movement.

As one of the so-called “middle complications”, a jumping hours remains a rarity in mechanical watchmaking, which is one of the reasons Mr. Genta was so enthralled by it. In developing the Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Calibre Jumping Hours, the Maison’s engineers had to contend with some challenging physics: in advancing one hour, the jumping hours disc consumes the same energy a mechanical movement typically expends in 3,600 seconds. At the same time, the jumping hours disc is 25 times heavier than a conventional hour hand. Given that force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration, as per Newton’s second law of motion, that means the complication requires a force 70,000 times greater than that of a three-hand watch. This is why jumping hours watches are so uncommon, and why they continue to fascinate the Maison, in the spirit of its brilliant founder.

Also, in keeping with Gerald Charles’s “No Compromise” approach to watchmaking, the movement’s components have been beautifully hand-finished with Côtes de Genève stripes and perlage finishes, using techniques perfected over many generations and performed by the Maison’s artisans. The movement’s wheels are also rhodium-plated, a quiet but powerful symbol of Gerald Charles’ obsession with beauty and absolute quality.

The calibre is finished with a golden oscillating weight visible through the watch’s sapphire case back. The oscillating weight’s honeycomb motif design was imagined by the consultant and friend of Gerald Charles, Mr. Octavio Garcia, and is here complemented by the brand’s special 25th anniversary logo, which will appear on all 2025 Gerald Charles novelties.

Gerald Charles has significantly increased its watchmaking facilities in Geneva, and today many of the components required for the Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Calibre Jumping Hours are manufactured in-house, marking the next important step on the Maison’s verticalization journey.

The jumping hours was loved by Mr. Genta, but these days it is almost a lost complication,” said Mr. Ziviani. “The technical challenge behind it is huge, like landing a Space X rocket in micro form. This is what makes it interesting and beautiful, though, and why it brings us so much joy to reintroduce it to Gerald Charles collectors.”

Window to the world: stepping inside the Gerald Charles Museum

As part of Watches and Wonders Geneva’s In the City programme, Gerald Charles will be opening up the Gerald Charles Museum in the heart of Geneva to visitors.

For the first time, visitors will have access to the Maison’s breathtaking archive and to a new exhibition featuring original, hand-painted designs by Gerald Charles Genta, technical drawings and rare Gérald Charles watches, including examples of the original Maestro GC39 in gold and palladium.

The museum is situated in the Gerald Charles Atelier, which opened in April 2024 on the top floor of an historic building in the city centre, where generations of elite watchmakers have benefitted from large windows that let in natural light all year round.

Clients, retailers and press will be invited to the museum to view the exhibition at the Gerald Charles Atelier Genève on Rue du Mont Blanc by appointment only.

It will be our pleasure to present both the original and new Maestro GC39, alongside archive pieces, to guests of the Maison at Watches and Wonders Geneva and in the Gerald Charles Atelier this week,” said Mr. Ziviani. “It is our firm belief that the new watch is a fitting tribute to Mr. Genta’s tireless creativity and wonderful legacy, and also a sign of how seriously we take his eternal challenge to produce beautiful, timeless, high-quality mechanical watches produced with ‘No Compromise’ for collectors of fine watches. The story of Gerald Charles lives on.”

Technical specifications

Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition

Reference: GC39-TNPS-LSEN-RSDP-REM

Limited edition of 100 pieces

Case

• Material: Grade 5 Titanium, polished finishing
• 34 components
• Diameter: 42x42mm
• Thickness: 11 mm
• Screw-down crown with Clous de Paris finishing Embossed logo
• Glass: Sapphire crystal with inner and external multi-layer anti-reflection treatment
• Case back: Flat sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant to 100 meters

Dial and hands

• Lapis Lazuli at the centre of the dial.
• Proprietary new precision micro-chemical engraving technique developed by Gerald Charles, called meta-guillochage. Colormix blue frame
• Black minute track
• Applied cabochons indexes - polished Colormix blue
• Sword shape hands, Colormix blue
• Logo Gerald Charles Genève

Movement

• Automatic, Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Caliber
• With a central oscillating mass decorated with the NEW 25th Anniversary logo, decorated with the Gerald Charles "Honeycomb" design.
• Type: GC Jumping Hours movement in-house development
• Finishings: Bridges finely decorated with Côtes de Genève and perlage finishes. Rhodium-plated module wheels.
• Thickness: 6.15mm high with JH module included
• Number of parts: 265
• Number of jewels: 38
• Frequency: 28'800 vph, 4Hz
• Power reserve of 50 hours

Functions/Indications

• Anti-clockwise Jumping Hour with concentric central minutes

Strap and buckle

• Royal Blue vulcanised rubber strap, 24/20 size
• Clous de Paris pattern to top side, Gerald Charles logo tapisserie to rear
• Butterfly deployant buckle, polished finishing

MSRP

• CHF 36’000
• EUR 36’000
• GBP 32’300
• USD 42’300

For more information, please visit geraldcharles.com