News Gérald Genta is well-known for its ability to combine exceptional mechanisms with daring and well-conceived designs. For the past 40 years it has been constantly challenging existing horological conventions.
Nowadays, Haute Horlogerie often displays a resolutely avant-garde approach. While Gérald Genta is one of the brands that distinguish themselves in this respect, it does so in its own inimitable way backed by 40 years of legitimacy. Boldness and innovation have been part of its genetic make-up from the very beginning, and maturity now renders these qualities more relevant and timely than ever.
From the time of founding of his company in 1969, Gérald Genta devoted himself wholeheartedly to expressing his personal vision of watchmaking. At the time, what was known as the quartz watch revolution was in full swing, creating a major upheaval in the watch industry. Nonetheless, by surrounding himself with extraordinarily gifted and qualified specialists, Gérald Genta set up an Haute Horlogerie "think tank" that gave rise to complicated striking mechanisms, sophisticated calendar devices, tourbillon movements and various other complications. Associating a high degree of expertise with exceptional design enabled the brand to almost single-handedly revive the front-stage role of Haute Horlogerie in the 1970s.
By way of example, the Grande Sonnerie model by Gérald Genta proved a real turning point in watchmaking history. No other manufacturer has yet developed a timepiece equipped with a combination of such complex mechanisms. In addition to perpetual calendars and repeater devices, Gérald Genta also introduced the first ever self-winding tourbillon movement. It is no coincidence that the brand proudly carries the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, bearing eloquent testimony to the quality of its creations.
Once the characteristics of the watch and the movement are defined in Meyrin, the plans are sent on to the Manufacture in Le Sentier, which is the scene of the development and manufacturing phases, as well as testing and controls. The components intended for watch prototypes are manufactured by high-precision triple-axis CNC (computer numerically controlled) milling machines. This state-of-the-art equipment enables the company to make around 80% of watch components in-house, including movement blanks, steel parts, wheels and pinions. The Manufacture plans to further increase this percentage in order to free itself from the constraints of subcontracting.
The fact that the Gérald Genta collection does not comprise any simple three-hand watches in stems from the fact that it is one of the most demanding brands from a technical standpoint. Adjusting the action of the wheels and pinions is indeed an extremely delicate task in a perpetual calendar mechanism. The famous Gérald Genta Octo Grande Sonnerie Retro Tourbillon, for example, is the world’s most complicated self-winding watch and is patiently assembled by the dextrous fingers of a master-watchmaker loyal to the brand since the time the first of these masterpieces were created in the 1990s.
At Gérald Genta, quality control relates not only to finished watches, but also to all parts, at each stage of production. First of all, a visual inspection is performed with a 2.5 times magnifying glass. In addition to the technical tests conducted on the blanks and the unfinished movements, the quality control department also verifies the accuracy of the bevelling on the parts handled by the finishing department. During this period, the watchmakers themselves also test and personally validate with their signature each stage of the production process. Moreover, the finished and cased-up watches are tested once again before being delivered to the customers who eagerly await their arrival.
Gefica Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is a legendary mountain and an icon of time-honoured traditional arts and magic. Gérald Genta has now drawn inspiration from this stunning landmark in creating an eminently contemporary Gefica with a white dial and strap, evoking the glaciers and snow patches scattered across the sides of the "roof of Africa". Its towering peak affords panoramic views of ochre-coloured dry grasslands spread out around it like a bronze disc. The unique character of this special edition reveals the majestic and untamed nature of an exceptional timepiece made of ice and fire.
At its birth in 1988, the Gefica was entirely sculpted from bronze, a primitive material unknown in watchmaking. Chosen for its natural matt appearance, bronze also features the property of acquiring a unique patina over time. This charm is as potent as ever in the new Gefica launched in 2007 and distinguished by beaded titanium rings surrounding the case middle and the crown. Its flared case, extending from 42.5 mm in diameter on the wrist to 46.5 mm on the surface, is suited to a wide range of wearers. Its dial dips towards the centre via a concave outer ring with a curved central seconds hand gliding over it. At the heart of this complex structure lies a favourite Genta combination of functions: jumping hours along with retrograde minutes and date. These complications are driven by the self-winding Biretro movement in this horological creation enhanced by the concentric circular graining and Potter finish (old gold colour) that can be admired through the sapphire crystal case-back.
June 16, 2009
