Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition

Gerald Charles celebrates the 25th anniversary with the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition, Ref. GC39-TNPS-LSEN-RSDP-REM, a watch inspired by the creativity and technical mastery of the Maison’s legendary founder, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta. The timepiece is a remaster of a watch Mr. Genta created in 2005, the Maestro GC39.

The Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is defined by the case shape, its radiant dial and the playful manner in which it displays the time - in fact, it features a jumping hour complication, where the disc advances in one-hour increments every 60 minutes.

The case shape was inspired by the Baroque Roman architecture designed by the 17th century architect Francesco Borromini. It was the façade that gave the watch its asymmetric case, cascading bezel and a convex “smile” at 6 o’clock.

The dial itself carries the spirit of Mr. Genta’s extraordinary artistic creativity. 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 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 experience. Then, at its heart, the dial is decorated with a delicate slice of lapis lazuli, the most loved semi-precious stone by Mr. Genta.

Despite the complexity of the case design and the movement’s jumping hours complication, the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition remains impressively thin at just 11mm.

The watch, featuring a case in polished Grade 5 Titanium, is equipped with a screw-down crown and is water-resistant to 100 metres. Together, these signal the Maestro’s sporty heritage and the Maison’s commitment to creating versatile high-end watches.

The new Swiss Manufacture 4.0 calibre has been developed in-house by Gerald Charles. Originally a sliding hours movement developed by Mr. Genta with master watchmaker Antoine Preziuso, it was transformed into a jumping hours complication thanks to the Maison’s expertise and technical mastery. It offers a 42-hour power reserve and required an additional 80 components compared to a standard time-only movement.

In developing the Swiss Manufacture 4.0 Jumping Hours calibre, the Maison’s engineers had to contend with some challenging physics: in advancing one hour, the jumping hours disc releases in 1 second the same energy a mechanical movement typically releases in 3,600 seconds. At the same time, the jumping hours disc is 25 times heavier than a conventional hour hand, which means the complication requires significantly more force than a standard 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.

All components are finely decorated and hand-finished; the movement features finishing techniques such as perlage, Côtes de Genève, and honeycomb — the Maison's signature motif.