Earlier this year, Gerald Charles launched two colourful and light sports watches. The Maestro GC Sport Clay and the Maestro GC Sport Grass celebrate the noble sport of tennis and celebrate some of the tennis players who are part of the Maison’s Friends of the Brand. It was a pleasure to have the prototype of the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass in trials, this is our report.
Makes no sense to discuss the genius of Gerald Genta. He literally shaped today’s world of watches, and he is responsible for some of the most desired watches ever to be created. Gerald Charles keeps his heritage alive with superb additions to the Maestro Collection. Today’s reviewed wristwatch, the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass, catches the spirit of the sport of kings – tennis. The watch reminds of the character of the playing surface, in this case – the grass.
But since the watch is intended to be enjoyed as a daily companion, I decided not to test it on the court. The watch, more precisely, this collection dedicated to tennis, was tested on the wrists of some ATP’s tournament players. Not only did it survive, but it came through testing unaffected. So, I decided to take for a round in the urban jungle, with Strassbourg as our testing ground. Of course, Diana not only helped with the photography, but she also tested herself: “It is a cute watch, but don’t write that…” she told me.
Although we photographed it only in Strasbourg, we both wore the watch and constantly exchanged it between us. It is a good-looking watch, and we enjoy the time with it on the wrist. I have even tried to wear it on the right hand for a while and decided, out of habit, that it is still more natural on the left – at least for me.
For those not in the mood for reading, enjoy this video presentation of the watch. As usual, a short video with the watch: nice music and no talking.
Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass
The Maestro GC Sport Grass comes in a thin 8.7 mm titanium grade 5 case. With external dimensions of 39mm by 41.7mm, the watch is a great match for many wrist sizes. Diana and I agreed that the size is simply great. The beautiful case, which is reminiscent of a coat of arms, is intriguing and rather elegant. The stepped bezel following the contour of the case adds drama to its appearance.
To the comfort offered by the case’s lightness is added the left-hand crown. Designed to reduce the impact of the crown on the wrist during play, this simple choice is a useful solution for day-to-day wear. The crown received the Clou du Paris decoration for an enhanced grip. I managed to unscrew the crown, set the time and wind the watch even with a glove. I will not recommend doing this, though, since one can damage the stem without realising it. The crown’s exterior polished surface received the engraved GC logo.
The watch is covered on the back with a titanium caseback featuring a round see-through crystal. Fixed with eight screws, the caseback (and the screwed-in crown) offers a water resistance of 100 meters. While the case is highly polished, the caseback receives a vertical fine brushing. The name of the brand and watch are embossed in a recessed arched on top and bottom. The serial number and the water resistance are engraved on the left and right sides of the caseback.
The main attraction of the watch is the textured dial symbolising the tennis court grass surface. This artisanal, textured finish is achieved by taking a specially-grained dial base and applying colour and a clear, shiny coating to it. The subtle fume finish is very appealing.
The watch is decorated with a printed peripheral rail-track register, twelve applied hour indexes (from which 12, 3 and 9 are Arabic numerals), and a luminescent insert. The brand’s name is present on the top of the dial – printed on an embossed surface. The view at night is rather spectacular with its green-on-green theme.
The date, a useful daily complication, is displayed through an aperture at 6 o’clock. The black-on-white scheme is surrounded by a silvery frame. Due to the white colour of the luminescent insert in the metallic indexes, this choice is not tiresome. However, I would have wished for a white-on-green scheme for a more cohesive appearance and presentation.
The Gerald Charles specificities do not stop at the watch’s face. The movement created in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier has many details that make the brand recognisable only by looking at the back.
A beautiful movement
The ultra-thin 3.7 mm automatic calibre Ref. GCA 3002 was developed by Gerald Charles in partnership with the specialist Swiss movement creator Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. What makes this so special, besides its thinness, is the 50 hours of power reserve served from a twin-barrel system. The movement beats at 4 Hz and contains 28 jewels.
The movement is nicely decorated with the classic perlage present on the mainplate. A superb detail is the sunrayed Genevan waves with a starting point in the centre of the balance wheel. One can observe the polished screws and jewels’ sinks. The view of the movement is quite aired with many observable details.
The rotor weight offers a nice set of decorations to be enjoyed. Adorned with the brand-specific hexagonal pattern, including two openings, the rotor reveals the brand logo engraved. A nice touch is the sunrayed brushing and playing with the light.
On the wrist
At 65 grams, the watch is hard to feel on the wrist. Only the vulcanised rubber strap with hobnail ‘Clous de Paris’ decorations reminds you that you have something on the wrist, not to mention the sweet vanilla smell when you get the watch from the watch box.
Diana’s take
The Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass is a special watch. It is for a person who finds a watch more than just a time-telling device, it is an expression of a playful personality. It has a beautiful shape that catches the eye, especially with this deep green dial.
Andrei’s take and conclusions
It is clear that a design coming from the mind of the great Genta will be liked. I cannot fathom the idea that one of his creations could go unnoticed and, moreover, not be liked. Years of presence for its iconic designs are now so deep-rooted in our consciousness that it makes them organic and natural. The brand managed to capture the genius designer’s spirit and perpetuated it further into lovable products.
The fantastic green, lightness and ease of wearing make it an excellent daily driver. There are no more marks on the wrist from the crown (for those wearing it on the left), and a fabulous offering for the left-handed wishing for a great watch to be worn on the right hand.
Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Clay Grass Technical Specifications
References GC2.0-TX-TN-02 – €17’800, Limited edition of 200pieces
Movement
- Ultra-thin automatic Ref. GCA 3002,
- developed with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier,
- 3.7mm thickness,
- 189 components,
- 28 rubies,
- 28,800vph (4hz),
- 50-hour power reserve from twin barrels, Incabloc® anti-shock system,
- stop-second system,
- bi-directional rotor,
- hours, minutes and central seconds,
- date at 6 o’clock,
- circular-grained and Côtes de Genève decoration
Case & Dial
- Grade 5 titanium with polished finish, 39mm x 41.7mm x 8.7mm,
- left-hand screw-down Grade 5 titanium crown with Clous de Paris finish and embossed logo
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with colourless internal and external multi-layer anti-reflection treatment
- Dial: Russet or green, hand-applied textured finish, numerals, hour and minute hands and indexes filled with Super-LumiNova®
- Case back: Brushed Grade 5 titanium with sapphire crystal opening
- Water resistance: 10 ATM/100 m
- Total weight: 65 grams
Strap
- Green vulcanised rubber,
- Clous de Paris finish to top side,
- Gerald Charles logo tapisserie to rear,
- Grade 5 titanium buckle with Gerald Charles logo
About Gerald Charles
Gerald Charles is an independent, family-owned watch company based in Switzerland. It was founded in 2000 by the great Gérald Charles Genta, the 20th century’s foremost watch designer.
Monsieur Genta, often referred to simply as ‘Maestro’, was a prolific artist and watch designer. After selling the company in 2003, he stayed on as its designer-in-chief until his death in 2011, leaving a treasure trove of watch designs in the company’s care. Every watch created by Gerald Charles is based on one of his original designs and carries his legacy of ‘artistic creativity, technical mastery’ forward into the future.
Gerald Charles watches are at the cutting edge of ergonomics and designed and manufactured to sit comfortably and elegantly on the wrist, while being hard-wearing and fit for daily wear at the same time. Gerald Charles watches are produced without compromise and marry the finest traditions and most up-to-date technologies of Swiss mechanical watchmaking to deliver superior precision and performance, as well as exceptional water and shock resistance. Every piece is an elegant sports watch, the signature of the company’s founder and eternal inspiration, Monsieur Genta.