Gerald Charles introduced in 2022 the Maestro 8.0 Squelette, a testament to the art of watchmaking. This exclusive timepiece marries Mr. Genta’s iconic and unmistakable Maestro case shape with a unique open-worked movement, designed by acclaimed contemporary artist Octavio Garcia. We have a look at one of the latest iterations, the Maestro 8.0 Squelette Ref. GC8.0-A-07, now available for preorder with deliveries starting from April 2024. A large gallery and b-roll video can be found at the end of the article.
More than just a watch case, the Maestro is a piece of art.
The Gerald Charles Maestro case embodies Gérald Genta’s artistic vision, drawing inspiration from Borromini’s 17th-century Roman masterpiece. This fusion of square and octagon forms the case’s distinctive shape, highlighted by the playful “smile” at 6 o’clock.
Manufactured in stainless steel, the mirror-polished finished case is comprised of 35 expertly assembled components. With a wearable 40mm diameter and a slender 8.35mm profile, the Maestro 8.0 can be a fantastic combination of sporty elegance for a daily dose of excitement. The crown, with an exceptional grip, is decorated with Clous de Paris motif and the beautiful GC logo engraved on the raised surface. The watch has a water resistance up to 10 ATM.
Adding a touch of versatility, the reversible vulcanized rubber strap showcases a Clous de Paris motif on the front and the brand’s signature tapisserie pattern on the back. By the way, the scent of vanilla specific to the natural caoutchouc is phenomenal… The strap ends with a polished stainless steel pin buckle featuring a brushed plate with an engraved Gerald Charles logo.
Revealing open face
Maestro 8.0 Squelette‘s face presents finishes usually reserved for high-end movements: sandblasted bridges with polished anglage, NAC Antracite grey coating and bespoke screws placed on extremities. Unfortunately, the last do not serve as indexes – that would be nice though… A printed rail track serves as the precise time reading.
The central hours and minutes hands are skeletonised and filled with luminescent material. The legibility is good if you have sufficient light. In low or lack of light, the shine from the bevelled edges might trick you – although the architecture is wonderful, the construction is not focused on the centre, the main elements having their side spectacle. I would not say this bothers me at all…
The Ref. GC8.0-RG-06 embodies Gerald Charles‘ philosophy, blending artistry and technical prowess. This automatic skeleton watch celebrates the art of mechanics, boasting a bespoke open-worked calibre born from two years of development in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier.
Through intensive collaboration between engineers and watchmakers, the Ref. GC8.0-RG-06 blends beauty and technical excellence. The Calibre GCA 5482 presents sandblasted bridges, adorned with anglage and anthracite-NAC finishes, showcasing meticulous craftsmanship. A galvanic treatment safeguards the movement, while the timepiece adheres to the uncompromising technical and aesthetic criteria of the Qualité Fleurier standard.
The new oscillating weight design with ceramic ball bearing, conceived by Mr. Octavio Garcia for the inaugural Squelette in 2022, has since been integrated into all timepieces of the Maestro Collection. The 22K Rose Gold 4N micro-rotor with a double-face decoration features colimaçon on one side, and the “honeycomb” motif with the brand’s logo on the other.
Encased within a star-shaped enclosure, its rays extend across the bridges, creating a visually striking motif. Iterating through hundreds of designs was imperative to achieve the perfect balance between the decentralized micro-rotor and the preservation of the shooting star shape amidst the bridges. Additionally, the movement is secured by nine star-shaped screws, a design envisioned by Mr. Garcia and executed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier.
The automatic, ultra-thin Ref. GCA 5482 holds in its 2.6 mm thickness 160 components. 29 jewels ensure that the impressive 50-hour power reserve is well distributed by the gear train to the 3Hz balance wheel and escapement combo. The barrel can be winded by the unidirectional micro-rotor or by the crown. The mechanism offers a stop-second system making a precise setting possible.
Final words
Like on many of his masterpieces, Gérald Genta started with a familiar shape – in this case, a simple square and octagon combo. But his genius lay in transforming it into something fresh and exciting. True to his passion for thin watches, Genta ensured comfort by minimizing the case’s thickness of many prominent wristwatches (Nautilus or Royal Oak as examples). This meticulous design philosophy lives on in the Maestro 8.0 Squelette, resulting in a timepiece that’s not just beautiful, but effortlessly wearable.
We both enjoyed the Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette. While Diana likes skeleton watches, she finds them difficult for daily wear. She considers skeletonisation a decoration a bit difficult for non-initiates: distant and demanding. But through an excellent design, the Maestro 8.0 Squelette becomes a fun daily wearable for everyone – sporty allure, size and lightness.
On the other hand, I consider the Maestro 8.0 Squelette a watch that, also with the right price increase, can reach new heights. While I agree with Diana on the accessibility (referring not to price but to design and wearability), I know there are a lot of features left on the table. Imagine a skeletonised movement with mirror-polished chamfering and a plethora of acute angles. As a conversation starter, I added the Maestro 8.0 Squelette with a diamond setting – imagine this with a hyper-finishing.
You might also like: Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass
Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette Ref. GC8.0-A-07 Technical Specifications
Ref. GC8.0-A-07 – €58’000, Production limited by capacity to 100 pieces per year
Movement
- Calibre Ref. GCA 5482
- Diameter: 13″ ½ (30.00 mm)
- Thickness: 2.6 mm
- Number of components: 160
- Number of jewels: 29
- Power reserve: 50 hours
- Winding micro-rotor: single direction, in the anti-clockwise sense of the weight, viewing from the dial side
- Micro-rotor: 22-carat gold
- Balance: variable inertia with gold inertia blocks
- Frequency: 21,600 semi-oscillations/hour (3 Hz)
Finishing
- Movement finishing dial side: skeleton bridges and satin-finished and rhodium-plated, hand-finished angles
- Anthracite NAC treatment
- Bevels and apertures diamond-polished
- Ceramic ball-bearing
- Wheels circular-grained on two faces
- Flat-head screws, locked
- Pivots and flanges rolled
- Rehaut: minutes indicators, nine stainless steel screws with star head developed in house
- Micro-rotor cage: star-shaped
Case
- Case size of 39x41mm
- Case thickness. 8.35mm
- Asymmetric polygon with smooth edges (“Maestro” original design by Mr. Gerald Charles Genta)
- Mirror-polished stainless steel case body and bezel
- Stainless steel crown with engraved logo
- Sapphire crystals with no glare
- Water-resistance 100m
Strap
- Ice blue vulcanised rubber to Mr Gerald Genta Clous de Paris design
- Stainless steel buckle with GC logo
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.