Gerald Charles is proud to honour its founder, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, by launching the Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon, Ref. GC9.0-A-RT-5N. Mr. Genta originally gave birth to the Maestro collection by launching in 2005 the first ever Maestro case with a tourbillon. Featuring the iconic smile at 6 o’clock, the case has the perfect shape to host the tourbillon cage.
Compared to the previous Maestro 9.0 Tourbillon introduced in 2023 – an understated luxury model, now sold out – the Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon has been revisited with a new twist on the tourbillon embracing an old-style elegance.
The Roman Tourbillon is a 50-piece limited edition collection in celebration of the Roman architecture and art from which the iconic Maestro case inspiration comes from; amply emphasised by the roman numerals on the dial. This special timepiece is not only intended to highlight the brand core values and origins, but also to reinforce Gerald Charles high-end skills and expertise in going beyond the limits.
Hand-hammered gold dial, Métier d’Art
Behind the realization of such an intricately crafted and visually stunning dial, lies a work of precision and attention to detail which has become synonymous with Gerald Charles.
The Roman Tourbillon is a high-end model, due to the pure, uncoated 18K rose-gold dial. Fine craftsmanship and comprehensive experience were required to master the art of hand-hammered gold dials. Achieving a balance between the dial craftsmanship, durability, resistance and recreating a consistent finishing pattern were just a few of the challenges the R&D department faced.
The result is a homogenous and refined texture which doesn’t affect readability and makes each piece extremely unique and exclusive. Given the technique and handmade craftsmanship only two pieces per month can be produced. The buyer of a Roman Tourbillon’s will own a truly unique piece as no one watch is identical to another.
The special coating of the blue bezel
The dial is not the only attribute that stands out, but the watch features two-tone colour and two different materials with a blue titanium bezel on a stainless-steel case, making it an exemplary timepiece. The blue bezel features a specialized coating achieved through an advanced galvanic treatment. Derived from technologies utilized in aeronautics, the process gives the bezel superior mechanical and chemical properties. The coating ensures remarkable durability and resistance to extreme stresses, while the refined blue finish enhances aesthetic appeal and significantly extends the longevity and robustness of the timepiece.
The Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon is an original for Gerald Charles; The first hand-hammered gold dial; the first time two-toned colour and two different material have been used and the first timepiece in the current core collection featuring the hand-stitched blue alligator strap with a brand-new folding clasp.
Excellent in design but also exquisitely engineered in terms of watchmaking
On a technical level, this new timepiece features a 60-seconds flying tourbillon with the unique skeletonised cage in the shape of the GC logo, returning to the original Maestro flying tourbillon created by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta himself.
To overcome the engineering challenges the tourbillon cage posed, the GC team decided to carve the cage from lightweight Grade 5 Titanium. Despite the difficulty of manipulating this material with the finest tolerances, they managed to reach aesthetic and performance standards, in pursuit of Mr. Genta’s vision of Artistic Creativity and Technical Mastery.
The result is a highly sophisticated 60-seconds flying tourbillon that oscillates at 4hz, made all the more vivid by the natural, three-dimensional contrasts created by combining a surgical-grade stainless steel case, a gold tourbillon bridge and titanium flying tourbillon cage. The screws have been repositioned to hold the 18K yellow-gold bridge to the movement. The timepiece also features a blue indicator applied to the “G” of the cage that serves as a small seconds indicator. A stop-seconds function delivers precise time setting.
The timepiece is 10 ATM/100 mt water-resistant, 5G shock-resistant and offers 50 hour of power reserve, despite the very high technicality.
As with all Gerald Charles watches, it’s the details that set the timepiece apart, from the textured dial to the alligator strap and the skeletonised tourbillon, marking this as an elegant yet sporty timepiece. It represents a Métier d’Art that simultaneously exudes a contemporary and old-style demeanour.
About Gerald Charles
Maison Gerald Charles is an independent, family-owned, watch company based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, he gave his two first names to his latest brand to create a unique bond between himself and his creations.
In 2003, Mr. Genta decided to sell the company to the Ziviani family, trusted partners and longtime friends, staying on as designer-in-chief until 2011. Giampaolo Ziviani led the business as General Manager, alongside Mr. Genta. Since the foundation of the company, Gerald Charles watches have been produced in limited quantities for a niche of collectors. Mr. Genta left in the company’s care an important archive of his last 11 years of original drawings. Today, many designs are still unpublished, being a long-last source of inspiration and a treasure trove for the Maison’s development. In 2019, a new board of directors took part in the company, with Federico Ziviani as CEO and so, a new chapter began. After a successful career, in late 2023, Mr. Franco Ziviani joined the family business as Chairman at Gerald Charles. In Spring 2024, Gerald Charles inaugurates its Atelier, a new home and cultural hub in Geneva, located in rue du Mont-Blanc 3, where both the Museum and the Core collection will be available.
Today, the Maison is opening up for a new generation of connoisseurs, carrying Mr. Genta’s legacy of ‘Artistic Creativity, Technical Mastery’ forward into the future. The Maison produces 1500 timepieces per year, working closely with highly skilled professionals and artisans to continue the traditions started by the great designer. All Gerald Charles watches present unique technical and aesthetic features: high-end Swiss-made watches conceived and manufactured without compromise, complying with Qualité Fleurier standards, to deliver superior precision and performance, as well as exceptional water and shock resistance. Each timepiece ensures high levels of ergonomics and versatility across all lifestyles and generations, the signature of the company’s founder and eternal inspiration, Mr. Genta.
Gerald Charles Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon
Gerald Charles Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon Technical Specifications
Type: Automatic flying tourbillon, central oscillating mass in 22K rose gold, decorated with the Gerald Charles “Honeycomb” design, sandblasted finished with polished outlines.
Functions: Central Hour and Minute Hands, Seconds on the Tourbillon at 6H, stop seconds system
Thickness: 4.8 mm
196 components
33 rubies
Finishing: Bridges finely decorated with colimacon, Cotes de Genève and perlage finishes. Anglages diamond polished. Radial Cotes de Genève finished bridge of the tourbillon, with polished anglage. Yellow gold colour engravings.
Tourbillon Cage: Gerald Charles personalized tourbillon cage in titanium, designed by Octavio Garcia, representing the Gerald Charles logo. The G small stroke in iconic GC Blue and serves as the seconds hand.
