Gerald Charles Introduce Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin and Maestro 9.0 Tourbillon for Their 25th Anniversary

Gerald Charles is turning 25. As most collectors will know, the man behind the brand is Gerald Genta (yes, that Gerald Genta), who made his legendary name in the 70s. But most of those famous designs – your Oaks Royale, Nautili, etc. – were commissions, not under his own label. Gerald Charles on the other hand was founded by him in 2000 and given the designer’s first and second name. So here we are, two-and-a-half decades later, and Gerald Charles are celebrating that fact with two new timepieces. On the one hand we have a magnificent tourbillon with a painstakingly hand-hammered dial; on the other, an ultra-thin number with a painstakingly made Lapis dial. They really don’t make things easy on themselves, do they?

Gerald Charles Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon

The Maestro is one of the most distinctive watches in its rarefied realm of sports-adjacent dress watches. Created in 2005, the stepped, technically octagonal case was designed to show off a 6 o’clock tourbillon with that distinctive smile. In that sense, while the brand’s 2024 flagship finally brought in what Genta’s best known for – a gorgeous integrated bracelet – the Maestro 9.0 tourbillon is arguably the modern brand’s signature.

What sets this new version apart however is the dial. As alluded to earlier, rather than being engraved with some kind of pattern or texture, the white gold has been hammered by hand. The result is a beautiful, grained dial that by its very nature is irreplicable. And while I say ‘hammered’, the actual technique involved something more similar to a blunt chisel, a tiny, delicate tool that requires patience, precision and 23 hours minimum per dial. ‘Hammered’ suddenly doesn’t seem like the right word.

It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the first time Gerald Charles has used this technique, with a previous version of the Maestro 9.0 offering the same in rose gold. Personally though, the cooler, white metal here showcases the hammered finish much better, especially with the colour matching stainless steel case. Not that it’s monochromatic, of course.

To add some punch and readability to the dial, the oversized Roman numerals at 12, 3 and 9 – the 60-second tourbillon takes over 6 – are stark white and bordered in blue, matching the Maestro’s stepped bezel, which has been given a blue coating for both hardness and colour. Though let’s be honest, mainly colour.

That said, there are some nods to practicality in the Maestro 9.0. It has 100m water resistance, a rarity for a tourbillon, and the case is made from a combination of steel and titanium. It also has 5G shock resistance, which is even rarer. Top that off with a 50-hour power reserve and you have a surprisingly durable, everyday wearable tourbillon. I mean, it’s no field watch, but it’s good to know.

Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli

While artisan hammering gets a lovely, natural grain, you can’t get better finishing than nature. Or at least geology. Semi-precious stone dials have been gaining popularity of late, but as is the case with most of his work, Gerald Genta was a fan before it was cool. Indeed, he had a particular penchant for Lapis Lazuli, the watchmaking world’s blue stone of choice. So what better gift for Gerald Charles’ 25^th anniversary and a Lapis dial?

Rather than a tourbillon, which would cut out too much of the dial to make sense, the base here is the Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin. It still has the same case shape as the rest of the Maestro line, but just 9mm thick. It’s not record breaking but my goodness it feels skinny on your wrist.

That thinness and the stone dial would obviously make you assume that this is a dress watch. But again, with 100m water resistance, some serious shock resistance and a 50-hour power reserve, it’s a good deal more practical than your standard gold number. The 39 x 41mm case is also in stainless steel, so it can take a knock or two if you’re particularly careless.

Set on a dial-matched blue rubber strap with its own splash of Clous de Paris, this is a watch that proves why Gerald Genta, even if under a slightly different name, was the master of sports luxe.

More details at Gerald Charles.

​Oracle Time 

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