Introducing: The Gérald Genta Minute Repeater — A Small Watch With A Big Sound
It looks like a watch, and it sounds like a musical instrument. The Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is a resonating 40 × 9.6mm yellow gold grand complication with a black onyx dial. And according to the watch’s creators, a musical instrument comes alive when you sound the time. The watchmakers behind this masterpiece set out to create a timepiece that would please the late designer and offer optimal acoustics. Unfortunately, the press kit didn’t provide a sound sample, so we can’t judge the watch’s musical performance. However, we can judge this book by its cover and spec sheet.
The lustrous onyx dial celebrates Mr. Genta’s love for stone dials. The shape of the 40 × 9.6mm yellow gold case and how the strap attaches to it are pure Genta. The new Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is a remarkable creation, and the brand will produce only 10 examples of it per year. The brains behind the watch are master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas, working at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. They created the GG-002, a manual-winding caliber featuring a minute repeater. They’re also committed audiophiles because they wanted to create a musical instrument rather than just any watch that chimes the time. And that’s why great attention was paid to the black-polished hammers and gongs. Each gong has been manually tuned by ear and hand, resulting in clear chimes at a notably high volume. In other words, they are ideal for a wristwatch worn far away from the ear.
Inside the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater
The GG-002 movement takes more than four weeks to produce and assemble. That is, in part, due to its complexity, but it’s also because it receives traditional Haute Horlogerie finishing entirely by hand. The see-through case back reveals Côtes de Genève on the bridges, hand-beveled angles throughout, and perlage on the mainplate.
The octagonal inertia wheel is a remarkable component and a nod to Gérald Genta’s favorite form. Apart from being complicated and gloriously finished, the movement is a proper powerhouse boasting an 80-hour power reserve. To increase horological pleasure for the lucky owners of this price-on-request Haute Horlogerie creation is a bar click that ensures an emotive feel when winding the timepiece.
A smooth case
The case doesn’t have any angular octagonal parts. Instead, it’s a smooth design, free of sharp edges. However, the cushion shape is a natural evolution of Genta’s signature octagonal form. I imagine that this is what you would get if you were to leave your Royal Oak in the surf for a few hundred years. The 40mm yellow gold case is very smooth, elegant, and, above all, thin. The 9.6mm profile seems remarkable when you know that the watch is a minute repeater.
Although the case might be slim, it’s also designed to amplify the chime. To achieve this, it has ultra-thin walls (0.6mm at the thinnest point) and an internal architecture like a sound studio. It’s designed to allow the chime to breathe and resonate with sonorous clarity, resulting in a melodious indication of the time. Apart from the thin case, the 0.8mm-slim sapphire crystal is a fifth of a millimeter thinner than a typical flat crystal.
Modest elegance
Most minute repeaters are substantial watches that are not perfect for everyday wear. While the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is hardly a “daily beater,” its modest proportions will make it a comfortable timepiece. The case shows polished and brushed surfaces, and the shiny, stepped bezel is a characteristic Genta design element. The polished trigger that operates the minute repeater is also a statement of slim refinement.
The single lugs holding the black sheepskin strap are yet another nod to historical Genta watches. Every detail is thought through, so there’s also a crown topped with an onyx cabochon to stay in the same style as the dial. Ah, that dial… A slab of lustrous black onyx paired with 3N yellow gold is a classic choice that evokes “sunshine and the Mediterranean spirit, which was very Genta,” according to the press release.
The modestly sized Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is stunning in many ways. Its balanced proportions, technical complexity, and characteristic design details, such as the single lugs, are captivating. However, one of the key elements in creating a clean and charismatic look is the subtle shape of the minute track. Its inner segment is a circle, and the indexes follow this profile. The outer segment, however, follows the cushion shape of the case. The juxtaposition creates tension but does so in a nice way.
What do you think? Is this a masterpiece worthy of the master? Or does the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater lean too much on the past and, therefore, lack a strong, contemporary personality? Please let me know in the comments section.
