Gerald Genta
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DETAILS
Mr. Gérald Genta, considered one of the most important modern watch designers and in fact the inventor of the profession, has collaborated with many renowned Swiss watch manufacturers such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, IWC, Universal Genève, Omega, Bulgari, Cartier, Seiko and others throughout his career. He is world-famous as the creator of the Nautilus and Royal Oak designs and founded his own brand in 1969. The Gérald Genta brand is widely known for its outstanding, daring, sometimes provocative designs, its fine craftsmanship and its exceptional, over-complicated Grande Sonnerie models. The first version of the Grande Sonnerie movement with Grand Chime function, cathedral (Westminster) quarter-hour strike, minute repeater, perpetual calendar and tourbillon was completed in 1994 by Pierre-Michel Golay, who during those years was chief watchmaker and technical director of Gérald Genta, with whom he had worked since 1973. Since 2002, he has been head of the research and development department at Franck Muller. From 1999 to 2023, the Gérald Genta brand belonged to Bulgari. In 2010, the production of collections bearing the Gérald Genta brand name was discontinued, but Bulgari continued to produce Grande Sonnerie watches under its own brand name. In 2020, production resumed, albeit on a very small scale, and in 2023 the LVMH Group, which owns the Bulgari and Gérald Genta brands, among others, decided to relaunch Gérald Genta.
REASONS TO BUY
The Grande Sonnerie Carillon Westminster Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Ref. G0028.7 No.1 Piece Unique in white gold is a good candidate to become the centerpiece of any collection of fine wristwatches. Its outstanding and memorable design, the intricate hand-finishing and engraved decorations of the caliber and the exceptional version of Mr. Genta’s baroque style. The Grande and Petite Sonnerie functions and a minute repeater are extremely rare and the most complicated of the traditional mechanical complications of haute horlogerie, made even more sophisticated by the addition of a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. This watch would also be a great opportunity for the collector to acquire one of the iconic timepieces of modern haute horlogerie, created by Gérald Genta, one of the most creative brands in luxury watchmaking.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
Since 1994, Grande Sonnerie wristwatches have been produced in extremely limited quantities, generally only a few per year, with the production of a single watch usually taking about a year. During the production period, the ultra-complex movement was constantly modernized and different versions of it were also developed. The caliber 31000 of the present example, an automatic movement that rings four hammers on four gongs and plays a Westminster chime with a different melody for each quarter, is the first, original version developed in 1994 for the 25th anniversary of the Gérald Genta brand. The particularity of the caliber 31000 is that it is the most complicated version, consisting of more than 800 parts, while all subsequent versions have been similar or less complicated, although they are all still among the most complicated movements ever developed for a wristwatch.
This Grande Sonnerie Ref. G0028.7 with case number 83xxx is, in our opinion, a continuation of the Gérald Genta Grande Sonnerie series that began in 1994 with the original Ref. G0025.7 and continued in subsequent years with Ref. G0026.6, G0027.1 and G0027.7 as well as through a special edition labeled Ref. GGM1, as far as we can tell from the available information. It is very likely that this Grande Sonnerie Ref. G0028.7 was produced in the years 1997–1998 and is therefore one of the last Grande Sonnerie models produced by Gérald Genta before the takeover by the Bulgari Group.
Most Gérald Genta Grande Sonnerie watches were only very rarely produced as limited editions (very small editions) and mostly as one-offs. What makes them unique? It wasn’t just about the complication scheme of the caliber, but also the case design and material, the dial design and even the way the caliber was finished. If you look closely at the engraved movement of this watch, you can see an open-worked “double G with oak leaves” rotor, the outer segment of which is engraved with a floral pattern. This is one of the features that distinguishes this Grande Sonnerie Ref. G0028.7 from the earlier Gérald Genta Grande Sonnerie watches, in which the outer segment of the rotor is engraved with the anniversary inscription “1969 Grande Sonnerie 1994” on the early models, and later simply with “Grande Sonnerie”. To underline the highest quality of watchmaking, all these movements bear the prestigious Poinçon de Genève.
This Grande Sonnerie Ref. G0028.7 has an octagonal “pyramid” case in white gold, perhaps the most reduced version of the Genta’s octagonal “pyramid” design, without the smoothed cut-off areas at the corners of the octagonal bezel motif as on earlier Ref. G0025.7 models. The central part of the Vendôme lugs of this watch is characterized by vertical grooves, while the Grande Sonnerie normally has horizontal grooves that follow the bezel motif. The movement features the hand-engraved relief work with oak leaf and grape motifs typical of the Grande Sonnerie and was produced in a free style. The winding bridge is additionally decorated with Mr. Genta’s engraved signature. Overall, the watch has the luxurious, baroque flair typical of Mr. Genta’s finest creations and is the best conceivable complement to the highly complicated movement and its rarity status. Without a doubt, this watch shows an appealing, flamboyant side of high watchmaking – haute horlogerie.
Specifications
| D= | Width 39mm., thickness 15mm. | |
| Glass | Sapfire glass | |
| Claps | Buckle | |
| Functions | Alarm, calendar, minute repeater, power reserve indicator, tourbillon, dual time | |
| Dial | Mother of pearl dial with four subsidiary dials | > |
| Case material | White Gold | |
| Year | 1994 | |
| Caliber | Cal.31000 |
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
