Genta Giant: Gérald Genta Introduces a New Minute Repeater at Geneva Watch Days

As the creator of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the IWC Ingenieur (to name only a few), we all know Gérald Genta was a revolutionary designer. However, we do him a massive disservice when we fail to give him credit for revolutionizing the way complications could be integrated into everyday watches.

And this month, at Geneva Watch Days, the brand Gérald Genta honors its founder with a new limited edition Minute Repeater that is as mechanically interesting as it is elegant.

Genta’s work has always been a study in balance and contrasts, elegance and refinement. You see it going back to 1954 when Universal Genève commissioned the then 23-year-old Genta to design a new watch – the Polerouter.

That timepiece came about because Universal Genève supplied watches to the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) crew, which was the first airline to have routes connecting New York to Europe via the North Pole. Unfortunately, SAS’s navigation systems couldn’t cope with high magnetic fields near the Pole and had to be completely overhauled. Moreover, all time-measuring instruments, including the wristwatches worn by the crew, suffered from the same issue.
 

Genta’s solution, the sleek, compact, and modernist Polerouter, defied all expectations of what an aviation watch was supposed to look like. Then, in 1959, he famously reshaped the codes of the dressy Omega Constellation by introducing a tonneau-shaped case.

This move anticipated his later work with the sporty styling of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus (an original ad for this waterproof watch touted it as a timepiece that “looks majestic whether you're joining hands across a dinner table or across a coral reef”). Even the retrograde Mickey Mouse watches that Genta made under his signature balanced whimsy with a luxurious diamond-set bezel and a mother-of-pearl dial.

All of the above watches are, of course, iconic. Still, when Gérald Genta, the brand, was revived in 2023 with the support of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and under the artistic direction of Matthieu Hegi, the focus was on capturing the essence of the designer by reinterpreting one of his most personal creations: the Gentissima Oursin.

Chiming watches were also close to Mr. Genta’s heart. In the 1980s, he was among the few watchmakers of that era (i.e., the middle of the Quartz Crisis) creating minute repeaters, releasing automatic, water-resistant, and perpetual calendar versions.
 

As with all things Genta, form follows function, and the La Fabrique du Temps team channels this spirit with a completely new, softly cushioned 40mm yellow gold case with a lustrous onyx dial (Genta loved stone dials). Aesthetically, the new Minute Repeater’s case, designed to be as refined as possible to allow for everyday wearability and elegance, also resonates (pun definitely intended) due to its remarkably thin 9.60mm silhouette. Again, this example of haute horology is not a tool watch, but Hegi adds that this new case shape was conceived like an instrument.

Free of any sharp edges, its cushion shape is a natural evolution of Genta’s signature octagonal form. With it, Hegi hopes to encompass the whole scope of Genta’s impressive catalogue. “I wanted to capture the intuitive, instinctive genius and artistry of Mr. Genta,” explains Hegi. And while the various iterations of the Oursin have been a feast for the eyes, this new Minute Repeater is also an aural delight.
 

The minute repeater was one of Mr. Genta’s favorite complications, blending technical mastery with the pursuit of emotional resonance and beauty. To make the magic happen, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas were enlisted to create the GG-002, a manual-winding minute repeater calibre. Stainless-steel hammers and gongs have been manually tuned by ear and hand. These gongs are affixed to the case to further boost sound projection with an exceptionally clear and crystalline chime.

As Navas explains: “It is a small watch, with very little leeway for enhanced sound propagation. We had to carefully consider how to optimize the sound, which led us to create such a thin case.”

The calibre GG-002 has been finished to the highest standards of traditional haute horlogerie, including côtes de Genève, hand-beveled angles throughout, and snailing detail on the base plate. The inertia wheel has been crafted in an octagonal shape, a tribute to Mr. Genta’s favorite shape. This automatic movement has an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The GG-002 also incorporates a bar click for a unique, emotive feel when winding the watch.
 

To achieve balance, one must have contrast. Thus, alternating brushed and polished surfaces offer a subtle yet deliberate interplay of light, enhancing the purity of the design. Moreover, the case’s double gadroons pay tribute to Mr. Genta’s historical pieces, and come in polished gold, presenting a visually slim profile against the satin-brushed part of the case.
 

The pusher controlling the minute repeater mechanism is also polished and notably thin, following the watch’s shape and its sensorial architecture; yet, it is extremely tactile and easy to manipulate. Meanwhile, a single lug for attachment to a black leather strap further nods to historical Genta pieces, presenting a wider and shorter design that seamlessly blends with the case, celebrating the Minute Repeater's unique form.
 

Finally, the crown, topped with an onyx cabochon, echoes the black onyx dial. When paired with 3N yellow gold, this palette evokes the “sunshine and the Mediterranean spirit, which was very Genta.” Yellow gold is also an ideal material for maximizing the sound and acoustics of the minute repeater.

Making it extra enticing to Genta collectors, the Minute Repeater’s production will be limited to just 10 pieces per year. For more information, including pricing, check out the Gérald Genta website.