Gerald Genta is the number one name in design and especially watch design. Audemars Piguet is an artist who has created countless and timeless models of the Royal Oak, Patek Phillippe Nautilus and Omega Constellation models, Cartier, IWC, Hamilton, Van Cleff & Arpels as well as the brand that bears his name.
Gerald says, “Marvelous mechanical mechanisms are being made; but their designs don't reflect that,” he thought. In those years, Gerald was the best person to fight the design crisis caused by Quartz watches in the watch market.
Gérald Charles Genta (1 May 1931 – 17 August 2011) was a Swiss watch designer and artist. He is known for his eponymous line of timepieces as well as his design work with other high-end watch manufacturers.
Legendary watch designer Gérald Genta (1931-2011) has created some of the most iconic models in the watchmaking world throughout his career. He worked with many brands from Omega to Audemars Piguet and IWC and eventually founded an independent brand. It is a proof that designer watches have become the hallmark of their own brands and reveal popular watch styles.
The story of meeting his wife
“The first thing he said to me was 'What an ugly watch you wear. And I thought, 'Who is this super rude man?'” Evelyne Genta begins. “I thought my watch was fine, but he told me the case ears were wrong and my watch wasn't quite perfect. I got so angry that I took my watch out and put it in my pocket.” As with many watches around the world, that watch went into the washing machine and never worked again.
“Swiss crazy man” Gérald Genta, after hearing what had happened to the watch, sent a replacement, but this watch caused anger and was promptly sent back. Despite these not-so-pleasant dating stories, the couple soon began working together. One was good with design intelligence, while the other was good with numbers.
“He would have thought that if you didn't deserve the watches he designed, if you didn't fully understand them, then you shouldn't have that watch. But I was aware that we had about 200 workers who had to be paid… Fortunately, things went well. I never got involved in his designs either because Gérald had a unique vision. It allowed me to take control of the slow commercial side, so we became a team.”
The couple spent the next two decades traveling the world, visiting wealthy clients and promoting the brand on the travels that often inspired their designs.
“I remember we often went to palaces in Saudi Arabia with him,” Evelyne Genta says. “I would say, 'Oh my God, it was a wonderful palace. He would say, 'Did you notice the edges of the windows?' You could be sure I wasn't even paying attention to the windows. But he saw such a detail in the windows that whether it was of natural or architectural origin, it was later reflected in his designs.
“Before the self-titled brand was founded in 1969, Gérald Genta was a freelance designer and there was no such concept in the wristwatch industry at the time. He was in charge of Universal Geneve's Polerouter in the mid-50s. He later worked at Bien under the direction of Pierre Moinat, creative director at Omega, and developed various Constellation and Seamaster designs.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Genta presented his design for the Royal Oak to Audemars Piguet in 1970. According to the story, Genta designed a night watch after being inspired by a diver wearing an old-fashioned helmet who joined his team with eight screws. The octagonal design has remained even in the latest incarnations of the watch, including the Royal Oak Offshore introduced in 1993 and the Royal Oak Offshore Diver introduced in 2013.
The inspiration for the first Bulgari Bulgari was an ancient Roman coin, on which it was translated with inscriptions carved at the request of the emperor. Genta applied this design element to the bezel of the watch, which bears two “Bulgari” engravings, from which the model gets its recurring name. The cylindrical shape of the clock was also influenced by ancient Rome, especially with the columns of Roman temples. Over its 36 years of existence, the Bulgari Bulgari has undergone only minor changes, including the transition from quartz to mechanical movements and changes in size to suit modern tastes.
Genta is also responsible for reinventing IWC's Ingenieur. Released in 1976, Genta's Ingenieur SL featured the addition of five visible screws (similar to the Royal Oak's bezel screws) on the watch's bezel. This element has remained a part of the Ingenieur design, as seen on the IWC Ingenieur Dual Chronograph Titanium dating back a few years when IWC refreshed its collection. In 2017, IWC announced that the Ingenieur will be redesigned with an even more retro look.
Genta is also known to have designed several models in the Omega Constellation series. The Omega Constellation series, including this new version released today. However, it is not known exactly which designs were designed by him.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Genta is a prime example of original designs. Knowing the Stern family as enthusiastic yachtsmen, Genta designed the Nautilus in 1974 as a sports watch with a bezel resembling a porthole. Genta also designed the Golden Ellipse for Patek Philippe in 1968. Patek Philippe Nautilus remains one of the most popular and iconic luxury sports watches.