The rapid rise of Gerald Charles continues with two impressive new releases, a technically sophisiticated perpetual calendar and a smaller Maestro, packed with color.

Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar

First, the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar. This is the brand’s most complex creation since its renaissance under Federico Ziviani’s leadership. The complication in question is — of course — a perpetual calendar, but it’s a calendar unlike any other. It’s a fitting way to mark the limitless creativity of Gérald Charles Genta, who founded the brand in 2000.

This new addition to the Masterlink collection is powered by an in-house, asymmetrical automatic perpetual calendar movement. Shaped to match the Maestro case, all indications, including the moonphase and leap year, are neatly fitted onto three registers, resulting in a perpetual calendar that is neatly laid out and perfectly balanced. It’s also thin. The full case height of the watch is only 10mm — quite an impressive feat for a movement with 306 components and 50 hours of power reserve. One space-saving measure is the use of a golden micro-rotor, which generates up to 50 hours of power reserve. This movement, in all its shaped glory, is clearly visible through the open back of the watch — and keen fans of horology and geography may even notice that the movement architecture is a somewhat abstracted representation of the city of Geneva, with a black stone set in an approximation of the location of the Gerald Charles atelier.

The drama continues over on the dial side, as this debut release of the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar is offered in two dial versions: a sophisticated layered dial with a smoked ruthenium tone. The upper layer of the dial offers a strong vertical line design, adding another layer of depth in addition to the dark fumé finish. The other dial is even more dramatic, though it’s very much a case of less is more. The fully open-worked sapphire dial provides an unhindered view of the movement behind — with some artfully smoked zones behind indicators to ensure legibility isn’t compromised.

The final piece of the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar puzzle is, of course, the case and bracelet. The Maestro case, with its amorphous shape very clearly from the pen of the legendary Gérald Genta, has evolved in line with modern sensibilities, while losing none of its fundamental charm. Here, the case and sleekly matching bracelet have been crafted from Grade 5 titanium with a complex array of finishing. The flanks of the case and bracelet have a fine vertical brush, while the edges of the bracelet links and the distinctive crown with its grippy Clous de Paris detailing are mirror polished. Contrast is provided thanks to the liberal use of “Darkblasting” — a decorative technique developed by Gerald Charles that is an evolution of traditional sand-blasting, which creates a finish that is darker, harder and more scratch resistant. The bezel and bracelet center links have been Darkblasted, and the resulting texture is remarkable — surprisingly matte and almost velvety.

When it comes to size, the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar is just right — in addition to the slender height mentioned above, the case is a crowd-pleasing 40mm across and 39.85mm from lug to lug — resulting in a watch that flows seamlessly from case to bracelet and back again. What Gerald Charles has managed to achieve with the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar is quite remarkable. They’ve taken a Mr. Genta design and not only given it a sporty edge, but also powered it with a perpetual calendar that’s a far cry from the usual. As legible as it is asymmetrical, this is an impressive perpetual debut from Gerald Charles.

Tech Specs: Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar

Movement Self-winding proprietary perpetual calendar movement developed by Gerald Charles; 50-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, perpetual calendar and moonphase
Case 40mm × 39.85mm × 10mm; Grade 5 titanium; water resistant to 100m
Dial Smoked ruthenium fumé or open-worked sapphire
Strap Grade 5 titanium bracelet
Price Upon request

Gerald Charles Mini Maestro

The genesis of Gerald Charles’ distinctly-shaped a one-off creation, a singular watch known only as GC58 — a unique piece created in 2006 that embodies the creativity and design sensibilities of the legendary Gérald Charles Genta. GC58 is a slender time-and-date watch, with a case shape that will be instantly recognizable to those familiar with the present-day Maestro. What might be a little more surprising is the fact that the bezel is set with a twin row of diamonds, amplifying the unconventional shape, making it a watch with a jewelry-like personality. But more than this, it’s an important piece of horological history: the GC58 was the last ladies’ watch designed by Mr. Genta.

Today, that jewelry-like personality is front and center with the Mini Maestro — a collection of three models that share the Maestro profile in titanium, with a smaller case size of 29mm × 31mm and a thickness of 7.2mm. But what the Mini Maestro lacks in size, it makes up for in impact — specifically the 54 diamonds (with a total weight of approximately 0.53 carats) running around the bezel, much like the GC58 piece, which is now proudly on show in the brand’s Geneva Museum.

If the diamonds don’t bring you in, the color is sure to compel you. Offered in black with a silver dial, ice blue or a delicate pink, the Mini Maestro features dials made with a delicate Clous de Paris mini-tapisserie texture, which provides an entrancing play of light and texture, elevating the otherwise subtle shades of the dial into a beguiling complement to the case itself.

Additionally this is a watch that’s been made with wearability in mind, the rubber straps, color-matched with the dials, have a similar Clous de Paris pattern and, on top of that, they are easy to remove and change. There’s a rainbow ecosystem of 15 straps to choose from, in elegantly textured (and very bright) calf leather, all paired with a double-fold deployant buckle in a shape reminiscent of the Maestro case, allowing the wearer to personalize their watch to match their outfit, mood or occasion.

The final chapter of this charming Mini Maestro story is the movement — Gerald Charles has opted for the day-to-day convenience of quartz, with a six-year battery life. While you might assume that a ladies’ Maestro is a smaller version of the men’s watch, the reality here is a little different. The Mini Maestro is a return to the roots of the watch, an evocation of the Genta design that gave birth to the Maestro concept.

Tech Specs: Gerald Charles Mini Maestro

Movement GCQ1000 quartz caliber; six-year battery life
Functions Hours and minutes
Case 29mm × 31mm × 7.2mm; Grade 5 titanium, set with 54 diamonds; water resistant to 50m
Dial Sunray-brushed with Clous de Paris finishing in silver, ice blue or pink
Strap Color-coordinated black, ice blue or pink rubber with easy release system
Price Upon request