Some brands are a perfect fit for Geneva Watch Days, and Gérald Genta is one of them. That’s because the LVMH Group-revived brand, founded by the legendary watch designer,, has an entire collection named for the city that channels its spirit. And based on the new Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian, those spirits must be high.

Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

This new watch is the sophomore release in the Geneva Minute Repeater line, following the earlier Black Onyx model. Like that model, this new Golden Obsidian piece balances technical excellence with an aesthetic that is at once contemporary and classical.

The Black Onyx version and the latest Golden Obsidian version

The 40mm yellow gold case is elegant in its softly curving lines; its link to historical Genta designs is immediately apparent. But here, the warm tones of the heavy metal play a role behind framing the dial—they amplify the tones of the repeater. The case walls are especially thin (down to 0.6mm at their thinnest point), and the 9.6mm-talll case has been tuned to improve the clarity of the chime. The bezel is hollow, and the sapphire crystal is especially slender, to better allow sound to travel.

Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

As for the mechanism itself, the GG-002 has been developed entirely by Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, a manually wound movement which serves to meet three priorities of mechanical excellence, visual beauty and emotional sound. Each gong is hand-cut, tuned by hand (and ear), and then black-polished to create a repeater gong that fills all three metrics nicely. Every other element of the calibre also plays its part in living up to these standards, with the subtle octagonal inertia wheel serving as a nice nod to Mr Genta’s favourite (or at least most famous) shape.

Finally, the dial. While obsidian is often thought of as an inky black stone, here we see the mineral take a more subtle and shifting personality, with a blend of golden and brown tones that adds a warm tone to the watch, one that is only accentuated by the case and the curved, rounded yellow golden hands and hour markers.

The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian is sophisticated and elegant, with plenty of vintage notes, technical proficiency and a surprisingly warm personality, just like the city it’s named for.

Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

Tech Specs: Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

Movement Caliber GG-002, Manual winding, 80 hours of power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, minute repeater
Case Yellow gold, 40 x 9.6mm
Dial Golden obsidian
Strap Brown calfskin
Price Upon request