Sponsored post presented on aBlogtoWatch for advertiser

Gerald Charles is a brand that is not troubled by convention. The final marque of legendary watch designer and habitual rulebreaker Gérald Genta, Gerald Charles has been experiencing a resurgence of late as it pushes ahead with a signature case and an expanding collection.  With a mind toward expanding the brand’s look to a more active lifestyle, the Gerald Charles GC Sport combines a titanium case and left-handed crown with a sportier dial and bracelet to offer a more relaxed timepiece without sacrificing any of what makes the brand special.

Though Gerald Genta sold Gerald Charles to the Ziviani family just three years after founding the brand, he remained involved until his death in 2011. In 2019, Federico Ziviani took over the company from his uncle and sought to revitalize it by using Genta’s Maestro case design and lowering the brand’s price points. Working with designer Octavio Garcia, who collaborated with Genta while the two were involved with Audemars Piguet, Gerald Charles introduced the Maestro 2.0 in 2021. The brand was transformed from a high priced, low production outfit to one that produced almost 2,000 pieces a year with a current entry price of $17,300 USD. As an exceptional timepiece at an exceptional price, the Gerald Charles GC Sport continues this trend.

The true hallmark of Gerald Charles is its unconventional case shape. The frame-like form of the case is rendered, in grade 5 titanium, with the bold decision to polish the case fully. This allows the watch to have a versatility that brushed or blasted titanium cases don’t afford, giving it the ability to be both on the court and at an elegant dinner on the same day. The bottom edge of the case is defined by what Gerald Charles calls the “smile,” a playful arc from 7 to 5 that immediately makes the design stand out. Measuring 39mm in diameter and just 8.7mm thick, the watch wears effortlessly on the wrist, a fact reinforced by two other elements. First, the screw-down crown has been rotated to 9 o’clock to ensure it doesn’t cause discomfort during play, and second, the watch is perfectly paired with a matching blue rubber strap with a clous de Paris pattern on one side and the GC logo repeated on the other. Securing the strap is a titanium buckle that mimics the style of the case, particularly its “smile.” The watch boasts a flat sapphire crystal and a depth rating of 100m, sure to protect it against almost any activity.

For the GC Sport, the brand has maintained its vibrantly colored dials, with options in blue, green (“grass”), or russet-colored (“clay”). The latter two feature a textured finish with a gradient from the primary color to black around the edges of the dial. This blue, though, receives a sunburst treatment and has been carefully crafted to put on a dance of color depending on the light, shifting from violet to ice blue to almost black.  Further, the brand has made this a bit more casual with the inclusion of applied Arabic numerals at 12, 3, and 9, while everything still gets a generous coating of Super-LumiNova to ensure optimal legibility in all lighting conditions. Even without the glow, the hands and indices are perfectly formed in tribute to one of Genta’s classic designs, offering a refined silhouette against the radiant dial.

The GC Sport displays the manufacture Calibre Ref. GCA3002 through a sapphire caseback window. Similar to the movement used in its Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin models, this automatic Swiss movement was developed in collaboration with renowned movement house Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. But while the reference may be the same, the GC Sport’s version has been improved beyond that of the Maestro 2.0. The movement was adapted to allow for the left-handed crown, the date wheel required a bespoke solution to be realigned, and a series of fine adjustments and novel testing allowed for the movement’s shock resistance to be increased by 40 percent. Of course, the movement is finished to exacting standards, with a custom geometric design on the gold rotor, anglage, perlage, and a striking sunburst Côtes de Gèneve pattern emanating from the balance. The GCA3002 runs at 28,800 vph with a 50-hour power reserve and features a Gyromax balance and 28 jewels.

Gérald Genta’s name looms so large in the watch world that honoring it can prove daunting. Combine that with making a truly appealing and modern watch, and the odds seemed stacked against a brand. Yet, Gerald Charles has done that once again with the Gerald Charles GC Sport. Combining a unique case with practical considerations and exceptional finishing, the GC Sport delivers as both a modern timepiece and a tribute to its namesake. The Gerald Charles GC Sport is priced at $19,000 USD and is available to pre-order now with a $1,900 USD deposit for November 2023 delivery. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.