Dr. N.
Gerald Genta, an extraordinary designer
In this article we will discover how the greatest watch designer ever, Gerald Genta, influenced Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Omega and other great luxury watch brands.
Today, hearing about designers in the watch industry is by no means unusual. But when, in the fifties of the twentieth century, the then twenty year old Gerald genta he begins to draw watches, the figure of the watch designer is still unknown. In this era, the watch manufacturers entrust the stylistic choices to the suppliers of the components. Gerald genta he begins with the humble duties of designer on behalf of jewelers and watchmaking factories, being paid only 15 Swiss francs for each job. The ingenious Italian-Swiss designer (his father was originally from Piedmont) quickly increased his fame, coming over time to draw some of the most beautiful watches ever. Among these, Gerald Genta ties his name to Patek Philippe Nautilus, Royal Oak di Audemars Piguet, the engineer di IWC, Rolex 5100 “Texan”, and many other great watches.
Gerald Genta (1931-2011)
The beginnings of Gerald Genta: Universal Genéve and Omega
The Genevan company Universal Genéve, still very well known in the 50s, commissioned Gerald Genta for his first success, the Polerouter. It is a watch intended for Scandinavian airline pilots flying on sub-polar routes. Later, in the early XNUMXs, Gerald Genta collaborated with Omega to draw theOmega Constellation andOmega Seamasters.
Gerald Genta's masterpieces: Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse, Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
In 1968, Patek Philippe commissions to Gerald genta one of the most elegant watches ever, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. The Golden Ellipse is characterized by a design based on the golden section and by a very subtle movement. Initially manual winding, in the seventies the Golden Ellipse will be equipped with a very thin automatic winding movement with decentralized rotor.
In the seventies, Gerald Genta was contacted by Audemars Piguet, then back from Patek Philippe, to design sports watches aimed at the Italian watch market, at the time the second in the world after the US. The fruits of his labors are what still make him remembered as the greatest watch designer of all time. We naturally speak of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak of the 1970 and the Patek Philippe Nautilus 1976. The style of Royal Oak is based on the shape of the helmet of a diving suit, while the Nautilus is designed by Gerald Genta during a lunch with the Patek Philippe staff, drawing inspiration from the portholes of ocean liners.
Curiously, these models, which are in great demand today, are not appreciated immediately: for example, we must wait until the XNUMXs for the Patek Philippe Nautilus it rises to the status of style icon in collective perception.
Il Royal Oak di Audemars Piguet
The other creations: IWC Ingenieur, Cartier Pasha, Bulgari
After the great successes of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, which bring him to fame, Gerald genta continues to create watches that still remain a reference for fans today. The IWC, in 1976, commissioned him one of the most appreciated pieces of the maison today, the IWC Engineer, designed to withstand magnetic fields.
In 1985 it was the turn of Cartier. For the Parisian company, Gerald genta revisits the Cartier Pasha, creating a version with a more modern style and in step with the times, still very popular today.
Gerald Genta also works for the Roman brand Bulgari, introducing some stylistic features still used by the company, such as the double writing “Bulgari” on the bezel. Another success, where Gerald Genta's "hand" is evident, is the eight Bulgarian.
Not only Patek, Audemars and Omega: Gerald Genta and Rolex
According to some sources, Gerald Genta has always held in high regard the style of the Rolex watches. Rolex Datejustin particular, according to these sources, it constitutes an example of successful design. Not only that: it seems that, from a professional point of view, a regret of Gerald Genta has always been that of not being able to work on the Rolex Oyster perpetual Datejust.
However, we can get an idea of what a watch looks like Rolex drawn by Gerald Ghentto. The Swiss designer work in fact for Rolex in the late XNUMXs, collaborating with the Geneva-based fashion house. The result of this collaboration is the first ever quartz Rolex: the Rolex 5100, called "Texan". It is a watch produced in only a thousand copies, and little known. However, its design inspired the most famous Rolex Oysterquartz. In particular, the Rolex Oysterquartz it borrowed the shape of the case from the Texan, a rather squared tonneau by Rolex standards, and the style of the bracelet. We can therefore say that the most important watchmakers in the world bear the imprint of Gerald Genta: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega e Rolex.
Contact Dr. N at dr.n@chronosect.com
