Maison Gerald Charles launches the Maestro 8.0 GC Sport Skeleton in Grade 5 titanium with a left-hand screw-down crown and a royal blue vulcanized rubber strap. A new, constantly evolving sporty "Elegante"!
Sporty and elegant, this watch perfectly embodies the values of Maison Gerald Charles, while reaching a new level of technical mastery, offering all the essential characteristics of a Maison timepiece, combining design and particular architecture, precision and reliability, in a beautiful artisanal manufacturing. This new model was imagined by the Maison's Creative Director, Octavio Garcia, and produced in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier in Switzerland, always inspired by the original drawings of Mr. Gérald Genta.
The Maison's first automatic skeleton watch with a screw-down crown on the left
Beneath its apparent simplicity, the singularity and innovation of its movement and its left-hand screw-down crown were technically conceived in another way.
In keeping with the values of “Artistic Creativity and Technical Mastery,” the GCA 5482 caliber has been rotated 180° to allow the crown to be placed on the left of the Maestro case. As a result, the balance wheel is now positioned at 1 o’clock, capturing all the power, while the gear wheel follows the movement downwards. Entirely redesigned by Octavio Garcia, based on the original design of the Maestro 8.0 Skeleton, this new skeleton movement fits perfectly into the asymmetrical shape of the Maestro case.
It's all about levels, reliefs, and light that create a contrast of shadows and reflections. Crafted from grade 5 titanium, the watch reveals at first glance an architectural fusion of space, time, and light.
With the Maestro 8.0 GC Sport Skeleton, the ambition of a contemporary, sporty and elegant watch, suitable for an active lifestyle and the practice of sporting activities, gradually became a reality. Today, Octavio Garcia sees his many years of experience combined in a magnificent watch that combines everything he wants to represent.
When you hear him talk about this watch, you realize that he has found a perfect balance between the case, the components, the skeletonized movement, the use of materials, the finishes, all in perfect harmony, with a sense of simplicity and great elegance. Everything in this watch allows you to discover the spirit of Maison Gerald Charles and his vision of contemporary sports watchmaking.
Finesse as authenticity
While a high-performance and highly technical timepiece, the Maestro GC Sport Skeleton reveals an elegance that expresses purity in its most absolute form. With its openworked movement measuring just 2,6 mm thick, for a total of just 8,35 mm, it is one of the thinnest watches in the Maestro collection.
The Maestro 8.0 Skeleton is not only the thinnest watch in the Core Collection, it is also extremely comfortable and lightweight, with a total weight of only 59,5 grams.
Tested and developed with ATP professional tennis players
To strengthen the relationship with tennis and following the success of the three GC Sport models, Gerald Charles has decided to introduce a new skeletonized version of this watch, tested and developed with ATP professional tennis players. The GC8.0-TX-TN-01 is in fact perfect to be worn during sporting activities thanks to its left-hand crown, which prevents friction during play, and its lightness, ensured by its openworked movement and the grade 5 titanium case material. Weighing only 40 grams, this timepiece is perfect to be worn on any occasion, both on and off the tennis court.
5G shock resistance
If Gerald Charles succeeds in creating a technical, thin, light and ergonomic watch – since it sits flat on the wrist, the back, the lugs and the bracelet being on the same straight line – it also has 5G shock resistance.
« Creating this technical watch was a complex journey for our R&D team at our Swiss manufacture. We asked our partners, designers, and engineers to surpass themselves and achieve something never before done. It was a challenge to imagine a left-handed openworked automatic caliber for the GC Sport collection. It is always extremely important to continue surprising our collectors by pushing our technical and creative boundaries. The new GC Sport reference perfectly embodies the company's vision: to make watches that perpetuate the legacy of our founder, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, while adding our contemporary vision of watchmaking. We craft handcrafted and highly technical timepieces, while preserving the most sophisticated elegance. ", comments Federico Ziviani, general manager of Gerald Charles.
A new sandblasted finish and subtle blue details
With this model, Gerald Charles introduces a new sandblasting finish for the Grade 5 titanium case. The result is a distinctive shade of gray, darker than that of the rhodium-blasted bridges, with a hand-polished, glossy chamfer.
To accentuate the chromatic contrast, the off-center micro-rotor is made of 22-carat 4N rose gold, decorated with Gerald Charles' "honeycomb" motif, and the train wheel is yellow gold.
Another unique detail is the blueing treatment of the screws: once heated by hand, they acquire the shade called "blued", which comes from the resulting protective finish.
On the dial side, this process makes the watch extremely readable thanks to the colors used and the screws positioned near the hours. To perfect the aesthetics of the whole, the "blueing" matches the baton-shaped hands, the minute track and the strap, all in midnight blue.
The design legacy of Mr. Gérald Charles Genta
The Maestro 8.0 GC Sport Skeleton in Grade 5 titanium, Ref. GC8.0-TX-TN-01, features the iconic Gerald Charles Maestro case and royal blue vulcanized rubber strap, both from the original designs of Mr. Gérald Charles Genta.
For the Maestro case, Mr. Genta was inspired by a Roman monument from the 17the century designed by Francesco Borromini, whose shape is the result of a square and an octagon with the "smile" at 6 o'clock; with a total size of 40 mm and a thickness of only 8,35 mm. The vulcanized rubber strap features a double-sided decoration with the Clou de Paris motif on one side and the GC tapestry logo on the other.
The timepiece, like all Gerald Charles watches, is water-resistant to 10 ATM, or 100 meters, thanks to a custom-made gasket that seals the sapphire crystal – and the movement provides a power reserve of approximately 50 hours, despite being only 2,6 mm thick. These characteristics are a testament to Gerald Charles's uncompromising approach to craftsmanship and the values of Swiss fine watchmaking.
These classic references, which, in the design and manufacturing process, reinforce the timepiece's contemporary and original appearance. Embodying the values of Gerald Charles, the timepiece is a continuation of the Maison's heritage: a bold, instantly recognizable aesthetic with exceptional mechanics.
About Gerald Charles
Gerald Charles is an independent family-owned watchmaking company based in Switzerland. It was founded in 2000 by the great Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, the greatest watch designer of the 20th century.e century. Mr. Genta, often referred to simply as "Maestro," was an extremely productive artist and watch designer. After selling the company in 2003, he remained its chief designer until his death in 2011. Each watch created by Gerald Charles is based on one of his original designs and continues his legacy of " artistic creativity and technical mastery ". Gerald Charles watches are at the forefront of ergonomics and are designed and manufactured to fit comfortably and elegantly on the wrist. Gerald Charles watches are produced without compromise and combine the best traditions and the latest technologies of Swiss mechanical watchmaking to offer superior precision and performance, as well as exceptional resistance to water and shock. Today, the Maison produces an average of 2 pieces per year. In reference to the company's founder, Monsieur Genta, each Gerald Charles watch reflects the brand's sporty and elegant style.
Patrick Koune
