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A Brief Overview of Gérald Genta

You have probably heard the name Gérald Genta countless times if you have an interest in watch design. His name is synonymous with two of the most successful wristwatch lines in the modern era; the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Numerous iterations have spawned from these core designs and in the case of Audemars Piguet, the Royal Oak is the cornerstone of the brand's design DNA.

So how did it come to be that two of the 'holy trinity?Grand Maisons, ultimately owe these successes to not just one designer, but the very same man? To understand this, you first have to understand the man himself: Gérald Genta, a legend of 20th century Swiss Watchmaking.

Starting with the Basics

Charles Gérald Genta was born on May 1st, 1931 in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout his 80 years on Planet Earth, he blazed a trail through the watchmaking industry that still smoulders to this day. He is survived by his wife Evelyne, whom he married at a grand wedding in Monte Carlo. In addition to her duties as a Monégasque ambassador for the United Kingdom, Evelyne maintains her late husband's legacy alongside the couple's daughter, Alexia. The familial duo established the Gerald Genta Association last year ?an event we covered on Fratellowatches.com.

Genta, the Artist

Genta was not a trained watch designer but worked as a jeweler who partook in art as a personal hobby. He painted daily and accrued a portfolio of nearly 100,000 art pieces, which are now preserved in the Bvlgari Genta Art Collection in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Hailing from the Mecca of watchmaking led to his artistry being applied to Swiss replica watches and he soon collaborated with brands such as Universal Genève and breitling replica watches. His larger than life character and artistic ego allowed him the freedom to redesign and revitalise any brand's existing models, breaking a lineage of tradition and complacency. This approach had its ups and downs but was interesting enough to catch the attention of higher-end brands. His emergence could not have come at a better time. As Genta was realising his potential, the mechanical watch industry was marching towards a war it would not emerge from unscathed: The quartz crisis threatened everything. The industry's best hope of survival was in embracing the genius of a local boy, who seemed able to breathe new life into anything he touched.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was Born

One such brand was Audemars Piguet. As the story goes, AP contacted Genta with a rather far-reaching request. The remit? To conceive a new watch design language. The timeframe? The next working day. Genta duly accepted and sketched his ideas overnight. Audemars Piguet presented Genta's work to its investors. Although one could well imagine a confused response to the avant-garde proposal, the investors were sufficiently impressed to sign-off on the design. As you may have already guessed, this overnight epiphany came to be known as the Royal Oak (after narrowly escaping being named the Audemars Piguet Safari).

Core to the concept was the link between the bracelet and the case that was constructed to be seamless. Before this, the protruding lugs of a watch were a clear delineation between the head of the watch and the strap to keep it attached to the wrist. The integrated lugs proved a seminal moment for wristwatch design. The unified case and bracelet gifted the Royal Oak with a fluid appearance, which led to the bracelet being considered one of the all-time greats.

One of the most recognisable aspects of the design is the octagonal bezel. While many believe it was inspired by a ship's porthole, Genta stumbled across the idea when observing a diver's helmet. He was taken by the raw functionality of the exposed screw heads and decided to incorporate the idea into his design. It turned out to be yet another flash of brilliance. In luxury replica watches (especially up until that point), designers attempted to achieve the appearance of flawlessness ?as if the watch had just sprung into existence without the need for human intervention. By celebrating something as functional as a screw (or, as in the case of the AP Royal Oak, a bolt) Genta kicked down the door that led to the subsequent generations of experimental design.

While many assume that the bolts are non-functional (as the general assumption is that they are screws rather than bolts held in place by corresponding nuts tightened from the underside) the genuine functionality of this design element sends a message ?that the process is to be as celebrated as the result. The only design flourish is the positioning of the grooves, which correlate with the lines of the octagonal case. The bolts themselves were made from white gold as steel could not be precisely machined to the correct scale with the techniques of the time.

While the success for Audemars Piguet today is undeniable, back in 1972, the Royal Oak was not a clear-cut hit. The market was not ready for a luxury sports watch in stainless steel that was priced and treated like gold. It was priced sometimes ahead of the brand's gold pieces and four times more than a Rolex Submariner of the time. This carries over somewhat into today's market too. It's an adage that the "designs were ahead of their time? but in the case of the Royal Oak, it rings true. Genta's singular vision was to conceive styles that exude luxury despite the utilitarian material of stainless steel.

Patek Philippe Nautilus was Born

From there, the Royal Oak gathered steam with more marketing investment brought in by a young Jean-Claude Biver. In Basel, during the annual watch fair, Genta was enjoying a quiet dinner in a hotel restaurant when he spotted some Patek Philippe executives wining and dining. He requested a pencil and paper from the waiter and, in 5 minutes, sketched a new concept that would suit Patek's lineup. His thinking was to soften the sharp edges of the Royal Oak and offer a less masculine watch suitable for ladies?wrists also. He shared his designs with Patek who did not immediately embrace the look but saw the potential in allowing the watch to be enjoyed equally by both genders.

This notion went on to become the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Given the timing of Genta's approach, the idea that Patek imitated the Royal Oak concept hoping to piggyback on its success, does not bear out as Audemars Piguet were far from seeing a solid return on their investment in the radical release. Rather, it is thanks to Genta's singular vision and indomitable self-belief that the Nautilus followed the Royal Oak into production.

Patek Philippe's Nautilus carried over the nautical themes seen in the Royal Oak but significantly streamlined the design. An unusual hinged case (resulting in the iconic "ears?of the Nautilus) set the design apart from its peers. As with the Royal Oak, Genta was keen to blend the industrial with the divine and so left the screws exposed on the sides of the bracelet, juxtaposing with the luxurious surface finishing of the bracelet and bezel, and the moody, maritime-inspired dial. 44 years since its release in 1976, the Nautilus remains one of the most sought-after models the industry has ever seen.

The Legend Continues

With these two designs, Gérald Genta created tremendous value for the associated brands but he did not care for the commercial aspect. He designed replica watches for himself as a medium for his art. He was as proud of his Timex designs as he was of any other creations. He ultimately established an eponymous brand in 1983 where his exuberant designs had the freedom for expression without limitations. Genta replica watches were successful during the ?0s and ?0s, so much so that he was permitted to use Disney licensed characters to be printed on the dials. Announcing these designs amongst his stoical contemporaries during Baselworld was certainly provocative. But that's the kind of light-hearted approach that Genta revelled in. He was excited and felt liberated in his design freedom.

Announcing the Disney replica watches amongst his stoical contemporaries during Baselworld was certainly provocative. But that's the kind of light-hearted approach that Gérald Genta reveled in.

Not all of his compositions were hits. Later in life, his replica watches became more ornate and baroque with excessive complications resulting in limited commercial appeal. With multiple creations under his belt, it is understandable that not all would be so well received. With this direction and Genta's age, his synonymous brand was becoming less feasible financially and the production techniques, core values, and intellectual property were absorbed into Bvlgari. However, replica watches like the Octo Finissimo continue his legacy by combining designs from Genta and Bvlgari.

Gérald Genta's mark on the history of watchmaking is unmistakable and his rule-breaking attitude may well have helped ensure the survival of Swiss mechanical watchmaking during the downturn of the ?0s to the late ?0s.

Read more about Gérald Genta here.

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