In Munich, the jewellery, watch and gemstone industry gathered for the annual Inhorgenta trade fair. As the industry’s leading trade fair in Europe, it not only serves as a hub but also honours designers, concepts and pieces of jewellery with the Inhorgenta Award. This year, more than 137 entries were received for the nine award categories, including the ‘Luxury Watch of the Year’. The category recognises luxury watches with a retail price of 5,000 or more. On February 22, the high-calibre jury crowned Gerald Charles’ Masterlink the winner in the Small Olympic Hall.
Gerald Charles CEO Federico Ziviani in Munich
The independent and family-run manufacturer could have not received this honour at a more opportune moment as it is also celebrating its 25th brand anniversary this year. But what makes the brand so special and how has Masterlink been able to hold its own against the competition? Let’s take a closer look.
Gerald Charles: The legacy of Gérald Genta
Gérald Charles Genta has made a name for himself as the ingenious watchmaker behind today’s design icons such as the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet or the Nautilus by Patek Philippe. 50 years into his career as one of the most influential personalities in watchmaking, he finally founded his own brand in 2000. It bears his two first names: Gerald Charles.
The brand specialises on producing limited-edition timepieces that embody Genta’s motto ‘Artistic Creativity, Technical Mastery’, primarily targeting collectors. Even after the watchmaking virtuoso’s death, this philosophy remains at the heart of the company, which is run by the Ziviani family, friends of Genta, since 2003. Today, the manufacture produces 1,500 watches a year, conforming to the Qualité Fleurier standard.
Founder Gérald Genta
Until his passing in 2011, Genta served as Chief Designer there, leaving behind an extensive archive of original designs developed during his 11-year tenure. Thus, Gerald Charles has a valuable treasure at their fingertips and numerous opportunities to continue Genta’s legacy. Under the current Creative Director Octavio Garcia, the watch manufacturer has now realized a vision that pays homage to a unique Genta watch: the Masterlink.
The inspiration for the Masterlink
Available for 19,500 euros, the Masterlink is a modernised and more sophisticated version of the Sarawak created by Genta as a unique piece in 2007. Set with more than 15 carats of precious stones, baguette-cut rubies and complemented by a diamond pavé bracelet, it was the first and only timepiece that Genta has designed with an integrated, asymmetrical bracelet.
In the brand’s recent history, the Masterlink is the first watch to take on the original’s aesthetic and to feature an asymmetrical bracelet. On top of that, it is more suitable for everyday wear because of its 316L surgical steel case and bracelet. The first sketches for this concept were created in 2020 – four years before the first prototype was finalised in 2024 – and are testament to the brand’s dedication to carrying Genta’s spirit of innovation through to the smallest detail.
The Masterlink from up close
The Masterlink finally made its debut at Watches and Wonders 2024. It presents itself with a steel case whose design is based on Genta’s iconic Maestro. Here, too, the case has the distinctive ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock, but this model’s case, which can reach up to 100 metres, is slimmer and based on a square instead of a rectangular shape. Therefore, the polished and satin-finished case measures 38 x 38 mm in diameter and 7.99 mm in height. The satin-finished bezel and the crown, which features a Clous de Paris pattern, offer a beautiful detail. It is particularly remarkable that such a flat case could be achieved despite the screw-down crown.
An anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the exposed movement and dial. Decorated with Côtes de Genève, the dial is available in blue (Ref. ML1.0-A-01) or silver (ML1.0-A-18) with a matching minute track in white or black. In a nod to Genta’s Italian roots, the Geneva stripes allude to the popular Italian pinstripe suits. Once again, Gerald Charles’ concept of what at first glance appears to be a simple design is actually very sophisticated. The pattern consists of two separate levels that come together to form the relief on the dial. Finally, skeletonised baton hands indicate the hours and minutes which, apart from twelve, three, six and nine o’clock, are baton hour markers and not as numerals. For better legibility, the hands are also coated with white Super-LumiNova.
A manufacture movement for the Masterlink
The ultra-thin, automatic manufacture calibre GCA 5401 with a height of 2.67 mm is visible through the open caseback. The bridges are embellished with various decorations: snailing, Côtes de Genève and circular graining. An offset micro-rotor with a sandblasted base and a sun-brushed top drives the movement, which oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz. The Masterlink’s movement also features star-shaped screws that have become an exclusive trademark since their first appearance on a skeletonised calibre and are produced in collaboration with the Vaucher Manufacture. The generous power reserve encompasses 50 hours.
Asymmetrical harmony
The asymmetrical 316L steel bracelet is the star of the show. It was built link by link around the case and sports an interplay of polished and satin-finished surfaces. The integrated bracelet is concave on both sides, creating a smooth transition to the case. This effect is particularly emphasised by the asymmetrical look of the lower part of the bracelet, which is directly connected to the ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock. This is because the centre links’ contours of the three-link steel bracelet also form a line that curves upwards and becomes increasingly flatter. In contrast, the upper links’ outlines follow the straight line of the upper case, allowing the bracelet as a whole to harmonise with the unique design of the case. In addition, the centre links have a vertical satin finish compared to the polished side links, visually tying to the Côtes de Genève on the dial.
Gerald Charles offers numerous customisation options for the bracelet which is available in three sizes from 157 mm to 222 mm. For an even more precise customisation, half-links can now be removed and a micro-link is also available . A hexagonal folding clasp bears the brand monogram and is discreetly embedded in the bracelet. This smoothly rounds off the elegant and functional appearance of the watch and highlights the importance of smooth transitions in this model. It does so, for example, through the use of a concealed construction where not a single screw is visible. As Frederico Ziviani aptly explains: ‘Showcasing a watch’s complexity isn’t too challenging. You could simply leave the screws visible, or opt for a basic folding clasp, for instance. However, designing a watch where you can feel everything, yet see nothing, now that’s truly a highwire act.’
A glimpse into the future
With the Masterlink, Gerald Charles draws inspiration from many elements that characterise Gérald Genta’s designs, thus preserving his legacy. At the same time, this model showcases how an original design can be further developed with great sensitivity so that it moves with the times. Gerald Charles’ archive still contains countless Genta designs that have yet to see the light of day. Now that the Masterlink is such a successful embodiment of Genta’s ideas, we can look forward to seeing what Gerald Charles atelier at Rue du Mont-Blanc 3 comes up with in the future.
