At 29 years old, Federico Ziviani is one of the youngest to lead a company in the industry – and not just any. As CEO of Gerald Charles, he is a breath of fresh air that strikes the balance between preserving the legacy of watch design legend Gérald Charles Genta and driving innovation. This year the brand is celebrating its 25th anniversary and recently got awarded the Inhorgenta “Luxury Watch of the Year” in Munich. During his stay in the Bavarian capital, we had the opportunity of meeting Ziviani for lunch at Rocca Riviera. We talked about his family’s personal ties to Mr Genta, his vision for the brand, industry challenges, and the future.
What does a mechanical watch mean to you, and which watch are you wearing today? Also, which watch have you worn the most in recent years?
A mechanical watch is, first of all, a work of art. It merges technology, engineering, beauty, aesthetics, and comfort. In the past, mechanical watches were used purely to tell the time. Today, they still serve that purpose, but we also have our phones. So, a mechanical watch needs to offer more. It should give you pleasure when you look at it. This pleasure is visual, psychological, and physical. A watch should be comfortable on the wrist, almost like a second skin. You shouldn’t feel it, and you should be able to wear it everywhere.For me, a mechanical watch is something I never have to take off. With my Gerald Charles watch, I go swimming, to the gym, to dinner, I sleep with it, I shower, I play golf, and I play tennis – everything.
The watch I have worn the most is the Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Sport Squelette. It’s a sports watch that provides you with an incredible feeling on the wrist. It’s only 40 grams, so you can wear it everywhere. It has open bridges, which makes it visually engaging and very technical.
Today, I am wearing our new Gerald Charles Masterlink, an iconic novelty. This watch is very significant to me because I have been working on it since 2021. We adapted the original Gérald Charles Genta design with an integrated bracelet from the Maestro to a new case. The integrated bracelet is now seamlessly merged into the case and naturally continues the case’s signature ‘smile’ shape. This watch is comfortable, lightweight, and thanks to the screw-down crown very thin at just 7.9 mm – all very important factors for us. It is also 100 meters water-resistant. By the way, all of our watches fullfill this criterion, no matter if it’s a tourbillon or gold watch.
Looking back, how did you start with the company, and can you tell us a bit about your upbringing?
I was born into the watch industry. My father founded Audemars Piguet in Italy before I was even born. So, I grew up during the expansion phase of Audemars Piguet, which was an incredible time. He would often take me to client meetings and dinners, even when I was very young. Here’s a funny story: I once had to stay seated at a table until 2 a.m., listening to a conversation about two watches—in French! I didn’t even speak French at the time. I wanted to leave so badly, but my father insisted, saying, ‘You have to respect the people around you. Stay here with your father and mother.’
At the time, I hated it. But looking back, I realize it gave me a great education. As a child, you absorb so much without even realizing it. There’s no official school that teaches the watchmaking industry — there are schools for watchmaking itself, but not for the business side of it. My education came from real-life experience. First, we were deeply involved with Audemars Piguet, and then later, with Gérald Charles Genta, which had a big influence on me.
I still vividly remember a moment from my childhood. I must have been around ten years old, and we were having lunch in Monaco, Monte Carlo, with my father and Mr Genta himself. He was wearing a pink striped shirt — blue, white, and red. I can still picture his white mustache, his expressions, everything. His way of speaking was so captivating and intriguing. He had strong opinions about everything, and he expressed them with passion.
How did your family’s relationship with Gérald Charles Genta develop?
My father and Mr Genta had been good friends since 1982. My father helped him launch the JFK Safari from a marketing perspective in Italy, and from that point on, they remained very close friends. Gérald Charles Genta had a very strong personality, and he didn’t connect with many people. But with my family, he had a deep bond.
When Mr Genta founded Gerald Charles in 2000, he came to my father and said, ‘Franco, help me.’ My father could not join the company since he was still with AP, so my uncle Giampaolo joined the company, and I experienced those early days of Gerald Charles firsthand.
At that time, Gerald Charles wasn’t a business brand; it was built out of pure passion. It was all about personal relationships and craftsmanship, not about commercial success. And my family was part of it because we truly love watches.
Can you recall the first Gerald Charles watch that really impressed you and is there a watch that always comes to mind when you think about the past?
Yes, the Museum Maestro GC39 – ‘The Sliding Hour’ in White Gold which I’m wearing on my other wrist today. It was the first watch that left a deep impression on me. It had a sliding hour complication, and as a kid, I was used to seeing watches with the usual two hands and a date window. I remember thinking, ‘What is this?’ because this one had just one hand and an open window with three numbers – almost like a digital watch! As a kid, you don’t know much and you constantly ask why, and this watch really sparked my curiosity. It wasn’t a widely known complication, and that’s part of what made it so special.
This is why, when I joined the company, we decided to make the Maestro our main case design. Gerald Charles had hundreds of different cases, models, and unique pieces, but the sliding hour complication had a personal connection for me.
Just recently, I met with Antoine Preziuso, a good friend of Mr Genta and a high-end watchmaker who worked with us to develop this mechanism. Back in the early days of Gerald Charles, when the brand was still a true independent, my uncle and Mr Genta called Antoine to collaborate on this project. Back then, you didn’t just call a watchmaker to buy a movement – you worked together to develop complications. That’s how the sliding, jumping hour complication came to life.
Since Mr Genta was already innovating 20 years ago, how do you make sure you still meet the modern market’s expectations?
The solution is actually very simple: you have to be natural. Many brands fail because they try to build a brand based on what the market wants. But if you look at the most successful brands, they don’t follow trends. They create something they truly believe in. Even with innovation, think about the greatest innovators in the world – visionaries, gurus, and role models like Steve Jobs. When he launched the iPhone, the market wasn’t asking for it. But he wanted a better interface, a bigger screen, and a seamless experience – so he created it.
In the same way, I went into the Gerald Charles archives. The name is undisputed. The value is undisputed. The history is undisputed. The technical movements we had in our possession — proprietary and incredible — were already there. So, I asked myself: ‘How would I wear this? How would the people I know in the industry wear this? What do we actually need in today’s world?’
And the answer was clear: comfort, timeless elegance as something you can wear every day, not just today but also in 10 or 20 years, and versatility through a watch that works in multiple environments. Many watches on the market today fall into two extremes. Either they are very elegant, delicate watches — beautiful but fragile – or they are very sporty watches — robust but not refined.
I wanted to position Gerald Charles right in the middle and this was actually Mr Genta’s original idea as well. When I look at his sketches, I haven’t changed anything – it was already there. All I did was make it slimmer, waterproof, and more comfortable. The design and movement were already perfect.
Is that the same approach you take when selecting suppliers?
Not exactly, I choose the team first as it drives everything forward. In the old Gerald Charles catalogs, we didn’t call them ‘suppliers’– we called them ‘Les Artisans du Maestro’. For us, they are partners, not just suppliers. We work with contracts to retain all proprietary ownership – this is crucial. Any work we do with a partner must be replicable in-house and we retain all know-how to never be dependent on a single external source.
When you describe your collections from a movement perspective, how would you define their significance?
For us, the movement is the most important part of the watch. All our calibers are proprietary, shock-proof, 5G resistant, and highly precise (only 0.4% deviation after zero turn). Each movement complements the collection, allowing us to create different sizes, shapes, and complications.
And your calibers are developed in partnership with Vaucher?
Yes, but it’s important to clarify how we work with Vaucher. Many brands simply buy movements from suppliers. We don’t do that. Instead, we develop our own proprietary movements, set specific requirements like the 5G shock resistance, and work with Vaucher’s engineers to develop them together. It takes time because we invest heavily in R&D and Vaucher manufactures the movement components. Then, we receive the kits and assemble them in-house. Afterwards, we test and refine each movement to our specifications before we apply our own finishing to ensure they meet our standards. That’s why our movements are truly proprietary and not off-the-shelf calibers, but custom-engineered for Gerald Charles.
Looking ahead, we already have a production plan through 2030, which we call ‘GC Product Horizon 2030’. This strategy includes a clear vision of all the watches we plan to produce, the in-house development of new complications, and a progressive move towards high complications. Since Mr Genta was known for his technical mastery, our vision is to continue that level of innovation. We are not ruling out the possibility of ultra-high complications, but it will take time. By 2030, we plan to release one major complication per year, gradually expanding the collection while maintaining our signature designs. Right now, we have two distinct product lines: The Masterlink which is slimmer, more edgy, and is equipped with an integrated metal bracelet. In comparison, the Maestro is more baroque, rounded, with no sharp angles, and typically paired with leather or rubber straps.
You’ve already started describing the two lines. From an aesthetic perspective, how would you define their differences?
Essentially, the strategic direction we’ve defined together with our design office is that the Masterlink’s focus will be on thin, poetic, and classical complications. It represents understated luxury and is an elegant, easy-to-wear timepiece that suits any occasion. It’s 38mm x 38mm but wears like a 40mm due to its proportions and has a seamless fit, with no visible screws or edges. Meanwhile, the Maestro will embrace avant-garde, complex, and bold watchmaking with an experimental case and integrated lugs. Grand complications will be housed in it or in a future Grand Maestro. Thus, it’s completely different from anything else on the market. And let’s not forget: Octavio Garcia, the former head designer of Audemars Piguet, is our creative director. His expertise brings an incredible design philosophy to Gerald Charles.
What is your approach to materials at Gerald Charles?
We lean more towards the conservative, elegant side of the business. Still platinum, gold, maybe tantalum, maybe other sophisticated materials. But we like to avoid the mainstream materials because we respect the DNA of the brand and Mr Genta’s legacy as he was not known to make watches from carbon fiber, ceramic or similar materials.
When you look back at the past few years, you’ve built a solid base of clients and collectors. Would you say Gerald Charles is primarily a collector’s brand and who would you say is the typical Gerald Charles client, based on your experience?
Yes, Gerald Charles is a collector’s brand. To truly appreciate Mr Genta’s work, you don’t need to follow mainstream trends. Gérald Charles Genta was more than just a brand – he was a personality, a visionary, and probably the most influential watch designer of all time. Our main collectors already know Mr Genta and collect other design icons by him. Our clients are very sophisticated and incredibly diverse – and that’s one of our biggest strengths. Our collectors include multinational CEOs, athletes and sports stars, e.g. from the NBA or European football teams, TV personalities like Steve Harvey, bankers and financial executives, as well as restaurateurs and entrepreneurs.
I’ll give you an example – there’s a restaurant in Switzerland that I visit often. One day, the owner simply told me, ‘I want to buy a Gerald Charles watch.’ That’s the beauty of this brand – it resonates with people from all walks of life. And that’s exactly what Gerald Charles Genta wanted. He didn’t believe in exclusive luxury – he wanted inclusive luxury. That’s why we designed the smile at 6 o’clock on the Maestro case – it’s a symbol of happiness. Just like an artist is happy when people appreciate their paintings, we want collectors to feel joy when they wear our watches.
That being said, we are also seeing newcomers to the industry being attracted to Gerald Charles. Many of them are drawn to the unique case shape and the different approach to watchmaking. Some of these new collectors buy a Gerald Charles watch before they even fully understand the history behind it. But once they start wearing it, they begin to educate themselves and truly appreciate the legacy of the brand. This process of discovery is something we love to see.
And you are also renovating your museum so that people who are not familiar with Gerald Charles will have the possibility to discover more historic designs as well, right?
It’s a small museum, niche for a brand like us, but it has some interesting gems. This year will be the first year that we will unveil the other models that were made in the past and are sold out. We have few examples there like the Seaside. We are interested in explaining the history and the depth because you need to be ready to wear Gerald Charles. It’s not for everybody and you need to understand where it comes from, what it is made of, and what other things were made by the same man. It’s extremely easy to book viewings for the atelier on the Gerald Charles website, and we have incredible tours that can be done.
What does the organizational structure behind Gerald Charles look like?
We have a workshop in Geneva, which handles our main operations, and a second workshop in Lugano, where the brand was originally founded. Because when Mr Genta asked my family for support, we decided to establish our base in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Lugano has a rich history in high-end mechanical engineering, precision technology,and medtech innovations, which are closely related to watchmaking in terms of fine technical details. For us, this technical expertise is the most important thing in maintaining the legacy of Mr Genta’s watchmaking vision.
You are one of the youngest CEOs in the watch industry today, where most brand leaders are over 40 years old. What is the biggest challenge you face because of your age? And on the flip side, what is the biggest advantage of being young in this industry?
It’s true, I am young, but I was also raised in this industry. I grew up watching the industry leaders who are now in their 70s or 80s, and I absorbed a lot from them. Normally, people would expect me to say that lack of experience is my biggest challenge. But in reality, I have had a lot more industry exposure than most people my age. One of my biggest strengths is my father, who is our chairman. He has 40 years of experience in the watch industry, and I constantly learn from him. His guidance provides me with the wisdom of experience, while I bring in a fresh, modern perspective.
That’s where my advantage comes in as I have a very digital background. I’m a millennial, born in a fast-paced, connected world, and I bring that innovation and modern thinking to the brand. But the key is balance — if we only had experience, we wouldn’t innovate. If we only had innovation, we would make mistakes. Having both experience and fresh thinking allows us to create products that are new, but also built to last.
When I design a watch, my thought process is: ‘Can this watch become a future vintage classic?’ If the answer is yes, then we proceed. I truly believe that in ten, twenty, or thirty years, the Masterlink will be considered a future vintage watch – a timeless piece that will remain relevant.
Let’s talk about distribution. How has your retail presence grown since you started and which markets are the strongest for Gerald Charles?
Our approach is quality over quantity — we want to build strong markets before moving to the next one because we don’t want to be small and unknown everywhere at the same time. When I started, we had zero point of sales and produced 100 watches. Now we have 80 points of sales, all of them high-quality boutiques and we produce 1500 watches. We were three people in the team when I started and now we are more than 30 people. We didn’t rush into global expansion— instead, we followed a step-by-step approach. Italy was the first market I entered in 2019, and it has a very strong collector base. We always say, ‘If a brand works in Italy, it will work everywhere.’
We expanded to the Swiss market, and then moved into Germany, the US, and Japan. The latter is a very educated and mature market with a strong appreciation for design and quality. Meanwhile Europe, has a steady and sophisticated customer base and after just entering the US market 18 months ago, it has already become a major part of our revenue. The markets where collectors truly understand watchmaking are where we perform best. In Germany, for example, we only entered the market last year. Today, we are present in six locations: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Münster, Düsseldorf, Dortmund. We are also in talks with Berlin to expand further.
Looking at the watch industry as a whole, what do you think is its future direction? What are the biggest challenges the industry will face, and how prepared are you for them?
One of the biggest challenges in the industry today is greed. The watchmaking industry is a niche – and it needs to stay that way. Unlike technology, where more users equal more success, in watchmaking, quality matters more than quantity. For the industry to thrive, brands need to focus on maintaining high quality, caring about craftsmanship, honoring the skills and traditions of watchmaking, and not overproducing just for profit. The beauty of watchmaking is delivering real value to collectors. If brands can continue to make watches that are unique, true works of art, and difficult to replicate, then they will succeed.
Today’s collectors don’t want ‘fast fashion’ watches. They want something elegant, timeless, and full of emotion. And I believe baroque design is making a comeback – and Gerald Charles is perfectly positioned for that trend. We have archives of watches and designs from Mr Genta that would be big enough to build five brands, but we just have one and it’s enough for us. At Gerald Charles, we follow this philosophy. We could produce 5,000 watches per year, and they would sell out – but that wouldn’t allow us to maintain the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Instead, we produce only 1,500 watches per year, increasing by just 100-200 pieces per year as we develop new complications. We’re bringing more innovation because we have a lean structure, and we can experiment more. We are growing slowly and sustainably, ensuring that every watch meets our highest standards.
