.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Full hammer price of the present lot will benefit the Action Innocence Association (IDE CHE-135.811.904).
The ‘Jumping Hours’ complication is one of the signature pieces of Gerald Charles’ founder and former designer, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta - often referred to simply as ‘Maestro’. A noble watch for a noble cause, the present watch is a perfect representation of the Gerald Charles brand motto ‘artistic creativity, technical mastery.’ Cased in polished Grade 5 titanium, a great challenge for the brand to achieve, this Maestro ‘Jumping Hours’ has a unique, stunningly beautiful, and complex opale dial at the centre of a multi-ray star motif made using the meta guilloché technique, developed in-house. The asymmetric square Maestro case is the brand’s signature design inspired by baroque art and architecture, it is an eternal tribute to the legendary designer Gérald Charles Genta. Thin and lightweight, it has a striking presence on the wrist. This model, called the ‘Maestro GC39 Remaster’, is a jump-hour watch whereby the hours are displayed in a window on the dial instead of a traditional hour hand. The hours window displays part of a larger disc located beneath the dial. The ‘rotating disc’ ‘jumps’ every 60 minutes when the minute hand hits the hour.
Action Innocence is a private foundation created in 1999 by Geneva-based Valérie Wertheimer following a trip she took to Thailand in 1997. In its early days, Action Innocence sought to draw attention to the emerging harmful effects of the Internet speaking out against a new trend in paedophile crime which Valerie Wertheimer was made aware of as a result of her travels.
One of the Foundation’s earliest initiatives was to develop a prevention programme educating children of various risks associated with the Internet: the exposure to disturbing and/or illegal images, the disclosure of personal data, dangerous encounters, sexting, cyber-bullying, and internet addiction among other areas.
The programme has gradually expanded. In addition to children, it is now aimed at teenagers, special-needs groups, parents, and professionals in education, health and social services. Alongside grassroots work, Action Innocence runs extensive prevention campaigns in the media to raise public awareness. The mission statement of Action Innocence is to: 'Protect the integrity and dignity of children, teenagers, and individuals with special needs in their use of screens and digital technologies'.
Gerald Charles
Maison Gerald Charles is an independent, family-owned, watch company based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, he gave his two first names to his latest brand to create a unique bond between himself and his creations. In 2003, Mr. Genta decided to sell the company to the Ziviani family, trusted partners and longtime friends, staying on as designer-in-chief until 2011. Giampaolo Ziviani led the business as General Manager, alongside Mr. Genta. Since the foundation of the company, Gerald Charles watches have been produced in limited quantities for a niche of collectors. Mr. Genta left in the company’s care an important archive of his last 11 years of original drawings. Today, many designs are still unpublished, being a long-last source of inspiration and a treasure trove for the Maison’s development. In 2019, a new board of directors took part in the company, with Federico Ziviani as CEO and so, a new chapter began. After a successful career, in late 2023, Mr. Franco Ziviani joined the family business as Chairman at Gerald Charles. In Spring 2024, Gerald Charles inaugurated its Atelier, a new home and cultural hub in Geneva, located in rue du Mont-Blanc 3, where both the Museum and the Core collection are available. Today, the Maison is opening up for a new generation of connoisseurs, carrying Mr. Genta’s legacy of ‘Artistic Creativity, Technical Mastery’ forward into the future. The Maison produces 1500 timepieces per year, working closely with highly skilled professionals and artisans to continue the traditions started by the great designer. All Gerald Charles watches present unique technical and aesthetic features: high-end Swiss-made watches conceived and manufactured without compromise, complying with Qualité Fleurier standards, to deliver superior precision and performance, as well as exceptional water and shock resistance. Each timepiece ensures high levels of ergonomics and versatility across all lifestyles and generations, the signature of the company’s founder and eternal inspiration, Mr. Genta
Gerald Genta (1931-2011) was truly one of the greatest watch designers of all time, the genius behind several of the most famous and enduring wristwatch models that have become the foundation for success for several of the great watch brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Cartier. For the watches Genta made under his own name, he is remembered as the world record holder for consecutive years in the mid-1990s for creating the world's most complicated watch, his masterpiece the ‘Grande Sonnerie’. More recognizable are the limited edition pieces that Gerald Genta created under license from The Walt Disney Company, these wristwatches featured Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Scrooge and Goofy. Still in much demand today and becoming classic in their own right, Genta's designs transcend time and fashion and remain to this day beacons of haute horology of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Without a doubt Gérald Genta has left an enduring mark in the history of watchmaking. Since his youth, he felt a strong artistic drive and dedicated himself to painting. At the age of 27, he discovered his enormous talent for the designing of timepieces, consequently inventing the profession of a ‘watch designer’, a vocation in which he immediately excelled. Amongst the world's most famous wristwatches designed by Genta are celebrated models such as Audemars Piguet's ’Royal Oak’ (1972); Patek Philippe's ’Nautilus’ (1976); Omega's ‘Constellation’ (1959); Patek Philippe's ‘Golden Ellipse’ (1968); IWC's ‘Ingenieur’ (1976); Cartier's Pasha de Cartier (1985) and IWC’s ‘Da Vinci’.
Gerald Genta's clients included athletes, businesspeople, musicians, movie stars, politicians, and royalty, including Prince Ranier III of Monaco, King Hassan II of Morocco, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of England.
The ‘Jumping Hours’ complication is one of the signature pieces of Gerald Charles’ founder and former designer, Mr. Gérald Charles Genta - often referred to simply as ‘Maestro’. A noble watch for a noble cause, the present watch is a perfect representation of the Gerald Charles brand motto ‘artistic creativity, technical mastery.’ Cased in polished Grade 5 titanium, a great challenge for the brand to achieve, this Maestro ‘Jumping Hours’ has a unique, stunningly beautiful, and complex opale dial at the centre of a multi-ray star motif made using the meta guilloché technique, developed in-house. The asymmetric square Maestro case is the brand’s signature design inspired by baroque art and architecture, it is an eternal tribute to the legendary designer Gérald Charles Genta. Thin and lightweight, it has a striking presence on the wrist. This model, called the ‘Maestro GC39 Remaster’, is a jump-hour watch whereby the hours are displayed in a window on the dial instead of a traditional hour hand. The hours window displays part of a larger disc located beneath the dial. The ‘rotating disc’ ‘jumps’ every 60 minutes when the minute hand hits the hour.
Action Innocence is a private foundation created in 1999 by Geneva-based Valérie Wertheimer following a trip she took to Thailand in 1997. In its early days, Action Innocence sought to draw attention to the emerging harmful effects of the Internet speaking out against a new trend in paedophile crime which Valerie Wertheimer was made aware of as a result of her travels.
One of the Foundation’s earliest initiatives was to develop a prevention programme educating children of various risks associated with the Internet: the exposure to disturbing and/or illegal images, the disclosure of personal data, dangerous encounters, sexting, cyber-bullying, and internet addiction among other areas.
The programme has gradually expanded. In addition to children, it is now aimed at teenagers, special-needs groups, parents, and professionals in education, health and social services. Alongside grassroots work, Action Innocence runs extensive prevention campaigns in the media to raise public awareness. The mission statement of Action Innocence is to: 'Protect the integrity and dignity of children, teenagers, and individuals with special needs in their use of screens and digital technologies'.
Gerald Charles
Maison Gerald Charles is an independent, family-owned, watch company based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, he gave his two first names to his latest brand to create a unique bond between himself and his creations. In 2003, Mr. Genta decided to sell the company to the Ziviani family, trusted partners and longtime friends, staying on as designer-in-chief until 2011. Giampaolo Ziviani led the business as General Manager, alongside Mr. Genta. Since the foundation of the company, Gerald Charles watches have been produced in limited quantities for a niche of collectors. Mr. Genta left in the company’s care an important archive of his last 11 years of original drawings. Today, many designs are still unpublished, being a long-last source of inspiration and a treasure trove for the Maison’s development. In 2019, a new board of directors took part in the company, with Federico Ziviani as CEO and so, a new chapter began. After a successful career, in late 2023, Mr. Franco Ziviani joined the family business as Chairman at Gerald Charles. In Spring 2024, Gerald Charles inaugurated its Atelier, a new home and cultural hub in Geneva, located in rue du Mont-Blanc 3, where both the Museum and the Core collection are available. Today, the Maison is opening up for a new generation of connoisseurs, carrying Mr. Genta’s legacy of ‘Artistic Creativity, Technical Mastery’ forward into the future. The Maison produces 1500 timepieces per year, working closely with highly skilled professionals and artisans to continue the traditions started by the great designer. All Gerald Charles watches present unique technical and aesthetic features: high-end Swiss-made watches conceived and manufactured without compromise, complying with Qualité Fleurier standards, to deliver superior precision and performance, as well as exceptional water and shock resistance. Each timepiece ensures high levels of ergonomics and versatility across all lifestyles and generations, the signature of the company’s founder and eternal inspiration, Mr. Genta
Gerald Genta (1931-2011) was truly one of the greatest watch designers of all time, the genius behind several of the most famous and enduring wristwatch models that have become the foundation for success for several of the great watch brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Cartier. For the watches Genta made under his own name, he is remembered as the world record holder for consecutive years in the mid-1990s for creating the world's most complicated watch, his masterpiece the ‘Grande Sonnerie’. More recognizable are the limited edition pieces that Gerald Genta created under license from The Walt Disney Company, these wristwatches featured Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Scrooge and Goofy. Still in much demand today and becoming classic in their own right, Genta's designs transcend time and fashion and remain to this day beacons of haute horology of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Without a doubt Gérald Genta has left an enduring mark in the history of watchmaking. Since his youth, he felt a strong artistic drive and dedicated himself to painting. At the age of 27, he discovered his enormous talent for the designing of timepieces, consequently inventing the profession of a ‘watch designer’, a vocation in which he immediately excelled. Amongst the world's most famous wristwatches designed by Genta are celebrated models such as Audemars Piguet's ’Royal Oak’ (1972); Patek Philippe's ’Nautilus’ (1976); Omega's ‘Constellation’ (1959); Patek Philippe's ‘Golden Ellipse’ (1968); IWC's ‘Ingenieur’ (1976); Cartier's Pasha de Cartier (1985) and IWC’s ‘Da Vinci’.
Gerald Genta's clients included athletes, businesspeople, musicians, movie stars, politicians, and royalty, including Prince Ranier III of Monaco, King Hassan II of Morocco, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of England.