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Gerald Genta Gefica Bi-Retro Safari Watch Available On James List: A True Collectible

admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:41:15 +0000

I continue to lament the loss of watch industry design and figure-head Gerald Genta who died this year. People tend to remember him most for his classic contributions to the industry - which include 1970s' designs for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Vacheron Constantin Overseas, IWC Ingenieur, and Patek Philippe Nautilus. Granted these were all amazing and endearing designs - though they were however obvious siblings of one another. My colleague at Fratello Watches discusses those here a bit. Personally, I am a bit more interested in his later work. All that is summed up and epitomized in the Gefica Bi-Retro.

The modern interpretation of the Gefica concept is a watch I dearly want to add to my collection (and I rarely say things like that about watches that are no longer being made). As time goes on the leadership Genta took in terms of design risk and innovation is clear. For example, right now bronze watches are all hot and in. The Gefica was mostly in bronze when most people laughed at use of the metal. The case was (is) 47mm wide and almost 20mm thick - even in the early 2000s when people thought this was a crazy size. It showed the world that a true modern watch incorporated both an innovative layout of telling the time as well as case design. It relied heavily on titanium, and it has a serious personality all to its own.

On top of that the design is emotional. Rumor has it that Genta was inspired during a safari in Africa before designing the watch. The Gefica Bi-Retro often has "Safari" in the name and combines a series of design features that have an almost tribal look to them. It is like modern art meets ritualistic drum circle - who else can pull that off?

For years I have admired the Gefica almost as an icon. The design was so vivid to me I almost didn't want to disgrace it by wearing it. While the case was designed from the ground up to be ergonomic, you rarely see people wearing these. It really takes a strong personality to match wits with this watch. The classic Gefica from the 1980s was impressive for its design, but this 2000's era Gefica Bi-Retro is a landmark.

A few years ago I first encountered a Gerald Genta Gefica Bi-Retro at a watch event and got to put the watch on my wrist for the first time- it was amazing. I was stunned at the quality and level of detail. A watch design like this is really not easy to manufacture. Not only is the dial very complex with many colors and levels, but the case is literally made out of two materials. Most of the case is finely cut bronze, and all the little "balls" around it are applied individually and in titanium.

Genta chose bronze because of its patina developing properties. This is a metal that you want to look aged. It goes with the design of the watch and is part of its character. This piece has the charm of aged jeans. Designing a dial to go with this was not likely an easy task. The amazing thing is that the dial of the Gefica doesn't look like the case at all, but still seems to go with it. Here Genta called upon his love for art deco and clean lines. 1920s futuristic and rugged outback never did go together so well (or at all). Over the years the dial of the watch was available in a range of colors (with matching alligator strap). The fold-over titanium clasp is also a nicely architected thing of beauty.

Going along with his love of retrograde hands and jumping hour complications, the Gefica Bi-Retro has both. The name itself basically is short for "bi-retrograde." The hour is told digitally through a window close to 12 o'clock, while the minutes are expressed on an arched scale with a hand that moves across it and then jumps back to the first position. Seconds are displayed via a traditional hand that goes around the entire dial. A second retrograde has is used on the lower half of the dial to indicate the date. I love those hands that look like bubbly magnifying lenses (the large opening in the hand is also done to prevent obstruction when reading the hour) . In my opinion the Gefica Bi-Retro dial design is an incredible item of beauty and genius.

When you turn over the Gefica you see an amazing looking movement, and it looks unlike anything else you'll see. Most brands try to visually separate the automatic rotor from the rest of the movement. Not here. Both the movement parts and automatic rotor are applied with micro-perlage polishing. It looks incredible as well as unique. The movement is called the Calibre GG 1004 automatic. It is a base Girard-Perregaux automatic with a special retrograde module built by Gerald Genta. A great combo if you ask me.

You can look online for additional pictures of the Gerald Genta Gefica Bi-Retro watch. A few years ago the Gerald Genta watch brand died before the man himself did. It was engulfed by owner group Bulgari. So no more of these Gefica watches will ever be made. The good news is that Bulgari has continued the Gefica Bi-Retro using Bulgari branding. The case is the same but they changed the dial. I personally like the Gerald Genta version a bit better, but the Bulgari model will suffice as well. Price for the Gefica Bi-Retro retailed for about $18,000. Fair, but still really pricey. The good news is that prices on the pre-owned market are a bit more reasonable. Like this one for example available on James List that is just under $7,000. For me, this is a piece that WILL be in my collection sooner or later.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic Sonnerie Watch – $900,000

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:20:05 +0000

Whoa there Gerald Genta (and I speak to the company, not the man - as he isn't part of the brand any more). What is going on here? Where did this come from? Last thing I expected from you was a highly sophisticated sonnerie watch. You say that you have been doing this for a while (making sonnerie watches), but the last one that you released was in the mid 1990s? I am confused. Well forget all that, the watch is really cool. Looking at it, I can tell that the watch is Gerald Genta in form, but really dark in feel. Looks like something that H.R. Giger would wear. He is the artist that designed the aliens, from the Alien movie series. This is because the watch combines a sense of machinery with the biometric forms that the artist is know for. I suppose Gerald Genta is also known for that. Did you know that H.R. Giger is also Swiss?

Anyhow, the watch is meant to be the most complex Grande Sonnerie watch in the world. This is not to be confused with the most complex watch in the world - the Jaeger LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie - which itself has many sonnerie functions. Ideally, if you want to feel really cool, you could drop almost $3.5 million bucks and get both of them. Looking at both of the masterful watches, I get the feeling that they share a lot in common. Both have off-centered watch faces, both attempt to delight you in their mechanical splendor by giving you large open dials with lots of almost pornographic views into the movement (front and rear!), and both just want to be loved and find a good home with you! While 30 Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie watches will be around, the Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic limited edition will only have 10 pieces - each taking about a year to make.

The case is 46mm wide in titanium - but the watch hosts a bunch of metals. You see, Gerald Genta wanted the audio qualities of the watch to be perfect. So it studied metals, made a new one (Magsonic), and even created special software to test all of this out. The idea was to fully enhance the sound of the sonnerie functions, without altering what they sound like. The final result has the watch in (the said titanium), steel, a bronze alloy, a white gold allow, and Magsonic. One thing of interest is that this watch may be the first Grande Sonnerie watch that is water resistant. See if any of your beloved Patek Philippe minute repeaters can boast that!

In addition to that, the sound from the Arena Metasonic is supposed to be amazing. Using that software they made, they really did their homework in trying to make the watch perfect. I love the effort they put into this stuff. It is like collective knowledge to perfect the industry we love, an industry that theoretically doesn't need to exist, but I love that it does. It is a few steps above the concept of someone having a PhD in the Klingon language, only here is it expertise in what metals to use when trying to make a watch sing its best! I just love it.

Maybe it is a coincidence that titanium was mostly used for the watch exterior, as the material is so popular these days. Gerald Genta seems to suggest the metal absorbs less sound than steel. If you notice that on the case, the screws are mostly on the outside, I think this is alsoÂ part of that effort to not have sound be absorbed by the case. When I was in Japan I heard the Seiko Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie watch in action. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. Unlike the bar style gongs that most European sonnerie watches use, the Credor uses a bell inside the case for a really remarkable and deep sound. It was a lesson in what it takes to make a good sounding sonnerie watch - so I can appreciate why all this effort was dedicated to the project by Gerald Genta. I look forward to "hearing" the result.

So what about the functions? Well, the watch does a lot, but Gerald Genta has thus far been remarkably coy about listing out the functions clearly. Let's me suggest what I think it does. First there are the minute repeater functions. You can active the watch to automatically tell you the time at certain intervals, or do so on command. This is interesting, because it can act like a grandfather clock does. Meaning that without your intervention, the watch will just tell you the time. Further, it has various striking functions. Meaning that the watch will strike each hour, or each quarter hour. And for each quarter hour, the sonnerie has a different tone. So the watch isn't just about making noises, but making noises that actually mean something. It also has a silence mode so you aren't annoying during meetings. Then again, if you are wearing this watch in a meeting, you most likely are heading the meeting. So let's get rid of that last point. The silence mode is there to prevent the watch waking you up at night. That makes more sense. Probably because you are going be sleeping with the Arena Metasonic under your pillow. Lastly, there is petite and grande sonnerie. This is like setting the volume. The petite sonnerie is a shorter sound, while the grande sonnerie is longer and tells you the time down to the minute.

Aside from that, the watch has the time, two power reserve indicators (one for the watch, and another for the sonnerie). The watch movement is extremely complex with about 850 parts, and manually wound. Of course the movement has a tourbillon - like you had to ask! Apparently Gerald Genta has the expertize to make an automatic version of the movement. But I haven't seen one yet. That ups the parts in the movement to about 950 pieces.

The view of the movement is beautiful - really. I mean look at all those parts. Almost gives me my faith back in humanity. We can accomplish amazing things! Just look at this watch. Some people will undoubtedly refer to the Arena Metasonic watch as ugly and so excessive that a buyer should be stoned. It is most certainly an unorthodox watch, but from an unorthodox brand. Not everyone is going to be taken by the style or design, but it is a watch that does not make any real mistakes, and is amazing for what it is (in my humble opinion). Even the strap material is strange - which is ostrich by the way. By the way, I should mention something about the watch case. It is quite a gizmo. The case is electronic and lots of moving parts. It starts with a fingerprint scanner. Place your finger on it, hope for the best, and then see the top opening to the sound of gears while a pedestal rises out of the case with lights around it (fog machine optional), having the watch sitting on the top there to greet you. Horus watches (another brand) also has a case like this (not sure if it has a fingerprint reader though).

For me the watch is an impressive tour de force of the magic that gets so many of us interesting in mechanical watches - the type of item with a spirit that would inspire us to put up a poster of it up, the same way a child too young to drive hastily tapes a Ferrari poster to his wall. A item that remains most likely an unattainable dream, showing the world that we too, can appreciate those things in life which are finely engineered. And with the Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic watch that too is a reality. For it is part of a limited edition, of only 10 pieces which are painfully hand made and assembled. Coming with a lofty, fantasy-like price of $900,000. Even though that is less money that the $2.5 million Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica watch set, it feels less tangible and more of a story book relic.

See Gerald Genta watches on eBay here.

See Gerald Genta watches on Amazon here.

18k Gerald Genta No01 Chrono w brac 38mm 40k+New 145g
$9,995.00
Time Remaining: 9h 34m
Buy It Now for only: $9,995.00
Buy It Now

GERALD GENTA 18K YELLOW GOLD DIAMOND BEZEL RETRO QUARTZ WATCH
$4,200.00
Time Remaining: 10h 48m

Bid now

Gerald Genta Arena Titanium Mens Watch Jumping Hour
$12,290.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $12,290.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Arena Bi retro Mens Automatic Titanium
$11,250.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $11,250.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Vanity Ladies Watch on Bracelet
$2,333.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $2,333.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Solo Bi retro Mens Watch Automatic Diamond
$8,232.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $8,232.00
Buy It Now

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

My Gerald Genta Gefica Blue Note Watch Article On AskMen.com

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:37:43 +0000

I have had a few new watch reviews on AskMen.com but did not mention them as I wrote about those watches already on aBlogtoRead.com. Here however is one that I did not blog already here. Click on the article to read it, but there are a few interesting things about this Gerald Genta Gefica Blue Note watch. The "Blue Note" just refers to the colors and the fact that it is part of a limited edition. I love the classic manner in which Gerald Genta does a jumping hour with retrograde minutes and the styling of the case is impressive and different. Really a success as stepping outside the mold and still being able to look like a mature design. Plus, the case is make out of bronze, that is really rare for a watch. That also means the case will oxidize over time - which Gerald Genta says is intended.

See my Gerald Genta Gefica Blue Note watch article on AskMen.com here.

18k Gerald Genta No01 Chrono w brac 38mm 40k+New 145g
$9,995.00
Time Remaining: 9h 34m
Buy It Now for only: $9,995.00
Buy It Now

GERALD GENTA 18K YELLOW GOLD DIAMOND BEZEL RETRO QUARTZ WATCH
$4,200.00
Time Remaining: 10h 48m

Bid now

Gerald Genta Arena Titanium Mens Watch Jumping Hour
$12,290.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $12,290.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Arena Bi retro Mens Automatic Titanium
$11,250.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $11,250.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Vanity Ladies Watch on Bracelet
$2,333.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $2,333.00
Buy It Now

Gerald Genta Solo Bi retro Mens Watch Automatic Diamond
$8,232.00
Time Remaining: 13h 17m
Buy It Now for only: $8,232.00
Buy It Now

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.