aison Gerald Charles has announced the Masterlink, a customised version of and predecessor to the Sarawak, launched in 2007 by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta. The asymmetric integrated bracelet timepiece, which remained a mystery to the public until now was manufactured as one exclusive piece for the Royal family of Sarawak, a Malaysian state.

This is just one of the thousands of sketches, which remain unpublished from the Gerald Charles archive, a powerful source of inspiration for the creative vision of the Maison. With a value of over 1 million euro and a total of over 15 carats of precious stones, this unique timepiece with a full pavé set bracelet and case in round diamonds and baguette rubies carries the DNA of high-end gem setting which now is signature to the Maison.

Between 2000 and 2011 when Mr. Genta was designer in chief of Gerald Charles - the Maison produced high-complicated and bespoke pieces, upon request only, under the direction of Giampaolo Ziviani, uncle to the current CEO.

“The Sarawak is the first and the last known asymmetric integrated bracelet timepiece created by Mr. Genta, while the Masterlink is the first asymmetric integrated bracelet watch on the market today”, highlights CEO, Federico Ziviani. Mr. Genta’s legacy lives on through Gerald Charles and the Ziviani family. In line with their vision, the heritage passed through generations, from Giampaolo to Federico, from the high watchmaking of the early Gerald Charles to the contemporary and high-end Maison of today.

However, nothing happened by chance. Gerald Charles is a family matter. Mr. Genta and the Ziviani family, especially Franco Ziviani who is the current chairman, have always been friends.

“I first met Gérald Charles Genta at the Montres & Bijoux watch fair in Milan in 1982 and we immediately became good friends. I collaborated with him for the Italian release of the Gerald Genta Gefica Safari in 1984. He then asked for my help when he founded Gerald Charles in 2000 but unfortunately at that time, I wasn’t able to assist as I was Audemars Piguet Italy CEO. So, I asked my brother, Giampaolo, to join and become General Manager. Since then, Mr. Genta has always trusted us and our priority has always been to respect his legacy,” Mr. Franco said.

Following his passing, the Genta’s family have not been involved with the company. Since the start, the Ziviani family have been chosen by Mr. Genta himself to be involved in Gerald Charles, which makes them one of the very few partners that he had in a watch company. This is the reason why Gerald Charles owns a whole archive of his last original drawings and several vintage pieces, that he personally engineered and created when alive. A few of these special timepieces are now displayed in our Museum at the Geneva Atelier to celebrate the art of watchmaking which is synonym to Gerald Charles.

Today’s mission is to look at the treasured archive as a starting point to develop the future of the brand. To achieve this goal the Ziviani have historical memory on their side, having seen the company in its infancy. Their incredible passion and respect for the heritage of the brand, ensures that the legacy of Mr. Genta lives on.

From the Sarawak, the quest for the ultimate asymmetric integrated bracelet timepiece has led the Maison to the Masterlink.

The name Masterlink clearly indicates the Maison’s intent to maintain a strong connection with the founder’s creative vision; reinforcing this aim by adding links to the original design. The challenge lay in creating an integrated bracelet that preserves the Maestro’s emblematic asymmetrical case – highlighting the ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock – and to achieve a harmonious design that offers perfect comfort on the wrist.

The R&D team at Gerald Charles developed a bracelet that seamlessly follows the shape of the Maestro case. Each side is distinct, adding several layers of complexity and artisanship in the handcrafted link manufacturing process. The bracelet had to be built around the case, each link delicately conforming to the shape of the Maestro case.

“The Masterlink represents the next step in the brand’s evolution, propelling it both rapidly and organically into the future, like a high-speed train of tomorrow,” highlights Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles. “The initial sketches date back to 2020, and the prototype was completed in 2024. Between then and now, the DNA has remained intact, with a technique that has evolved to overcome all the technical challenges an asymmetrical watch can present, all while maintaining its simple and easy appearance.

"The inspiration came from the Gerald Charles archives, which comprise the last 11 years of sketches and drawings by Mr. Genta. But the complexity is in the detail... It took us nearly four years to get from idea to creation, and to achieve our goal: for the Masterlink to be the worthy heir to Mr. Gérald Charles Genta’s creative vision.”

The key lay in drawing inspiration from the seminal collection, the Maestro, named in tribute to the founder of Gerald Charles himself. The aim was to craft a watch that would be not only slimmer and more elegant but also distinctively sleek. In a word: more contemporary, as the ‘maestro’ himself might have envisioned it today. Thus, the Masterlink adopts the codes of its elder kin and projects them into the future, without merely replicating them verbatim.

The Masterlink carves out its own identity on three essential pillars. First, through its decorative case. The ‘Maestro’ spirit naturally asserts itself here, too, particularly through the ‘smile’ at 6 o’clock. At the same time, it is fundamentally different: While the Maestro is designed around a rectangle, the Masterlink is based on a square. Consequently, the proportions are therefore tighter, more contained.

Second, the bracelet. The Masterlink marks the first Gerald Charles watch with an integrated bracelet – which revealed itself as a significant challenge. The design originated from a simple concept, but its execution proved unexpectedly difficult: “Our aim was to let simplicity conceal complexity,” explains Federico Ziviani. “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.”

This is the creative through-line of the bracelet. At 6 o’clock, the central links initially follow the curve of the case’s ‘smile’, then gradually straighten out, while at 12 o’clock they extend the case and bezel’s straight topline. “We have created, as only few others have, a truly asymmetrical bracelet in haute horlogerie,” smiles Federico Ziviani. “The clasp is invisible, seamlessly integrated into the bracelet’s final links. Even the push-pieces to open it are discreetly nestled within, ensuring the design’s fluidity sweeps smoothly over the unified case and bracelet.”

Like a high-speed aerodynamic train propelling the Maison into the future, silently, elegantly. This is not an ostentatious piece, but rather the ultimate in discreet luxury. The links are held together by a hidden construction, visible only on the back of the watch – with the aid of a magnifying glass. The butterfly-type clasp is also concealed, and its metal components are designed for comfort on the wrist and softness to the touch, a rarity for integrated bracelets.

In the same vein, no screws are visible. The continuity of the surfaces is flawless. It is also worth noting the bracelet’s novel sizing system: to ensure that the Masterlink fits perfectly, the owner can add or remove half-links, instead of whole links.

This ingenious design, developed specifically for the Masterlink, allows for a custom, precise adjustment down to the millimeter. Last but not least, a particularly challenging and specific development pertains to the crown: despite the case’s slimness (7.9 mm), it is screw-down. This construction would normally add extra thickness, but in the case of the Masterlink, keeping it thin was a non-negotiable prerequisite.

Gerald Charles overcame this challenge to offer a secure and waterproof without adding even a tenth of a millimeter to the height of the case, which is rated to a depth of 100 meters.

Finally, the Masterlink features an exterior and finishes that are truly singular. To enhance the verticality of the design, the central link is brushed in the direction of the bracelet and with the same vertical orientation as the dial’s Côtes de Genève pattern. However, Gerald Charles’ designers also found themselves inspired by the timelessly elegant striped suits of Italian men’s high fashion. An obvious connection with Mr. Gérald Charles Genta’s Italian heritage. The watch face is adorned with a linear motif that is not stamped, as might have been the easy route. In fact, the relief is actually composed of two separate levels which are then layered together.

The dial design is unique to the Masterlink: new indices, new hands, new minute markers. The idea was to maintain extreme slimness while ensuring perfect readability – two goals that seem contradictory at first glance. Gerald Charles nonetheless has succeeded in creating luminescent markings for hands and indices – a particularly impressive feat where the minute hand is concerned, with its exceptional finesse.

The same attention to detail continues all around the case. The crown, for example, features a geometry exclusive to the Masterlink. Its perimeter and apex are adorned with the Clou de Paris pattern, a hallmark of the Maestro collection’s bracelets – a filial nod that reinforces the brand’s cohesiveness.

On the case back, two things stand out. First, the circular satin finish applied to the bezel. The idea is also to rejuvenate the fusion of form and function, with a satin-brushed finish that perfectly complements the bezel’s curvature.

Finally, upon examining the movement, one can admire the micro-rotor architecture that achieves a remarkable thinness of only 2.7 mm. This power-generating element boasts a two-part finish, sandblasted at the base and with a sunburst brushing on the top. The circular graining further catches the eye, enhancing the contrast with the vertical Côtes de Genève stripes on the bridges. These finishes continue the theme of the dial, creating an overall coherence between the two faces of the watch.

The Gerald Charles design team meticulously focused on every detail, down to the smallest screw – all of which are original Gerald Charles star-shaped screws, first introduced in the skeletonized caliber. This represents a specific, exclusive development, designed in-house in Geneva for Gerald Charles, who holds the ownership.

Gerald Charles takes pride in the reliability of its movements and the commitment of its partners, which enhance the already stringent internal quality controls.

“Our Manufacture movement is exceptionally compact, measuring just 30 mm in diameter. It embodies our technical signature, highly valued by our collectors. The micro-rotor, driving a single barrel, guarantees a full two days of power reserve while allowing for the visual appreciation of the mechanism in all its beauty,” adds Federico Ziviani.

In the two versions unveiled today – with a blue or silver dial – the most discerning observers will notice the triple-grooved Côtes de Genève screws, bespoke-made for Gerald Charles.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

References:
ML1.0-A-01 (blue dial)
ML1.0-A-18 (silver dial)

Case:

• Exclusively developed in-house, proprietary design by Gerald Charles
• 316L stainless steel, medical grade
• Polished and satin-brushed finishes
• 31 components
• Right-hand screw-down crown with Clous de Paris finish
• Diameter: 38 mm x 38 mm
• Thickness: 7.99 mm
• Water resistance: 10 ATM, equivalent to 100 metres

Movement:

• Self-winding Manufacture movement, ultra-thin, Ref. GCA 5401 with offset micro-rotor, developed between Geneva and Fleurier, Switzerland
• Functions: Central display of hours and minutes
• Finishes: Bridges decorated with snailing, Côtes de Genève and circular graining
• Thickness: 2.67mm
• Components: 176
• Jewels: 29 rubies
• Frequency: 3 Hz
• Incabloc® shock protection, hacking seconds, unidirectional rotor
• Power reserve: 50 hours

Crystal: Sapphire with inner and outer multi-layer anti-reflective coating

Dial:

• Blue or silver, vertical sunburst finish
• White minute track for the blue dial version, or black for the silver dial version
• Skeletonized baton-shaped hands, white Super-LumiNova inserts

Case back: Open, flat, brushed steel and sapphire crystal

Bracelet:

• Exclusively developed in-house, proprietary design by Gerald Charles
• 316L stainless steel, medical grade
• 3 sizes: 157 mm (small), 205 mm (medium) and 222 mm (large)
• Micro-link available for finer adjustment of bracelet
• Polished and satin-brushed finishes
• Folding clasp with hexagonal plate, engraved with ‘GC’

Warranty: 5 years (in accordance with Smart Warranty registration)

Retail price CHF 20’100 (excluding VAT)