When it comes to counting the classic designs of the legendary watchmaker Gérald Genta, whether it’s the Polerouter micro-rotor design that fully showcases his watchmaking talent, or the two legendary designs that have been crazy in the watch world and watch fans since the 1970s, the Royal Oak and Nautilus, each one can be said to be irresistible – even Sotheby’s has to conceive the first focus watch auction of 2022 with Gérald Genta as the theme. Speaking of this master, recently, the redesigned website of the same name has reopened, and even more unexpectedly, after the website reopened, it actually brought a representative work of Gérald Genta to greet all watch fans.
The redesigned website was actually officially launched at the end of last year, and in the future, it will introduce the brand’s latest products. The first to be featured this time is the limited edition Gérald Genta Arena Retrograde Mickey Mouse watch, which was originally released in the mid-1980s and is now being reintroduced in a limited edition of 150 pieces worldwide.
The watch made its long-awaited debut at last year’s Geneva Watch Days in September, becoming the highlight of the event. This piece, symbolizing the playful side of master Gérald Genta, has always been the most joyful and whimsical design in his many collections. Especially with Mickey smiling on the dial, using fingers instead of traditional hands to indicate minutes with a 210-degree retrograde operation, it has become a major feature of the watch. Other distinctive features and specifications include a polished stainless steel case, a dial engraved with rhodium-plated sunburst pattern, jumping hour display at 5 o’clock, providing 42 hours of power reserve, and crafted in a classic 41mm diameter size.
Regarding Gérald Genta and this Mickey Mouse watch, I believe many watch enthusiasts should know that he was the first watchmaker to obtain official authorization from Disney to use Mickey (and a host of other characters) in high-end watches. Whether in design or watchmaking technology, he is both subversive and original. However, for many years, the complete story of Master Gérald Genta’s watchmaking remains a mystery. It is only known that he conceived the idea for someone (possibly a family member, friend, or someone else) son’s birthday. The brand Gérald Genta was acquired by the BVLGARI group in 2000, and subsequently in 2019 and 2020, they respectively launched a 50th-anniversary platinum limited edition and a new Arena series titanium model. This latest release is definitely great news for all watch enthusiasts.
資料及圖片來源：Courtesy of BVLGARI
