If there is a watch that is “Metal” in the Swiss luxury watch arena this is it! Most of you are aware of my passion and love for fine mechanical micro miniature mechanisms, well I’m going state right here that this is the ONLY watch I salivate for right now. How’s that for an introduction?
Mid-Evil (that’s right the spelling is correct) is what this piece of incredible art translates to my inner most being. If you’re looking at this Gerald Genta Gefica for the very first time you’ll need to be brought up to speed a bit. It’s Bronze and titanium case is made in such a fascinating way that you have to actually hold one to get sucked in. In fact I see many women wearing the piece and it fits them so very well. It wraps the wrist in comfort as a great daily watch wear. The bronze is patina when it comes straight from the factory already and grows that usual oxidation green encrusted mold spore look of old bronze over time. I love that! The titanium is not just for show it is for the mechanicals to be protected from invasion of the bronze. Incredible!
Some statistics before we start:
Case
46.5 mm, Bronze, Titanium
Water Resistance
100 meters 330 ft
Dial
Sand brushed and rodium plated
Movement
Mechanical automatic, caliber GG1004, 28,800bph,
Power Reserve
45 hours
Complications
Jumping hours, Retrograde minutes, Retrograde date
No two Gefica Bi Retro’s will ever look the same due to the unique construction and natural progression of the bronze. Wouldn’t you love to have a one of kind piece? Lets move on to some of the mechanical introductions and achievements of this watch, as I can’t wait any longer.
During my training days for complicated watches in Switzerland different mechanisms come across your bench, you can either adapt to how they work and try to understand the mathematical insane calculations and idiosyncrasies of its makeup or you can say to yourself “this complication isn’t for me”. My quest as a young Watchmaker was to become adept at the last two hundred years of chronograph wrist watches. Knowing the ins and outs of every caliber (model) I could get my hands on and study them. I enjoy the challenge of these mechanisms. After achieving some of my goals I had a couple Retrograde complications come across my bench in Switzerland and I fell down off my chair in love! Actuated by the same hairspring the balance uses to return functions in those vintage movements, I attacked them with love and patience. It is my favorite complication to work on and wear.
The Gefica Bi Retro has all the functions of a complicated watch in just the perfect position. It has a wonderful jumping hour and of course the Retrograde is well placed in perfect harmony for the human brain to “GET” the first second you peer into the sapphire glass of this one of kind piece of human art. The base movement GG1004 is a Girard Perregaux base pusher caliber with the Gerald Genta GG7726 module sitting on top. The GP pusher is a work horse as us Watchmakers know and together we see harmony in execution. I commend Gerald Genta, Gerald Roden and all the watchmakers in Le Sentier for stepping out of the boundaries of stuffy Swiss Watchmaking and looking ahead into the future.
After viewing some wonderful pictures of there workshops in Switzerland it certainly gives me the impression there is much more in store from Gerald Genta. Perfecting the art of micro miniature mechanics of this complicated kind and melting it with a Mid-Evil looking case design that depicts nothing on planet earth or beyond places this Swiss luxury brand as “A” Numero Uno on my bench!
Now for my ticket to Le Sentier to play with a Retrograde…