In the world of luxury watches, collaborations between watchmakers and automotive brands are not uncommon, offering enthusiasts a tangible connection to the adrenaline-pumping world of motorsports. The Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is a prime example of this synergy, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic Ducati 916 superbike—a machine that has left an indelible mark on the motorcycle racing world.
Press release with commentary in italics.
The Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916
Commentary
The watch itself is a limited edition, with only 250 pieces available. Its design pays homage to the Ducati 916’s legacy, with a marbled black carbon case reminiscent of the materials used in Ducati motorbikes. This choice of material is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, offering lightweight durability ideal for a sports watch.
One of the most striking features of the Maestro 4.0 is its anti-clockwise jumping hour calibre, a nod to the unconventional and technical capabilities of both brands. The timepiece boasts a concentric central minutes display, which, along with the jumping hour, offers a unique way of time-telling.
The watch’s dial is a direct tribute to the Ducati 916, with bright crimson hour numerals angled in the typeface of a modern Ducati instrument cluster. This design choice serves as a constant reminder of the watch’s motorsport heritage, while the golden unidirectional central oscillating weight mirrors the motorcycle’s original three-spoke wheels.
In terms of wearability, the Maestro 4.0 maintains a balance between robust presence and comfort. The dimensions are considerate of various wrist sizes, and the water resistance up to 100 meters adds a layer of practicality for everyday use.
From a price standpoint, the Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 sits at the higher end of the market, retailing at $42,400. This positions the watch firmly in the luxury segment, which may limit its accessibility to a broader audience.
In conclusion, the Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is a piece that will likely resonate with enthusiasts of both fields, offering not just a timekeeping device but a piece of history to adorn the wrist. Whether it justifies its price tag will depend on the individual’s appreciation for its design, mechanical features, and the storied history it represents. For those who value the intersection of horology and motorsport, this watch could be a compelling addition to their collection.
Press Release
Gerald Charles is delighted to announce the new exclusive Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916, Ref. GC4.0-CF-11. Created in collaboration with Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, this new timepiece celebrates the 30th anniversary of the legendary Ducati 916 motorcycle. In keeping with the Maison key traits, the watch features the iconic Maestro case and a vulcanised rubber strap, available in Ruby Red.
With only 250 pieces produced, the Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 was the collaborative vision of CEOs: Mr. Federico Ziviani from Gerald Charles and Mr. Claudio Domenicali from Ducati. Both companies carry on an important artistic heritage from their former designers: Mr. Gérald Charles Genta and Mr. Massimo Tamburini. The Maestro 4.0 is influenced by these two individuals and celebrates design as an artistic expression of both worlds, seamlessly blending the precision of watchmaking with the fervour of motorcycling.
This partnership is a pivotal moment in watchmaking history, combining Gerald Charles’ expertise with the enduring legacy of Ducati. The GC4.0-CF-11 serves as a subtle homage to the iconic Ducati 916 motorcycle, capturing its spirit in meticulously crafted details.
From Gerald Charles archive: the first skeleton Jumping Hours complication
For the first time in over 13 years, Gerald Charles has reintroduced the jumping hours complication, one of the most iconic complications of Mr. Genta’s designs. This piece represents an evolution from the historical Gerald Charles jumping hours Maestro 39, manufactured prior 2011 when the founder was still the Maison’s designer-in-chief.
Devised for both durability and design, the watch features a mat black ceramic bezel on a marbled-black Carbon Forged case body, seamlessly integrated with Grade 5 Titanium crown, case-back and buckle – a testament to Gerald Charles’s unwavering commitment to excellence. These materials, known in the motorcycle world as superlight and resistant, were ideal for this new watch. In addition, the finishings are an ode to racetrack asphalt. Due to the special case construction, high water-resistance to 10 ATM/100 mt and 5G shock-resistance are guaranteed.
At its core, the timepiece boasts an in-house, proprietary developed new jumping hours calibre, featuring the Gerald Charles movement, Ref. GCA 3002JH. This complication, a result of R&D studies that reach new level of performance, pays homage to the brand’s heritage, inspired from Mr. Genta, and his affinity for this distinctive complication.
The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is the first Gerald Charles skeleton jumping hours watch as well as the first to display time on a motorcycle wheel. At the centre of the case, a central wheel has been added as a subtle nod to the original Ducati 916-wheel rim. The golden jumping hours disk mirrors the motorcycle’s original three-spoke bronze alloy wheel, with black contours enhancing the colour contrast.
In a refined touch, the top sapphire includes a “guichet” frame, also adorned with SuperLuminova-infused red contours, offering a subtle view of the hour when lights go down.
Gerald Charles’ savoir-faire meets Ducati’s vibrant identity
“To create this timepiece, we encountered many challenges between the design and the creation of the watch, especially in terms of balancing the weight. When we started, the disk was unbalanced due to the different numbers weight. We had to develop a system with a circular black outer line at the top so that all the numerals were held together by two lines, the inner and the outer. This way, although the numerals seem to be on the dial, the reality is that the numerals, the central wheel and the outer line are all together on a big disk that turns.”, Octavio Garcia, Gerald Charles Head of Creative team.
The movement supports a two-level dial with the jumping hours disk on top. The 12-hour markers are in vivid red and filled with red SuperLuminova.
The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is the perfect marriage of the two brands. Starting from Gerald Charles’ iconic features, namely the Maestro case and the vulcanised rubber strap – both original drawings by Mr. Genta – Ducati’s vibrant identity features have been added.
Gerald Charles commitment to new complications
Mr. Federico Ziviani – CEO of Gerald Charles: ‘’in keeping with the promise to introduce one complication per year, we have decided to launch the Jumping Hours complication. This timepiece features an open-worked Ducati wheel to display time by rotation, perfectly in line with Mr. Genta’s preference towards unconventional complications. Obviously, the skeletonised motorcycle wheel inserted in a jumping hour disk represented several engineering challenges. It took a year and a half of R&D to succeed in paying homage to the iconic Ducati 916. This limited edition is the perfect representation of Artistic Creativity and Technical Mastery. Our aim is to break the rules of conventional watchmaking while maintaining design harmony and mechanical performance as priorities’’.
To commemorate this extraordinary partnership, the sapphire crystal-back proudly displays the see-through movement bridges and golden rotor, enriched by the Ducati 916 logo. Exclusively for Ducati passionate clients who bought the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 motorcycle, the bike serial number may be engraved on the watch case-back. The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 transforms itself into an emblem of shared passion and timeless design.
Moreover, alongside each limited edition piece, a dedicated lithographic sketch of the watch designed by Mr. Octavio Garcia will be gifted.
Each watch will be released as a limited edition of 250 pieces — a true treasure for watch collectors and Ducati enthusiasts.
About Jumping Hours complication
The jumping hours complication is immediately recognisable by the absence of the hour hand. Hours are displayed through a window or guichet revealing a portion of a larger disc placed underneath the dial. A rotating disc positioned above the movement clicks once every 60 minutes indicating the correct time. In our watch, the red square that displays the hour is printed on the inside of the glass.
