New: Gerald Genta Minute Repeater :

Last week, during Geneva Watch Days 2025 gérald genta unveils The Minute Repeater. Taking on the classical complication in the way that is envisioned by Mr Genta.

Here is the press release information and our commentary in italics.

New: Gerald Genta Minute Repeater

The Gerald Genta Minute Repeater EBFE01A1 has a recommended retail in Singapore of SGD 552,000 inclusive of GST.

Commentary

This novelty embodies several of Gerald Genta’s key ideas on watches. First, the minute repeater. Back in the day, executed on the maison with his name on the dial, this queen of complications is one his favourites. Couple this with his love for stone dials, and his absolute penchant for creating a design which is unmistakable. All three of these come together to be presented in this new release by the brand gérald genta, a maison now part of the Louis Vuitton family.

What strikes at first look of the watch is, of course the design. The design instantly reminded us of Patek Philippe’s Golden Ellipse The Golden Ellipse is the work of Jean-Daniel Rubeli, and not Gérald Genta. But The Minute Repeater case has a more squarish proportion, which perhaps borrows from Genta’s own work for Patek Philippe – the Nautilus. The design on this new watch is, however, a new shape designed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton Artistic Director Matthieu Heigi.

The design began from a clean slate, perhaps taking inspiration from Genta’s previous works. It has the squarish, but rounded case work, with stepped lugs and polished and curved surfaces in juxtaposition to flat and brushed portions. A very nuanced and complex structure, which to our eyes, is a harmonious design. It successfully distill ideas originally proposed by Genta and Rubeli and creates an entirely new shape which looks very elegant and beautiful. The case is executed in 3N yellow gold, which we must say has perhaps gone out of fashion these days. But seeing this watch, it looks like the perfect choice. The case is very thin, especially for one which carries the complicated minuter repeater movement measuring only 9.6mm.

The next impression which hits the eye as one gazes on The Minute Repeater is the jet black onyx dial, with markings which echoes the yellow gold case with a railway track carrying the minutes and appliqué indices, also in 3N yellow gold complemented by a simple arrow tipped hands also in 3N yellow gold. The combination of the 3N yellow gold and black creates a sophisticated image of elegance of a bygone era.

And finally, the genius of Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas is encapsulated by this beautiful case and dial – the movement is the GG-002, a manual winding minute repeater developed entirely in-house. We reserve final comment till we have heard the watch strike, but from examining the photographs which we received, the movement looks very classical in its architecture.

Bridges are laid out nicely, with good opportunity to showcase the finish handwork with sharp outward angles, executed very nicely. However, we only spotted one sharp inward angle on the bridge carrying the second and third wheel around the jewel on the third wheel as the bridge curves around, sensuously if we may add, the canon pinion’s jewel. The click also deserves mention as it looks like it has been finished in a mirror polish. The two hammers are also mirror polished. The spining centrifuge regulator for the striking pace is visible as a special escapement and is marvellously finished. The rest of the striking works lie under the dial, and not visible. We anxiously await to encounter this watch in hand, to listen to how it sounds.

Finally a comment at the pricing. Though in excess of half a million Singapore dollars (just about SGD 500k before the 9% GST) is not small change by any stretch of imagination, it is perhaps par for the course for a well developed and constructed minute repeater of this level of providence.

Release information

A study in balance and contrasts, elegance and refinement, the new gérald genta Minute Repeater embodies the technical mastery and legacy of the famed watch designer

On the occasion of Geneva Watch Days 2025, gérald genta unveils The Minute Repeater, a refined, complicated and limited collector’s piece that pays homage to the intuitive and instinctive artistry of Mr. Genta. Subtle yet powerful, impactful yet poetic, the Minute Repeater merges audacious elegance with the ultimate mechanical mastery – and favorite complication of Mr. Genta: the minute repeater.

Chiming watches were close to Mr. Genta’s heart. In the 1980s, he was among the few watchmakers creating minute repeaters, inspired by the challenge to perfect this most complex of mechanisms. In addition to launching several models, he also created an automatic minute repeater, a water-resistant version and combined the complication with a perpetual calendar.

Quality of sound was key to Mr. Genta, and he worked extensively on the case to capture the best sound. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton now channels that spirit of innovation with a completely new shape for the Minute Repeater. Softly cushioned and infused with creative ingenuity and audacious elegance, the new shape revives gérald genta’s unmistakable design language for today, while celebrating proportion, softness, and balance.

The 40mm Minute Repeater is crafted in a yellow gold case paired with a lustrous onyx dial, celebrating Mr. Genta’s love for stone dials. Remarkably thin at just 9.60mm and specifically designed to offer optimal acoustics, it beautifully marries elegance with mechanical complexity.

Starting with a blank sheet, Matthieu Hegi, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director, conjured a new shape intended to embody the artistic dimension of Mr. Genta’s repertoire while magnifying the acoustics of the minute repeater complication.

“I wanted to capture the intuitive, instinctive genius and artistry of Mr. Genta,” explains Mr Hegi. The result is an almost magical object – a piece of art on the wrist for which only 10 pieces will be produced per year.

The minute repeater was one of Mr. Genta’s most beloved complications, blending technical mastery with the pursuit of emotional resonance and beauty that were core to his approach.

The Maison Master Watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas have brought this spirit forward with the GG-002, a manual-winding minute repeater caliber developed entirely in-house at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Acoustic and sonic mastery were the key elements that Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas considered for this watch, and the black polished hammers and gongs have received the utmost attention. Each gong has been manually tuned by ear and hand, and watchmakers cut and adjusted each component to ensure the optimal vibration and amplitude. The Minute Repeater features a traditional gong with one revolution, which emits an exceptionally clear and crystalline chime, exuding a notably high volume, ideal for a wristwatch.

Grounded in Mr. Genta’s love of form and smooth case design, free of any sharp edges, the cushion shape is a natural evolution of his signature octagonal form. Achieving an extraordinary dimension of a mere 9.60mm thick, the Minute Repeater case is crafted for thoughtful and deliberate chime amplification. The ultra-thin case walls and internal architecture are deliberately designed to allow the chime to breathe and resonate with sonorous clarity, expressing its melodious essence. This recalls Mr. Genta’s own exacting criteria for a minute repeater, where sound quality was led by intensive work on the case, complemented by elegance on the wrist.

The case has been reduced to its absolute minimum – as little as 0.6mm at its thinnest point – while the sapphire crystal has been reduced from the typical 1mm thickness to 0.8mm.

As Michel Navas explains: “It is a small watch, with very little leeway for enhanced sound propagation. We had to carefully consider how to optimize the sound, which led us to create such a thin case.”

At the same time, in the spirit of Mr. Genta, this meticulous tuning is as much an aesthetic choice as a functional one. At 40mm, the Minute Repeater’s dimensions are designed to be as constrained as possible, to ensure perfect wearability and elegance.

Meanwhile, subtle contrasts are at the heart of the Minute Repeater’s case design.

Alternating brushed and polished surfaces offer a subtle yet deliberate interplay of light, enhancing the purity of the design. The case’s double gadroons pay tribute to Mr. Genta’s historical pieces, and come in polished gold, presenting a visually slim profile against the satin-brushed part of the case. The trigger is also polished and notably thin, following the watch’s shape and its sensorial architecture – yet extremely tactile and easy to manipulate. A single lug for attachment to a black leather strap further nods to historical Genta pieces, presenting a wider and shorter design that seamlessly blends with the case, celebrating the Minute Repeater’s unique form. The crown, topped with an onyx cabochon, not only echoes the slim profile with a refined cannelure finish but also adds to the overall preciosity and refinement of the watch.

Finally, the profound depth of the onyx dial channels the watch’s audacious elegance. Rather than selecting a lacquer dial, Matthieu Hegi opted for the intense luster of onyx, which further embraces Mr. Genta’s historical preference for hardstone dials. A black onyx dial was an obvious choice, adds Matthieu Hegi, especially when paired with 3N yellow gold – a tone that he says evoked “sunshine and the Mediterranean spirit, which was very Genta”. Yellow gold is also an ideal material for maximizing the sound and acoustics of the minute repeater, reiterating the very essence of the new gérald genta Minute Repeater.

Amplifying the Minute Repeater’s subtle shape is the minute track, which Matthieu Hegi calls, “the very core of the watch’s design.”

The minute track is crafted with an inner segment shaped as a circle, the indexes following this round profile, while the outer segment echoes the shape of the case.

“ We wanted to explore something that was not quite round – something that evoked the cushion – and achieved this by reimagining and playing with the design of the dial. The effect mixes up the shape and is subtly transformative. At first glance, one wonders if it is truly round, as the suggestion of a cushion is created.”

Ambitious yet discreet, architectural yet soft, vintage but modern while exuding technical mastery – the new gérald genta Minute Repeater is a synthesis of artistic heritage, sonic mastery and sculptural design, and a quietly sophisticated piece that pays tribute to one of watchmaking’s greatest legends.