Some stories in watchmaking begin with a complication, others with a shape. For Gérald Genta, one of his most distinctive stories started on a Mediterranean island in 1994, when a sea urchin sparked the idea for the Oursin. Its rounded, studded form became a bold case design, and it has continued to evolve across decades. At Geneva Watch Days 2025, the maison returned to this emblematic inspiration with two new models, the Gentissima Oursin 36 Burgundy and the Gentissima Oursin 36 Black Onyx, alongside a newly shaped Minute Repeater that revisits one of Mr. Genta’s favorite complications.
The Oursin has always stood out for its contrasts, both sculptural and organic. Evelyne Genta immediately recognized its strength when her husband first designed it, and three decades later the brand is expanding the collection with timepieces that underline its versatility. Artistic Director Matthieu Hegi, said, “These new iterations play with contrasts and technicality, highlighting the audacious elegance of the design and the creative ingenuity of the maison.”
The Gentissima Oursin 36 Black Onyx takes a sleek and defiant path. Its glass-blasted yellow gold case holds 223 hand-screwed beads, reflecting a rebellious yet refined aesthetic. The black onyx dial, a nod to both Mr. Genta’s and Mr. Hegi’s shared passion for hard stones, carries the facetted octagonal crystal, playing with light and shadow in sharp contrast. The watch runs on the GG-005 movement with a Zenith Elite base, offering a 50-hour power reserve at 4 Hz. A rare black exotic leather strap completes the design.
The Gentissima Oursin 36 Burgundy, by contrast, draws from natural radiance. Inspired by the Tall Bearded Iris, its burgundy brass dial hides an octagonal guilloche pattern that catches light from different angles. The rose gold case, glass-blasted for a soft matte finish, recalls the texture of flower petals. Hand-set beads line the bezel like drops of dew, while a burgundy calf leather strap deepens the tonal richness. The watch is also powered by the GG-005 caliber, with the same 50-hour reserve and 4 Hz frequency.
Both watches expand the Oursin’s language, showing how a single inspiration can evolve into different moods, bold or romantic, sharp or soft, without losing its original identity.
The Gérald Genta Minute Repeater reconnects directly with Mr. Genta’s fascination with chiming mechanisms. In the 1980s, he experimented widely with repeaters, creating automatic, water-resistant, and perpetual calendar combinations. Sound quality was his priority, and that focus continues today with a new cushion-shaped case developed at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
Measuring 40mm and only 9.60mm thick, the yellow gold case has been designed to amplify the resonance of the complication while maintaining wearability. The onyx dial reflects Mr. Genta’s long-standing preference for stone dials. “I wanted to capture the intuitive, instinctive genius and artistry of Mr. Genta,” said Mr. Hegi, who designed the shape specifically to balance acoustics with elegance. Only ten pieces will be produced per year.
Inside, the manual-winding GG-002 caliber, developed fully in-house by master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas, powers the complication. Assembly requires more than four weeks, and the finishing includes Côtes de Genève, hand-beveled edges, and snailing detail. An octagonal inertia wheel nods to Mr. Genta’s favorite form, while an 80-hour power reserve and a tactile bar click enhance function. Each gong is manually tuned by ear for precision, producing a clear, resonant chime. Mr. Navas said, “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.”
The case’s alternating brushed and polished surfaces, polished gadroons, and slim trigger refine its proportions, while a single lug secures the black leather strap. The crown, topped with an onyx cabochon, ties the design together. The deep onyx dial amplifies the contrast with yellow gold, a combination Hegi calls evocative of “sunshine and the Mediterranean spirit, which was very Genta.”
The new Gentissima Oursin models and the Minute Repeater show how Gérald Genta continues to work across different dimensions of watchmaking: design, sound, and emotion. Both launches expand on past ideas while introducing new expressions, proof that the brand is not just preserving its history, but actively reshaping it for collectors who value boldness, precision, and artistry in equal measure.
