INTRODUCING: The Gerald Charles Masterlink
I don’t think many enthusiasts would argue that the steel sport watch is the most popular category of watches there is. And at the forefront of the steel sport watch designs are models like the IWC Ingenieur, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the Royal Oak - All three sharing a common designer - Gerald Genta. The man was one of those most sought after watch makers in the world, responsible for some of the most important and progressive steel sport watch designs ever made. Well, after many years of designing watches for other brands, Gerald Genta decided to start his own brand in 2000 - Gerald Charles.
And while he eventually sold off Gerald Charles 3 years later, he remained on board as the brands Chief Designer. The first real design of the brand, was it’s Maestro, with a unique case structure, and its consequent bespoke models produced for specialty clients until the Genta'’s unfortunate death in 2011. The brand continued to make bespoke pieces up until 2018 when the very capable Federico Ziviani took over as CEO and continued with the ‘Maestro Collection’. While the Maestro has sportier elements, it’s mostly been considered a dress watch. It’s signature “Smile” at 6 o’clock is charming and uniquely Genta. One gap in the Gerald Charles catalog is sport watches. That is, until now. Introducing the Gerald Charles Masterlink - A unique sport watch ripped straight out of the Genta handbook.
THE BASICS:
Brand: Gerald Charles
Model: Masterlink
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Case Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: CGA-5401
Movement Specs: 3-Hz, 29 Rubies, 50 Hour Power Reserve
Strap Options: Signature “Smile” Stainless Steel Bracelet
What Makes the Gerald Charles Masterlink Bracelet So Special?
We’ll start with the bracelet, because that’s really where “Masterlink” comes in. For those familiar with the Gerald Charles’ offerings, the hallmark of their cases is their asymmetrical design. This presents a unique set of challenges, particularly around creating a bracelet - Something that many enthusiasts would argue is the most important part of a steel sport watch. Because the case features a unique ‘Smile’ at 6 o’clock, as opposed to the flat top of 12 o’clock, creating a bracelet that feels uniform and fluid is a major design feat. To accomplish this, the brand created a little more rounded taper that straightens the closer it gets to the butterfly clasp. This differs from where the integrated bracelet fits to the top of the case, in that it’s more straightforward.
Further, the bracelet features no screws that are visible on either the top and side of the bracelet, and the screws that are visible on the back of the bracelet require magnification. Further, the butterfly clasp is hidden behind the links, make the bracelet feel like it’s all one integrated and fluid piece of steel. While the break of each link is visible, where the bracelet ends and the clasp begins is hidden. Frederico was quotes as saying “Our aim is to let simplicity hide our complexity”, and in that regard, Job Well Done.
Further, the adjustments on the Materlink work a little different than most sport watches. Instead of needing to remove entire links, each link is adjustable to a half link by design. Making it really easy to micro-adjust if needed. Overall, if bracelets are what make a sport watch, Gerald Charles has spent a lot of special attention making it as perfect as possible.
The Masterlink Case
One of the most important aspects to the R&D team, and Federico, was to ensure that the case measures up to a Genta design. This meant a number of different things. First, the case had to be remarkably thin, though also functional. At just 7.9mm thick in stainless steel, with an automatic movement, I’d say they’ve accomplished just that. A major design feat for the Masterlink is that while it’s almost dress-watch level thin, it still features a screwdown crown - Something that often requires much more real estate to pull off. This gives the watch a solid 100 meters of water resistance, firmly planting roots into the “Sports Watch” category.
Further, if anyone is familiar with Maestro case, they’ll know that it’s elongated and rectangular in nature. The Masterlink squares that case out - Making it a little more functional for being on the go. Plus, it adds a little bit of refinement to the overall aesthetic of the watch. Though, don’t worry, the brand’s signature ‘smile’ is still part of the design language.
The Masterlink dial
The dial is another strong component of the watch. Back in the day, a lot of the luxury brands used stamps to create their intricate dials. It looked really nice, but really lacked the hand-made touch that makes luxury watches so luxurious. Not only has Gerald Charles opted for a less popular dial finishing, they opted to create two distinct dial plates that superimpose over each other to create a striped texture reminiscent of the Italian suits of Genta’s heritage.
Further, all new indices and handsets have been designed specifically for the Masterlink. While they still fit well into the Geral Charles overall aesthetic, they are definitely unique to this watch, and it shows. The brand’s goal was to keep everything thin and tight, while still being incredibly legible - What results is an almost “Ultra-Thin” look, but even so, the brand still achieved the ability to fill hands and indices with lume - Again, firmly rooting the Masterlink in the “Sport” category.
The masterlink movement
Flipping the watch over, you’ll see the CGA-5401 movement - A beautifully finished microrotor movement with some impressive specs at it’s more than impressive whopping 2.7mm thinness. The first thing you’ll notice is the plethora of finishings from Cotes de’Geneve to brushing, to circular brushing, to sandblasted finishing. Each component looks unique and provides plenty of visual interest - something that you’d come to expect from Gerald Charles. All of the hallmarks of a Genta-designed movement are there, down to the star-shaped screws he’s so known for. Each movement was designed alongside Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier - A notoriously high-end movement manufacturer. The watch beats at 3 Hertz and features a 50-hour power reserve.
Overall, Gerald Charles identified a gap in their offerings, designed, and filled it. It’s not often that luxury brands can so quickly and easily identify and fix that sort of problem. From a sheer practicality standpoint, Gerald Genta was known for his steel sport watches - So the natural extension here is to create one. The Masterlink is something that fits my fancy more than most new releases typically would. This is a true contemporary watch for those who already tend to gravitate towards Genta-era and Genta-style stainless steel watches. For me, the Masterlink is a perfect meld of original and modern, with a vintage nod. I can’t help but thing Genta would be proud of the Masterlink, even if it wasn’t directly his design.
Read more about the watch on the brands website here.