Gerald Genta Chronograph

You likely know Gérald Genta for his two most famous designs: that of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. However, those two "luxury sports watches" constitute only a small part of this genius Swiss industrial designer's oeuvre. Both before 1972 — when he conceived of the famed Universal Genève Polerouter and the Omega Constellation — and after 1976, when he designed the Nautilus, Genta churned out watches by the thousands. (Or, at least ideas for watches — still, his actual output of models produced is staggering.) This particular Genta design dates back to approximately the time when Bulgari acquired Genta's company and began incorporating its designs into its catalog in 2000. Housed in a 33mm 18K rose gold case with integrated lugs, a sapphire crystal, dual pushers, and a rose gold bezel with simple round indices, it features a luminous champagne dial with an outer 1/5th-seconds track, a triple-register chronograph layout with day/date at 6 o'clock, and a matching handset. Powered by a robust self-winding chronograph movement, it is fitted with a black alligator leather strap and a rose gold pin buckle. Glancing at it side-by-side with some of Bulgari's designs from the early 2000s, the correlation between the two brands is clear — and fascinating! For the collector with a taste for the avant-garde, this Genta offering may be the perfect everyday wrist companion.