Time on a Wheel: Presenting the New Gerald Charles x Ducati Maestro Timepiece
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Gerald Charles has introduced the exclusive Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 (Ref. GC4.0-CF-11) edition. Created in collaboration with the iconic Italian brand, this new timepiece celebrates the 30th anniversary of the legendary Ducati 916 motorcycle. The watch comes with the celebrated Maestro case and a vulcanised rubber strap in Ruby Red, in line with the Maison’s design codes.
A limited edition of 250 pieces, Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is the result of the collaborative vision of Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles, and Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. Both companies carry forward the important artistic heritage of their former designers Gérald Charles Genta and Massimo Tamburini. The Maestro 4.0 model draws inspiration from these two legendary designers and celebrates design as an artistic expression of both the world of motorcycles and the realm of timepieces.
In an official statement, Domenicali said, “We are very proud of the result of this collaboration with Gerald Charles. Together, we present an extraordinary watch that pays homage to an authentic icon like the Ducati 916.” He added, “The joint work of the Design Centres began with a precise idea in mind, and did not stop in the face of technical and design complexities. This approach adds further value to a high-quality object that, from the first glance, reflects the values shared by Ducati and Gerald Charles: passion, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.”
Reintroducing the jumping hour complication for the first time in over 13 years, Gerald Charles revisits one of the most iconic complications of Genta’s designs. This piece represents an evolution from the historical Gerald Charles jumping hour Maestro 39, manufactured prior to 2011, when the founder was still the Maison’s designer-in-chief.
The watch features a matte black ceramic bezel on a marbled black carbon forged case body, seamlessly integrated with a Grade 5 titanium crown, caseback, and buckle ― a testament to Gerald Charles’s unwavering commitment to excellence. These materials, familiar to the motorcycle world as being superlight and resistant, were ideal for this new watch. Moreover, the finishings are an ode to racetrack asphalt. The special case construction also offers an impressive water resistance of up to 100 metres, along with 5G shock resistance.
At the heart of the timepiece is an in-house proprietary newly developed jumping hour calibre, featuring the Gerald Charles movement, Ref. GCA 3002JH. The complication is a result of extensive R&D.
Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is the first Gerald Charles skeleton jumping hour watch; it is also the first to display time on a motorcycle wheel. At the centre of the case, a central wheel has been added, and this is reminiscent of the original Ducati 916-wheel rim. The golden jumping hour disc mirrors the motorcycle’s original three-spoke bronze alloy wheel, with black contours enhancing the colour contrast. The top sapphire includes a guichet frame, adorned with Super-LumiNova-infused red contours, offering a subtle view of the hour when lights go down.
“To create this timepiece, we faced many challenges between designing and creating the watch, especially in terms of balancing the weight; when we started, the disc was unbalanced due to the different weights for each of the 12 numbers,” explains Octavio Garcia, head of the creative team at Gerald Charles. “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 disc that turns.” The movement thus supports a two-level dial with the jumping hour disc on top. The 12 hour markers are in vivid red and filled with red Super-LumiNova.
Each limited-edition piece will be accompanied by a dedicated lithographic sketch of the watch designed by Octavio Garcia. All in all, Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 embodies the meeting of great creative minds.
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