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Who will carry the Gerald Genta torch?

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  tony20009 
#1 ·
Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.
― Shannon L. Alder

Every so often I come across an editorial about watch that really has zero appeal to me, but that in reading about it inspires totally unrelated thoughts that are yet horological. Ariel Adams' recent article about the Buben and Zorweg One Perpetual Calendar is one such article.


The watch certainly looks cool enough, even thinking as I do that the 3 o'clock gear needs a little decorative ruby on top of it, but that's minor and moot for I know I'll never consider buying one. I don't even want to consider doing so.

All the same, in reading Mr. Adam's remarks, I learned that Martin Braun designed and built it. Seeing and thinking about that, it dawned on me that Mr. Braun has a pretty good track record to my eyes of making cool looking and technically innovative designs. That got me wondering: Might Martin Braun be the next Gerald Genta? The next "big name" designer who becomes the designer of note to the "big boys" and brings us the next gaggle of wearable collectibles offered by a small selection of some of the greatest horological maisons?

I don't know, of course, but I can see it happening. Sure, one may look at Mr. Braun's current and past designs and think "uh, no...that one just isn't doing it for me." Okay, that's fine, but who here recalls how "not very popular at all" PP's Nautilus was when it was first introduced? Arguably, IWC's Ingy, perhaps also Omega's Constellation, has more general appeal, visually at least, yet, the Nautilus has remained true to the original design and the Ingy has morphed to fit the times. Ditto the VC 222 which has morphed into the Overseas.


Two GG designed Constellations


The "rice" beads in the bracelet of the "pie pan" are also a GG "thing," one which appeared also on Seamasters, also designed by GG.

Some GG sketches of what are today possibly his most beloved models. Seeing the considerably less exaggerated flange on the Nautilus, it's hard not to wonder if what we think of today as the Aquanaut isn't closer to what GG had in mind.


Here's an interview and nice survey of some GG designs that are less often thought of or recognized as being his: http://www.veryimportantwatches.com/files/pdf/creating_desing_rules_en.pdf .

But back to Mr. Braun. Here are some of his other designs. (The editorial "411" below is taken from 2002 article found here.)



Teutonia


Luminator
While Martin's other designs tend toward the classic, the Luminator retains the Martin Braun look, but is slightly bolder -- Mr. Braun described it as "feeling more casual, but still a watch that will work well with business attire." The design of this watch started with the dial, which Martin notes is on three levels: the center has a sunken appearance. The outer edge of the dial is raised, and on top of that are applied hour markers and numbers. The markers are filled with Luminova. The hands are highly polished and also filled with Luminova. The watch also features an arrow style second hand. The case measures 39 mm in diameter without the crown. The movement is an ETA 2824, known for its ruggedness. The movement sports Geneva stripes and blued screws, and Martin's name and logo are engraved on the rotor. Available with black dial in stainless steel on strap, as shown. The USA retail price will be $1575, and this watch will be available in June.​


La Sonnerie
The La Sonnerie, pictured below, is Martin's new alarm watch, and it is a stunner. This is a Limited Edition, and only 100 pieces will be produced. The case measures 42 mm in diameter, and the dial is delicately guilloched with a wave design. The movement is based on an A. Schild caliber 1478, a manual winder that has not been produced since the 1970s. Martin was not happy with the alarm sound the original movement produced, so he devised a sound-spring from solid bronze for the alarm hammer. This improves the alarm's tone.

Martin also modifies the movement's finish. Originally nickel plated, Martin will finish 50 movements with Geneva stripes and 50 with perlage. All movements will have a screwed balance, and Incabloc shock protection. The hands are of the highest quality, with beautiful bluing, and the alarm hand has a red tip, assuring easy legibility. The La Sonnerie will be produced in steel and offered on a Louisiana crocodile strap with a silver dial. The USA retail price will be $5000, and this watch will be available in mid June, 2002.​


EOS

Boreas
Martin's most important new watch at Basel this year is an enhanced version of the Eos. The Eos name comes from the Greek goddess of the dawn - fitting for a sunrise-sunset watch. In Greek mythology, Eos had a son named Boreas, and Martin has chosen this name for his new Eos offspring.

Shown below, the Boreas adds an Equation of Time complication to the Eos sunrise-sunset complication. This complication was designed in-house. The EOT display is elegantly incorporated, with a small center-mounted subsidiary hand moving across a scale just below the date. The EOT scale's curve harmonizes well with those for the sunrise and sunset, and the EOT's blued hand matches the other perfectly. The EOT complication balances the sunrise-sunset mechanicals located on the lower half of the dial. On the whole, I feel the new complication improves the Eos' overall visual appeal.

The Boreas is available in 39 or 42 mm diameters, with black or silver dial. On the black dial model, the EOT and sunrise-sunset scales are anthracite in color. The Boreas will be available in stainless steel or rose gold. USA prices will be $10,000 in steel for either case size, $16,000 for a 39 mm rose gold model, and $17,000 for a 42 mm rose gold model. Deliveries should begin in January, 2003.​


Square EOS
While in Martin's booth, I spied a square watch of substantial proportions. Martin informed me that it was an early prototype for a new model to be released later this year, perhaps around September - a square Eos. Early information indicates it will be available in steel or rose gold, with prices in the neighborhood of $8000 for the steel version and $15,000 for the gold. I do not have pictures, but if the finished product looks like the prototype, it will be a striking watch.​



Tourbillon Astronomique


Selene Meteorite



With that, I'll just remind you of the question at hand: do you think Mr. Braun might become the next "designer to the greats?" Will folks 60 years from now speak of him as many folks today speak of GG?

All the best.

Everyone must leave something behind when he dies . . . Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die . . . It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away.
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
 
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#2 ·
Good food for thought, Tony.
GG iconic designs seemed to favor simple clean dials for 2- or 3- handers. Not knowing much about Martin Braun beyond your pics of his ouevre, I'd say he has gone full-tilt into having very active dials. Maybe Braun is going through an evolution. If I remember correctly, GG had done a decade or more of work before AP came calling for his RO design.
I would throw out two other names that have made a strong impression me: Stepan Sarpaneva and Vianney Halter. Two very different designers & watchmakers but I have found their work to be visually compelling and I hope they stand the test of time. Sarpaneva's watches just scream fun. I know that Halter's earliest work - Antiqua - has already stood the test of time and is now consider a classic. That wouldn't be the kind of idiosyncratic design that gets mass market acceptance but it proves his design credentials.
Additionally, what brand is going to be the one that launches Martin Braun or whoever it is into horological history? It was a struggling AP that helped create GG's legacy. Which brand will face the pressure and roll the dice like AP did?
 
#3 · (Edited)
Maybe I haven't read enough about Genta but I thought he was predominantly a designer not an actual watchmaker. If we are looking for a modern equivalent: a designer by trade, incorporating industrially inspired elements, creates iconic sports watches with designs that some find extreme...
Richard Mille?

(Runs for cover)
 
#4 ·
RM seems like a plausible consideration, at least within the context you've defined. No need to run for cover. LOL

All the best.
 
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