Credits: Article and images by Katherine Arteche @ Revolution Watch Magazine. See the original article here - https://revolutionwatch.com/gerald-genta-gentissima-oursin/
There’s a name for this somewhat chaotic yet refreshing materialization of Genta’s creativity: Gentissima. The name, which has been adopted as the brand’s in-house experimental design lab, is meant to depict a “transient domain that represents the ultimate expression of liberated watchmaking design, requiring equal measures of audacity and abandon to navigate.” Throughout his career, Genta reserved his most experimental work for his eponymous brand, indulging his creative genius without restriction — a hallmark of the Gentissima landscape.
Now out of this emerging Gentissima lab was the first of Genta’s designs that began in 1994: the Oursin. The story is that Genta first sketched the Oursin (French for sea urchin) after a family vacation in Corsica.
“The Oursin was among Gérald’s few creations that he was the proudest of.”
Its spiny, globular exteriors found horological form in a round case with deeply convex sides, studded with beads that gave the watch its uniquely startling aesthetic. After seeing the first prototypes in 1994, Evelyne Genta fell in love with the Oursin and received a special version a year later. It remains her favorite watch to this day. “The Oursin was among Gérald’s few creations that he was the proudest of,” said Evelyne in a statement. “He would have loved these new versions! They are perfect evolutions of Gérald’s original design, retaining yet furthering the Oursin’s inimitable style.”
Today, the Oursin opens the Gentissima chapter at Gérald Genta, unveiling one of the most personal and intimate stories of Genta’s legacy. Like its 1994 predecessor, the Gentissima Oursin is designed for those who appreciate complexity, audacity, and difference.
The octagon, strongly associated with Genta’s designs, appears in the center of the dial via a reflection from the faceted crystal, traversed by the rounded baton hands. The exterior surface of the sapphire crystal bears a taut, subtle dome that is contiguous with the camber of the surrounding case.
Credits: Article and images by Katherine Arteche @ Revolution Watch Magazine. See the original article here - https://revolutionwatch.com/gerald-genta-gentissima-oursin/