Crafting Timeless Elegance
Gerald Charles was founded in 2000 by the legendary designer Gérald Charles Genta and is an independent, family-owned watch company based in Switzerland. Here, RLI sits down with CEO Federico Ziviani to speak about the legacy of the business, how they maintain their core values and design principles and what the future looks like.
At the turn of the century, Gérald Charles Genta launched his last brand, Gerald Charles as a way of expressing his own creativity. In 2003, he entrusted the company to a group of investors led by the Ziviani family who still operate the business today.
After taking the reins in 2019, CEO Federico Ziviani set about putting his new vision into practice as he began to make the watches more accessible to allow for a wider audience to connect to them. An example of this is that in the last few years the business has expanded its production capabilities from 100 units to 1,500 last year. They also went from not having an in-store presence to operating within 80 locations across America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The core goal of the house is to make collectors happy and bring a smile to their faces. This means that their products need to be extremely comfortable, so they invest in ergonomic studies so that it is one of the most comfortable watches in the world. Their products also have to be waterproof and every single item is waterproof to 100 metres, this is a pre-requisite on any new collection. Finally, each product must be refined with the best details and best mechanics.
Holding a unique position within the luxury segment, Gerald Charles reaches a wider audience than some of their contemporaries, but they also remain a niche brand as well. Not seen as a competitor to other names in their bracket, instead they are seen as a unique addition to a collection, through the distinctive Genta touch and novel design.
Operating one flagship site in Geneva, the Gerald Charles Atelier Genève, it is a space that hosts the Maison’s lounge and museum, along with a number of exclusive pieces designed by Mr. Genta between 2000 and 2011, taking watch enthusiasts through the brand’s history.
“The Atelier is home to a showroom and has a retail experience offering. On show within the museum is a selection of vintage pieces produced through the years, along with the sketches and drawings from Mr. Genta,” explains Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles. “There is also a small workshop on-site where we make custom and bespoke pieces along with some craft making. The site offers a unique retail, educational and watch making experience and I highly recommend people to come and visit.”
The Atelier is home to a showroom and has a retail experience offering. On show within the museum is a selection of vintage pieces produced through the years, along with the sketches and drawings from Genta.”
In recent years, the business has adapted to new and younger generations of collectors. Ziviani himself says that he tests each new product to ensure its comfort, lightness and wearability before it goes into mainstream production. “Our average client age is now 39 years old, which actually makes it very young for a high-end watch brand, which we are proud of because it offers the chance for a long-term customer relationship.”
The digital transformation that has occurred since the inception of the business has played a big part in its history and continues to play a pivotal role today. Technology is everywhere and it is something that is used every day. Ziviani comments that the same can be said of the watch industry, as they are selling watches of incredible value through e-commerce sites. Through their social media platforms, they emphasise the lifestyle element of the brand, as well as highlighting the quality of their products.
A brand that cares deeply about sustainability, its watches are made with this in mind, as they are designed to last for many decades without ever being thrown away or recycled. As well as sourcing and tracking all the materials they use, they also give back to the industry. They are soon to host a charity auction where they will gift a watch to a charity to raise funds for certain activities.
This year the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary by taking this opportunity to look back at their history, at their archives and at the watches they have manufactured during this time, such as the unique pieces Mr. Genta designed.
“It is a year of unveilings and celebrating what we have achieved. Not only are we looking to expand our museum in Geneva, but we are looking to host some museum-based events around the world in locations such as Asia, the US and the Middle East,” comments Ziviani. “In the following years, we have in the pipeline investment being put into manufacturing, research, development and engineering.”
The company will continue to grow, but it is looking to do this on a careful, planned production basis towards 2030 and this is what they are working towards each and every day. While the amount of watches they produce will not increase monumentally, they will continue to increase production levels to better serve their affluent customers around the world.
“I was born and raised in the watch industry and when this opportunity arose to come and guide the next stage of Gerald Charles, I took a look at the history of the brand and said to myself, if there was a book about watchmaking, this brand already has a chapter within it… I could not pass up the opportunity to try and expand on this and build the story of the brand and it is a challenge I look forward to continuing in the coming years.”
