For Connoisseurs Only: The Gérald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport
Press Release - Geneva Watch Days 2020
For Connoisseurs Only: The Gérald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport
Acquired by Bvlgari in 2000, the master designer’s eponymous brand is in the spotlight once again with a new model that bears the Gérald Genta spirit and leverages the technical genius of the brand.
Bvlgari introduces the Gérald Genta Arena Bi-Retrograde Sport. The newest Gérald Genta model pays homage to Gérald Genta, a man who is regarded by many as the most notable watch designer of the 20th century, bringing one of his brand’s signatures back to life. Housed in the famous chunky, round Arena case – truly representative of Gérald Genta revolutionary spirit – the timepiece features a smooth, wide, curved bezel in brushed titanium.
The 2020 edition enriches and pursues a long story. The last episode took place in 2019 with the release of the 50th Anniversary model, with an Arena bi-retro watch featuring a platinum bezel and case, blue dial and blue strap. Based on an iconic 1969 design, it bears a reimagined Gérald Genta logo, and is conceived of as a tribute to the brilliance of the man and the significance of his brand to the success of Bvlgari’s watchmaking. This introduction marked the return of Gérald Genta. Now, Bvlgari launches a new model for 2020, with additional models in the works for upcoming releases.
This new 2020 Gérald Genta Arena timepiece features jumping hours which are displayed through a window at 12 o’clock, while the minutes are tracked on an arc spanning the top half of the black anthracite dial, across which the minute hand travels and snaps back to zero every 60 minutes. Likewise, for the date, which is set in a smaller arc at 6 o’clock. Powered by the BVL 300 caliber with a bidirectional self-winding movement boasting a 42-hour power reserve, the complex mechanism is visible through the scratch resistant sapphire case back. It comes on a matte black alligator strap with a titanium ardillon buckle.
The legacy of Gérald Genta
In recent years, Bvlgari watches has been at the forefront of a Rinascimento in Swiss watchmaking, one in which technical expertise is seamlessly fused with the aesthetic mastery of the Roman jeweler. World-record-breaking designs like the Octo Finissimo are the culmination of this unique formula — and would not be possible without the masterful engineering that Gérald Genta has contributed to the world of Bvlgari watches.
In 1969, the designer and watchmaking genius Gérald Genta launched his eponymous brand and was quickly recognized for creating some of the most striking and iconic timepieces in modern history. His range was considerable: not only did he introduce genre-defining sporty chic models and Grand Complication timepieces, but he also introduced new ways to read time with his retrograde and bi-retrograde movements.
In 1996, he was indeed the first to combine jumping hours and retrograde minutes on a wristwatch. To do this is no small feat; it is a rare, complex and exacting mechanism that represents a triumph of precision and expertise.
A signature of the brand, the original Arena watch was the first retrograde watch on the market, and its signature chunky case has long been a touchstone of the designer’s exceptional savoir-faire. It featured an architectural shape inspired by the structure of the ancient “arenas”. In ancient times, “arenas” were used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called Ludi, were staging fights with Gladiators and exotic animals. They were demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular.
The Arena is also famous as the case for the classic Mickey Mouse watch design testifying that the master watchmaker never forgot his sense of playfulness. His Mickey Mouse watches are the ultimate expression of that whimsical spirit, fusing unexpected inspiration with unerring execution — and bringing a sense of wonder to the art of watchmaking.
In the year 2000, the Gérald Genta brand was acquired by Bvlgari — and its teams, archives and knowledge were subsequently integrated into the Bvlgari watches manufacture at Le Sentier. The decades of expertise engendered in this acquisition helped lay the foundation for Bvlgari as an unrivalled force in the world of Haute Horlogerie. Now, Bvlgari brings Gérald Genta heritage back into the spotlight with the launch of new models that bear the Gérald Genta logo and breathe new life into the brand’s distinctive design codes and signature mechanical movements.