(Wo) Man of the Hour

Tatler chats with Evelyne Genta about her late husband Gérald Genta’s legacy in watchmaking

- Brian Cheong

The name Gérald Genta is synonymous with the iconic forms of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. But for Evelyne Genta, his partner in life and business, her favourite works of Gérald's are those he created under his own name.

"Gérald had put so much into the Swiss [watch] industry that he deserves to be known for more than the Nautilus. I feel that he should be known for his own watches too because that's where his DNA is," asserts Genta.

She established the Gérald Genta Heritage Association to properly tell the story of one of the pre-eminent figures in modern watchmaking. One would be hard-pressed to think of a greater watch designer, and Gérald is often regarded as the Picasso of watches.

"I'm impressed by the response we get from collectors all over the world," shares Genta. "These are 25-year-olds who know more about my husband than me. It's unbelievable that he has such a young following today. I think it’s because people want authenticity.”

This surge of interest coincided with the relaunch of the Gérald Genta brand last year by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, founded by watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, who used to work with Gérald. Genta has given them complete access to her late husband’s archives, which consist of hundreds of unreleased designs.