Gerald Charles Unveils Its Most Complex Timepiece, The Masterlink Perpetual Calendar

Gerald Charles, the independent Swiss watchmaking Maison founded by the great Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, unveils its most complicated watch since its reestablishment less than a decade ago. The Masterlink Perpetual Calendar, developed entirely in-house, marks a new chapter for the young and ambitious Maison as it continues to expand its repertoire of poetic complications.

In keeping with Gerald Charles’s “No Compromise” watchmaking philosophy, established by Mr. Genta more than a quarter of a century ago, the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar introduces an in-house, asymmetrical, automatic perpetual calendar calibre with a three-counter display.

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News F.P.Journe Young Talent Competition Goes to Thomas Aubert

A 23-year-old Frenchman who earned the prize with the Séléné

ByWaqt

23.04.2024

3 minutes read

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Since 2015, the Young Talent Competition by F.P.JOURNE has been supporting emerging watchmaking students and recent graduates as they enter the world of independent watchmaking. The competition is organized with support from The Hour Glass, a luxury watch retailer in the Asia Pacific. Participants in the competition present a timepiece they have designed and constructed themselves. These submissions are judged based on their complexity, aesthetics, and craftsmanship by a distinguished jury. The panel includes François-Paul Journe, Philippe Dufour, Andreas Strehler, Giulio Papi, Marc Jenni, Michael Tay, and Elizabeth Doerr.

This year's winner is Thomas Aubert, a 23-year-old from France, who submitted his wristwatch, the Séléné, a one of a kind creation developed during his final year at the “Edgar Faure High School” in Morteau, France. The watch comes in a 43mm stainless steel case, measuring 13 mm in thickness. The shooting stars on the back of the watch move as the key is wound, activated by the turning mechanism. The stars are made of steel, polished and chamfered to enhance their shine.

An engraving of the Pisces zodiac sign adorns the watch caseback, though this can be customized to suit the owner's preference. The front dial consists of two sections: the inner part, in silver, while the outer portion is circular-grained, with a hairspring positioned at 9 o’clock. The hands are crafted from steel, chamfered, blued, and polished. The three-quarter bridge and plate are made from nickel silver with a sandblasted finish..

The watch is powered by the caliber 6497 modified, a manual winding movement that operates at 18,000 vph (2.5Hz) and offers 46 hours of power reserve. The watchmaker redesigned all the key components such as the bridges, plate, balance, time adjustment, and winding, to achieve his desired design without compromising on quality. To bring to life the themes of curiosity and shooting stars, he wanted the moving elements to be fast-paced, positioned on the back of the watch, and active during winding.

The winner of the 2024 Young Talent Competition is awarded a diploma and a CHF 50,000, equivalent to AED 200,000, from The Hour Glass and F.P.Journe, allowing him to purchase watchmaking tools or finance a horological project. We wish Thomas Aubert all the best in his journey.