Some watches captivate through their mechanics, others through their design. And then there are those that tell a story far older than humanity itself. With the new Masterlink Gem Set Stone Dial, Gerald Charles creates a piece where time is no longer measured only in hours, but in millions, even billions of years. A confidential collection bringing together three exceptional minerals, spectacular gem-setting and one of the most distinctive cases in contemporary watchmaking.
Through this new limited series, the Geneva-based Maison pays fresh tribute to the creative spirit of its founder, Gérald Charles Genta, demonstrating that true haute horlogerie lies as much in the mastery of materials as in that of movements.
On this page
- An immediately recognisable aesthetic signature
- Three stones, three geological stories
- More than twenty-four hours of work for a single dial
- Gem-setting that elevates the stone
- In-house mechanics worthy of the decor
- An exclusivity reserved for the greatest collectors
- When nature becomes the true artist
- Frequently asked questions
An immediately recognisable aesthetic signature
Since its launch, the Masterlink collection has held a place apart in the Gerald Charles universe. Its asymmetric case, instantly identifiable thanks to its famous “smile” at 6 o’clock, is one of the most original silhouettes in today’s watchmaking output.
This architecture, inherited from the creative world of Gérald Charles Genta, is not merely an exercise in style. It also represents a genuine technical challenge when it comes to integrating natural materials as complex as stone.
Unlike a traditional round dial, each mineral disc must here be cut to an irregular geometry, where the slightest mistake condemns the piece beyond repair. A difficulty that largely explains the extreme rarity of this new collection.
Three stones, three geological stories
For this edition, Gerald Charles has selected three minerals with radically different personalities, each telling a unique chapter in the history of our planet.
Green aventurine, mined in Brazil, immediately captivates with its luminous depth. Its quartz-rich structure holds countless mineral inclusions that create a natural sparkle, reminiscent of a starry sky. Yet behind this apparent softness lies a stone that is particularly demanding to work.
Spectrolite, an extremely rare variety of labradorite from Finland, offers a constant spectacle. Depending on the angle of the wrist, shades of blue, green, gold and violet appear thanks to the natural phenomenon of labradorescence. Every movement thus reveals a new facet of the dial.
Finally, Iron Eye from South Africa is arguably the most spectacular of them all. Formed around 2.5 billion years ago, this stone combines hematite, jasper and tiger’s eye in a complex mineral composition where each section presents a completely different texture. No two dials can therefore ever look alike.
More than twenty-four hours of work for a single dial
The natural beauty of these stones is ultimately only the first stage of a particularly demanding process.
It all begins with a rough block whose interior appearance no one really knows. Only after the first cuts do the artisans discover the shades, veins and possible imperfections of the material.
The future dial is then gradually thinned down to just 0.55 millimetre thick, less than a bank card. At this extreme thinness, the slightest strain can cause an irreparable break.
The figures speak for themselves. To obtain fifty dials that meet the manufacture’s standards, one hundred and fifty blanks are selected at the outset. Losses can reach 65% during the various machining and shaping phases. Only after more than twenty-four hours of work is a single dial finally ready to receive the last finishing elements.
Gem-setting that elevates the stone
Around each dial, Gerald Charles has designed a white-gold bezel fully set with sixty baguette-cut stones.
Depending on the chosen version, collectors will find blue sapphires, red sapphires or tsavorites, whose colours harmoniously extend the natural shades of each stone.
The aim is never to conceal the dial but, on the contrary, to reinforce its character. This dialogue between precious gems and natural minerals gives each watch an exceptional presence without ever tipping into exuberance.
In-house mechanics worthy of the decor
Beneath this spectacular aesthetic beats a movement that reflects the Maison’s level of technical demand.
The in-house automatic calibre GCA 1000 adopts an extra-thin architecture driven by an off-centre micro-rotor. At just 2.67 mm thick, it allows the Masterlink to display a particularly elegant silhouette despite its sophisticated case.
Decorated with Côtes de Genève, circular graining and refined finishes visible through the sapphire caseback, this movement delivers a 50-hour power reserve and benefits from Incabloc® shock protection. The whole sits within a 38 mm medical-grade steel case for a total thickness of under 8 mm, ensuring remarkable comfort on the wrist.
An exclusivity reserved for the greatest collectors
Here, Gerald Charles pushes the concept of exclusivity to its highest level.
Each of the three versions is produced in just ten pieces worldwide. Only thirty watches will therefore make up this collection, making the Masterlink Gem Set Stone Dial one of the most confidential series ever offered by the manufacture.
This rarity is not solely a commercial strategy. Above all, it reflects the difficulty of selecting the stones, transforming them without breaking them and achieving impeccable quality on materials that nature deliberately makes unpredictable.
When nature becomes the true artist
With the Masterlink Gem Set Stone Dial, Gerald Charles reminds us that contemporary luxury is not just about mechanical complexity or the setting of precious stones. It also lies in the ability to engage in dialogue with a living material, shaped over millions of years, without ever seeking to tame it entirely.
This collection perfectly illustrates the philosophy inherited from Gérald Charles Genta: embracing the unpredictable, celebrating uniqueness and turning constraints into a source of creativity. Each dial is thus a work that nature began billions of years ago and that the artisans of Gerald Charles complete with exceptional watchmaking precision.
More than a limited edition, the Masterlink Gem Set Stone Dial stands as a true meeting of geology, jewellery and haute horlogerie, where each piece becomes, by definition, absolutely irreplaceable.
Frequently asked questions
It is an ultra-limited series of thirty watches combining natural stone dials, a fully gem-set bezel and an in-house movement, built on the asymmetric Masterlink case with its signature “smile” at 6 o’clock.
Three minerals, each telling a different geological story: green aventurine from Brazil, rich in quartz with a star-like sparkle; spectrolite, a very rare labradorite from Finland whose labradorescence reveals blue, green, gold and violet; and Iron Eye from South Africa, formed around 2.5 billion years ago from hematite, jasper and tiger’s eye, so that no two dials are ever alike.
Each stone disc must be cut to the irregular Masterlink geometry and thinned to just 0.55 mm — less than a bank card. Of 150 blanks only about fifty usable dials remain, with losses reaching up to 65%, and more than twenty-four hours of work are needed for a single finished dial.
The white-gold bezel is set with sixty baguette-cut stones — blue sapphires, red sapphires or tsavorites depending on the version. Inside beats the in-house automatic calibre GCA 1000, an extra-thin movement with an off-centre micro-rotor just 2.67 mm thick, offering a 50-hour power reserve and Incabloc shock protection, housed in a 38 mm medical-grade steel case under 8 mm thick.
Each of the three versions is made in only ten pieces worldwide, so just thirty watches make up the whole collection — one of the most confidential series ever offered by the Maison, faithful to the spirit of its founder Gérald Charles Genta.
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