By partnering with Gemma Triay, the current world number one in padel, Gerald Charles takes a new step in its sports strategy. After tennis, the independent Swiss watch house is opening up to a fast-growing discipline whose values of precision, dynamism and performance resonate naturally with those of the manufacture. It is a partnership that illustrates the rise of a sport that has become impossible to ignore, and confirms Gerald Charles’s ambition to reach a new generation of enthusiasts.
For several years now, watch manufactures have been multiplying partnerships with the biggest sporting disciplines. Golf, sailing, Formula 1, tennis and motorsport are all favoured arenas of expression for houses looking for ambassadors who embody excellence and the drive to surpass oneself.
Padel is now part of this new generation of sports drawing the attention of major brands. Long regarded as a niche discipline, it is today experiencing spectacular growth around the world. In Europe as in Latin America, courts are multiplying, competitions are gaining visibility and the best players are becoming genuine media figures.
It is against this backdrop that Gerald Charles announces its arrival in the world of padel by naming Gemma Triay a “Friend of the Brand”, opening a new chapter in its story.
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A sports strategy rooted in continuity
This announcement is not a strategic shift but rather a natural evolution.
For several seasons now, Gerald Charles has cultivated an identity intimately tied to sport, notably through tennis, a discipline that shares many values with watchmaking: precision of movement, mastery of time, absolute concentration and a permanent pursuit of performance.
Padel fits into this same philosophy.
A spectacular, fast and technically demanding sport, it relies on anticipation, coordination and the ability to make decisions in a fraction of a second. These are qualities that find an obvious echo in the world of high-end watchmaking, where every detail contributes to the balance of the whole.
For an independent house like Gerald Charles, this choice appears particularly consistent. It allows the manufacture to support the growth of a young and dynamic discipline while strengthening its image with an international audience.
Gemma Triay, a champion who goes beyond sport
To carry this new ambition, Gerald Charles has chosen one of the greatest players in the history of padel.
Originally from Minorca, Gemma Triay currently holds the top spot in the International Padel Federation world ranking. Her record is impressive: fifty-two titles won on the professional circuit, several victories in the major Premier Padel tournaments and four seasons spent at the summit of the world hierarchy.
But her influence extends far beyond sporting results.
Over the years, she has become one of the leading voices in the development of women’s padel, championing greater visibility for competitions, more equity in prize money and increased recognition for players on the international stage. This human dimension and her role as an ambassador clearly weighed in Gerald Charles’s decision.
As Federico Ziviani, CEO of the house, explains, Gemma Triay embodies not only sporting excellence but also a leadership and vision that go far beyond the limits of the court.
An independent house pursuing its growth
Founded by the legendary designer Gérald Genta in 2000, Gerald Charles has for several years pursued a particularly measured development.
The Swiss house has established itself thanks to an instantly recognisable aesthetic identity, dominated by the Maestro collection, whose asymmetric case has become a genuine signature. This strong personality allows it to occupy a singular place within independent high-end watchmaking, far from fleeting trends.
By choosing to move into the world of padel, Gerald Charles is not simply seeking to increase its visibility. The manufacture is asserting a vision of sport built around precision, elegance and lasting performance, values that naturally find their extension in its watchmaking creations.
Padel, the new playing field of watch houses
The growing interest of luxury brands in padel is anything but anecdotal.
With several tens of millions of players around the world and particularly strong growth in Europe, this discipline appeals to a young, active and international audience. Its rapid development is gradually attracting the great houses, which see in it a formidable communication channel.
For watchmaking, the parallel is obvious. Like a mechanical watch, padel rewards precision, consistency, mastery of movement and the ability to perform under pressure.
By partnering with the best player in the world, Gerald Charles is therefore not following a trend: the house is taking a position in a sports market set to keep growing in the years to come.
Passion Horlogère’s view
This partnership goes well beyond a simple ambassador announcement.
It reflects Gerald Charles’s ability to identify the shifts in contemporary sport while staying true to its DNA. In choosing Gemma Triay, the manufacture is not betting solely on an exceptional record, but on a personality who embodies excellence, determination and the evolution of a rapidly expanding discipline.
As padel gradually establishes itself as one of the most dynamic sports on the planet, this collaboration appears to be a particularly relevant decision. It allows Gerald Charles to continue its development without betraying what makes its strength: an independent identity, an instantly recognisable design and an approach to watchmaking in which performance only makes sense when it is accompanied by elegance.
Frequently asked questions
Gemma Triay is a padel champion from Minorca and the current world number one in the International Padel Federation ranking. Her record includes fifty-two professional titles, several Premier Padel major wins and four seasons at the top of the world rankings. She is also a leading voice for the development of women’s padel.
Gerald Charles has named her a “Friend of the Brand”, marking the independent Swiss watchmaker’s entry into the world of padel after tennis.
Padel shares many values with watchmaking — precision, anticipation, coordination and performing under pressure — and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, reaching a young, active and international audience. For Gerald Charles it is a natural extension of its existing sports strategy built around tennis.
Gerald Charles is an independent Swiss watch house founded in 2000 by the legendary designer Gérald Genta. It is known for its instantly recognisable identity, dominated by the Maestro collection and its signature asymmetric case.
The house is led by CEO Federico Ziviani, who underlined that Gemma Triay embodies not only sporting excellence but also a leadership and vision that go far beyond the court.
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