You likely know Gérald Genta for his two most famous designs: that of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

But those two “luxury sports watches” constitute but a smidge of this genius Swiss industrial designer’s oeuvre. Both before 1972 — when he conceived of the famed Universal Genève Polerouter and the Omega Constellation — and after 1976, when he designed the Nautilus, Genta churned out watches by the thousands. (Or, at least ideas for watches — still, his actual output of models produced is staggering.) 

This particular Genta design dates from roughly the time when Bulgari acquired Genta’s company and began integrating its designs into its catalog in 2000. Housed in a 36mm 18K yellow gold case with integrated lugs, a sapphire crystal, dual ‘mushroom’ pushers, and a yellow gold bezel with black filled ‘Roman’ indices, it features a deep, luminous matte blue dial with an outer 1/5th-seconds track, a triple-register chronograph layout with day/date at 3 o'clock, and a matching handset.

Powered by the robust and proven Valjoux 7750 automatic winding chronograph movement, it comes fitted to a brown alligator leather strap with a yellow gold pin buckle.

Glancing at it side-by-side with some of Bulgari’s designs from the early 2000s, the correlation between the two brands is clear — and fascinating! 

For the collector whose taste runs to the avant garde, this Genta offering may be the perfect everyday wrist companion.