Gérald Genta Gives the Geneva Minute Repeater a Golden Obsidian Dial

Gérald Genta’s modern revival continues to focus on the kind of watchmaking its namesake treated as a playground rather than a trophy cabinet.

The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian takes one of the designer’s favourite complications and gives it a warmer, more mineral character for Geneva Watch Days 2026.

It’s a quiet-looking watch at first glance, but almost every detail serves either the sound, the silhouette or the memory of Genta’s taste for shaped cases and hardstone dials.

At a glance

A shaped gold case tuned for sound

The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian sits within the Gérald Genta Geneva collection, using a cushion-shaped case rather than recreating a specific historic model.

That approach gives La Fabrique du Temps room to interpret Genta’s design language through a contemporary watch, while retaining the sense of geometry that defined so much of his work.

The 40mm case is made in 3N yellow gold and measures just 9.6mm thick, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces to sharpen the form without making it ornate.

Yellow gold is also a purposeful choice for a minute repeater, valued in this context for its acoustic qualities.

The case includes smooth gadroons, double gadroons and horizontal gold bars at either end, details that nod to design elements seen across Genta’s own archive.

A polished slider on the left flank is the one clear external signal that this is a chiming watch.

Inside, the architecture has been pared back to help the sound travel.

The case is reduced to 0.6mm at its thinnest point, while the bezel and caseback are internally hollowed and the sapphire crystal is thinned to 0.8mm.

Golden obsidian keeps the dial alive

The dial is made from natural golden obsidian, a volcanic glass known for dark brown depth and subtle flashes of gold that shift with the light.

It’s a strong fit for the revived Gérald Genta marque, not only because the designer had an affection for hardstone dials, but because it gives the watch texture without crowding the display.

The layout remains deliberately restrained.

Rounded applied yellow gold indices and polished yellow gold hands sit over the stone, while a white railway-style minute track adds definition.

One of the more considered touches is the minute track itself, with a circular inner segment and an outer perimeter that follows the cushion outline of the case.

The fluted yellow gold crown is set with a matching golden obsidian cabochon, bringing the dial material to a small but visible point of contact on the case.

The GG-002 calibre and its hand-tuned chime

Power comes from the manual-winding calibre GG-002, developed in-house at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton by master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas.

The movement measures 32.4mm by 5.46mm and contains 316 components and 32 jewels.

Its minute repeater gongs are individually cut and tuned by hand and by ear, a traditional process aimed at controlling vibration, amplitude and clarity.

Black-polished hammers strike the gongs, while the regulating mechanism includes an octagonal inertia wheel, a discreet reference to one of Genta’s most recognisable shapes.

The finishing is equally aligned with high-complication expectations, with hand-bevelled angles, circular graining and Côtes de Genève visible through the sapphire caseback.

The calibre runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour and delivers an 80-hour power reserve, a notable reserve for a slim hand-wound chiming movement.

Details & Specifications

For collectors drawn to Genta’s more nuanced side, this is the kind of watch that rewards attention rather than volume.

The golden obsidian dial gives the Geneva Minute Repeater warmth and individuality, while the slim yellow gold case and GG-002 calibre keep the focus on the complication that fascinated Gérald Genta throughout his career.