Gerald Charles opens a new chapter in the Maestro story
with the Maestro 2.0 Meteorite – the Maison’s first Meteorite watch with a small-seconds indicator, shaped through the iconic Maestro case architecture. More than a material choice, meteorite becomes a canvas for creative expression, turning cosmic history into contemporary artwork.
Across the dial unfolds a living narrative – force, tension, and transformation captured at the split-second a meteorite collides with Earth. This storytelling spirit echoes the playful imagination of Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, who often used the dial as a stage for artistic expression.
Two executions bring this exceptional moment to life: the Black model embodies the instant of impact, with dark meteorite revealing flashes of red from the anodized baseplate and a fiery gradient running seconds indicator at 6 o’clock, enclosed in a Darkblast steel case.
The Silver model represents stillness after the explosion, where matter cools and crystallizes, pairing a silver meteorite dial with gold accents and a polished steel case.
A material that reshapes millennia of history The meteorite used for the Maestro 2.0 originates from the Muonionalusta meteorite, estimated to be over 4.5 billion years old, making it one of the oldest materials available on Earth. Having fallen in northern Sweden, the quantity of meteorite on Earth is extraordinarily rare – far more limited than gold or diamonds. Its scarcity enhances the significance of every piece produced.
Working with meteorite, however, is exceptionally complex. The material is highly ferrous, extremely hard, and cannot be cut like stone. Only electro-erosion can shape it into the Maestro form, slicing it into ultra-fine layers. Throughout the process, each fragment must remain fully submerged in a protective liquid to prevent immediate oxidation.
Executing this savoir-faire – shaping meteorite to match the Maestro’s complex geometry and engraving the explosion rays at 6 o’clock with near-surgical precision – represents one of the most advanced expressions of Gerald Charles expertise.
A dial that captures a moment in time
The project began with a simple brief – a meteorite dial- Maestro – but quickly evolved into a far more ambitious vision. CEO Federico Ziviani challenged the design team to push the limits, expressing a moment, not merely a motif.
Designer Octavio Garcia – long-time friend of the Ziviani family and head of GC’s creative team – worked with Mr. Genta. Having served as Creative Director of Audemars Piguet for many years, he met Mr. Genta during the Royal Oak 40th anniversary and knows the Maestro’s design language intimately. Mr. Garcia devised a striking dual-layer construction: a thin slab of meteorite above an aluminum baseplate – red for black, silver for white. Radial apertures pierce the dial to expose the charged baseplate beneath, evoking the shockwaves of impact. At 6 o’clock, a sculptural small-seconds display animates the blast, while the Maestro’s signature geometry directs the energy upward in a dynamic, rising flow.
Roman numerals and indexes appear shifted, tilted, displaced – as though physically pushed aside by the force of the blast. The proprietary Darkblast finishing conjures the
smoke and powder released in the aftermath of the impact, while the sculptural small seconds embodies perpetual motion: the continued expansion of the explosion itself.
“Honouring Mr. Genta also means honouring his pioneering use of steel and the creative spirit it unleashed. At Gerald Charles, reshaping history is part of our philosophy of uniqueness – and the Maestro 2.0 Meteorite embodies this vision. These watches are not simply made with meteorite; they tell the story of its journey. By sculpting a billion-year-old meteorite into the iconic Maestro form, we bring cosmic history into the present, turning a fragment of the universe into wearable art.”
Federico Ziviani, CEO, Gerald Charl
