Gérald Genta

Though most famous for his work as a watch designer, Gérald Genta was always first and foremost an artist. Born in Switzerland in 1931, Genta developed an early passion for drawing. He never received formal training and throughout his life created his art instinctually. Genta’s interest in drawing lead him to become a designer, with his designs taking the form of paintings. He consistently worked from the perspective of an artist, approaching watches not as objects but as motifs for creative exploration.

In the 1950s, Genta started painting the world around him through landscapes, still lifes and portraits. He found inspiration in a range of sources such as the Mediterranean Sea, classical architecture and car design. In the 1990s, Genta began refracting these sources, with his works becoming increasingly more abstract and his focus narrowing in on colour and contour.