GERALD GENTA GRAND COMPLICATION GRAND SONNERIE MINUTE REPEATER TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC 18K

.I have seen more Gerald Genta watches than any human has the need or right to see. This watch is the most impressive of all. This masterpiece offers Grand and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeater, Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar along with power reserve for the timekeeping and chimes. This is the last of Genta’s 12 Grand Complications and he saved the best for last. Case is 18k and completely hand crafted with unique shape. There are 7 rings with symmetrically aligned notches, in a Hob Nail pattern, stacked atop each other, with the case widening toward the center and tapering toward the front and back sides of the watch. The notched texture is repeated in the posts that hold the strap. Sapphire front and display back crystals. The signature Genta knurled crowns control the minute repeater functions and the calendar/time settings. The button at 9 o’clock on the case side activates the minute repeater. The crowns on the left side of the case are for engaging or silencing the sonnerie and indicating grand or petite (named “Little” on dial) mode. Dial is solid gold with guilloche decoration and a large applied ‘12’. The dial shows day, date, month and leap year. In addition to the sonnerie indicators, the dial also displays power reserve at 2 o’clock. Subsidiary seconds with its own black chapter ring. Before we get to the movement, for those perhaps newer to complicated watches, the difference between a sonnerie and a minute repeater is that a sonnerie sounds the time automatically and must store up power continuously to perform this function, whereas a minute repeater has an activation slide/lever which starts the hammer and gongs for sounding out the time, so the function is engaged only when the wearer wishes. The automatic movement is a work of art both horologically and visually. Featuring a grapes motif, with both the grapes and grape leaves, along with extensive hand decoration. Horologically speaking, the movement is overwhelming in its mastery. First, minute repeating watches are almost always manual winding, while this sonnerie movement is automatic winding. The wearer can choose between Grande or Petite Sonnerie modes, with Westminster chime, four gongs and four hammers. Genta also includes a tourbillon into this beast, which has 57 jewels and is stamped with the Geneva Seal. Lastly, the Master hand signed the movement. Strap is black Gerald Genta crocodile with double-folding clasp with the Hob Nail pattern again repeating itself (pun intended). This watch is from the 1990s and is a piece unique. Its original retail price was 1,400,000 GBP (over $2M). This might be the most interesting watch we have ever had the opportunity to offer.