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Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0 Chronograph 39mm Mens Watch Black
Ref. GC3.0-A-00
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Stepping up in Gerald Charles's range
Gerald Charles was founded on the legacy of Gérald Genta, the designer responsible for some of the most consequential case shapes of the twentieth century, and the Maestro 3.0 is built as a direct continuation of that work rather than a tribute to it. The cushion case is not a stylistic borrowing — it is a structural argument that the original proportions remain correct. At 39mm with a lug-to-lug of 41.5mm and a height of only 11.5mm, this is a three-register chronograph that wears closer to a dress watch than to a tool, and the Vaucher-based GCA3000 movement — at 6.07mm, genuinely thin for a self-winding chronograph — is what makes that possible. The black sunburst dial shifts between near-matte and deep gloss depending on the angle, and the irregular pushers follow the curve of the case flank rather than breaking it, which keeps the profile clean. The rubber strap is reversible: Clous de Paris hobnailing on one face, the house tapisserie on the other, so the watch reads differently depending on which side faces out. It is a detail that takes a moment to notice and is not easily forgotten once you have.
- Reference
- GC3.0-A-00
- Brand
- Gerald Charles
- Collection
- Maestro
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 6.07mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Square
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- GCA3000
- Functions
- Chronograph, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Gerald Charles
Gérald Charles Genta designed the two watches that defined the luxury sports category — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972 and the Patek Philippe Nautilus in 1976 — along with work for Omega, IWC, Bulgari and others. He was called the Picasso of watches, and he was not especially modest about it.
He founded his first eponymous company in 1969 and sold it to The Hour Glass in 1996. In 2000, at sixty-nine, he started again with Gerald Charles, using his first and middle names.
This was the brand he made for himself rather than for a client, and the Maestro case shows it: deliberately asymmetric, with the right side of the bezel curved differently from the left, so that it sits against the wrist rather than sitting squarely on it. No brief from a manufacture would have survived that decision.
Genta died in 2011. The company remains independent and family-owned, run by the Ziviani family, producing the Maestro in small numbers.
- 1972
- Genta designs the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
- 1976
- Designs the Patek Philippe Nautilus.
- 1996
- Sells his first eponymous company.
- 2000
- Founds Gerald Charles.
- 2011
- Genta dies; the family-owned company continues.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Gerald Charles Maestro range (15), Back in Stock (3,988), Stainless Steel Watches (2,814), Automatic Watches (1,546), Chronograph Watches (1,087), Rectangular & Square Watches (381) and Skeleton Watches (275).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 39mm suits most wrists
- 6.07mm is unusually slim for a 39mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | GC3.0-A-00 | pfc914-1020021-100182 | 18.3300.3604/69.C922 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £23,400 | £23,800 | £21,300 |
| Case size | 39mm | 40mm | 39.5mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 48 hours | 60 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £23,400, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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