Gérald Genta

Inspired by the look of a diving-suit helmet, the Royal Oak’s monobloc case along with the octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, enabled Gérald Genta to create an aesthetically appealing design that made this watch such an emblematic model, sought after by collectors everywhere.

The importance of this watch design followed Genta during his lifetime and unsurprisingly the watch still played a prominent role in his creativity and artistic work more than 35 years after the design was first conceived. In this painting the Royal Oak can be seen at the top of the composition set against a background of striking swirls which emphasise the angularity and simplicity of the Royal Oak’s geometry.

Moreover, the present painting further demonstrates the artistic ambitions of Gérald Genta and the seriousness with which he understood it. Indeed, “Gérald maintained a high output throughout his life and, in his later years, would spend the mornings designing watches and the afternoons painting”, both activities deeply interconnected as seen in the present painting.