Gérald Genta is widely regarded as the most influential watch designer of the modern era, responsible for creating such icons as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Genta also founded Swiss luxury watch brand Gerald Charles and later sold the company to the Ziviani family in 2003 and remained as its chief designer until his death in 2011. Scott Kerr sits down with Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles, who is leading the brand's modern revival. Federico discusses why Genta founded Gerald Charles after selling his first brand to LVMH and how his family’s long-time friendship with Genta shaped its approach to protecting his creative freedom. He also talks about the challenge of helping people discover an existing creative legacy without mistaking it for a newly invented watch brand and why it began by selling online before building a retail network. Plus: Why positioning Gerald Charles as an expression of artistic independence resonates with collectors.
The big takeaway is that a great archive is a starting point, not a strategy. Federico Ziviani is building Gerald Charles by translating Genta’s creative legacy into watches people want to wear today, establishing a recognizable design identity and cultivating collectors who value individuality over familiar status symbols.
Federico Ziviani: "We have no story to invent. We have just to show the details of the beautiful story we have."
Featuring: Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles (geraldcharles.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting
About: Host Scott Kerr gives listeners in-depth, unfiltered interviews with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands. Kerr chats with the biggest names in the luxury business, from CEOs and C-suite executives to creative directors and fashion designers, about the forces redefining the sector: from customer expectations and brand relevance to new approaches in creativity, operations, AI and growth strategy.
Let me know what you think of the show. Email me at scott@silvertoneconsulting.com
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