What We Know
Today, at Geneva Watch Days, Gérald Genta has announced the latest version of its Geneva Minute Repeater. This new version of the watch, which was originally released around this time last year, swaps the black Onyx dial of that release for a novel dial in Golden Obsidian. Other details are largely unchanged, continuing the trend of the revived Gérald Genta expanding its lineup with caution and deliberation.
As with last year’s Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater, the Golden Obsidian uses the 40mm-wide, 9.6mm-thick yellow-gold version of the cushion-shaped Geneva case (as opposed to the 38mm version introduced earlier this year in the time-only models, which you can read about here). The protruding single-lug design, found on a handful of Genta watches from the later stages of his career (including the Credor Locomotive), means this watch wears pretty close to 40mm lug-to-lug.
Inside the Geneva Minute Repeater is the in-house GG-002 movement, developed by La Fabrique du Temps. It’s a 3 Hz movement with 80 hours of power reserve and an impressively loud minute repeater. It’s a nice bit of watchmaking, and — as Mark intimated when he went hands-on with the Onyx-dialed version of this watch last year — it fits nicely into the lineage of Genta-designed minute repeaters.
The big talking point with this year’s Geneva Minute Repeater is the Golden Obsidian dial. Golden Obsidian — a material I had not encountered before this watch — is a volcanic glass that forms when lava cools incredibly rapidly, trapping pockets of air, gas, and iron in the otherwise jet-black obsidian. Though not technically a stone, these trapped materials lend Golden Obsidian its distinctive tone and texture and create a profoundly stone-like appearance, but with a little more depth.
The dial is finished with polished gold hands and markers and a wonderfully shaped minute track that follows the shape of the case on the outside edge and resolves to a circle on the inner edge. A brown textured calfskin leather strap rounds out the package and helps dress down the watch.
As with previous Genta releases, expect these watches to be highly limited and very expensive. Last year’s Onyx dial variant was priced at CHF 320,000 at launch, and while the price for the Golden Obsidian is listed as “Upon Request,” you can expect it to fall in the same ballpark.
What We Think
I was a big fan of the Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater when it launched last year, and I’m no less a fan of it in this configuration. The variegated dial, paired with the textured brown strap, makes this a much more casual take on what would otherwise be an incredibly formal watch, positioning this execution of the Geneva Minute Repeater as a compelling alternative to its Onyx-dialed sibling. It’s a prime example of how small changes to a watch can have a big impact on its character, and this feels — on every level — like a worthy addition to the slowly expanding Gérald Genta lineup.
The Basics
Brand: Gérald Genta
Model: Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian
Reference Number: EBFE02A1
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 9.6mm
Case Material: Yellow Gold 3N
Dial Color: Golden Obsidian volcanic glass
Indexes: Polished Gold
Lume: No
Water Resistance: Not specified (Just… don’t)
Strap/Bracelet: Brown textured calfskin
The Movement
Caliber: GG-002
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Minute Repeater
Diameter: 32.4mm
Thickness: 5.46mm
Power Reserve: 80 Hours
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 3 Hz
Jewels: 32
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: 316 Components
Pricing & Availability
Price: Upon Request
Availability: September 2026
Limited Edition: No, but highly limited.
For more, click here.
