During the 2024 Geneva Watch Days, Gerard Charles presented the special Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916, created in collaboration with Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. The watch celebrates its 30th anniversaryth Anniversary of the legendary Ducati 916 bike. It features Gerald Charles’ famous Maestro case and a ruby red vulcanized rubber strap, perfect for the occasion.
Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916
Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° The Aniversario 916 is the joint vision of Gerard Charles CEO Federico Giviani and Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali. Both companies carry on an important artistic legacy from their original designers. This tradition influences the design of the Maestro 4.0, which represents both watchmaking and motorcycling. Gerard Charles’ expertise is combined with Ducati’s timeless heritage. The GC4.0-CF-11 is a subtle homage to the iconic Ducati 916 motorcycle. The spirit of Ducati is expressed in every finely crafted watchmaking detail.
Looking back at the Ducati 916 Strada
The Ducati 916, designed by Massimo Tamburini, is often hailed as one of the most beautiful bikes ever made. Launched in 1994, the 916 revolutionized the world of sport bikes with cutting-edge design and performance. Its unique appearance, with its single-sided swingarm, under-seat exhaust pipe and sharp, aggressive fairing, immediately attracted the attention of enthusiasts. Powering the bike was a 916cc desmodromic L-twin engine that delivered impressive power and torque for its time. This engine, combined with a lightweight chassis and top-notch suspension components, made the 916 a near-unbeatable machine on the racetrack.
Ducati’s 916 made a name for itself in the Superbike World Championship, dominating the competition. Riders like Carl Fogerty and Troy Corser brought numerous wins and titles, cementing the 916’s status as a racing legend. In particular, Fogerty won four World Championships aboard a 916, cementing his place in motorcycle history. During its production run from 1994 to 1998, the 916 received various updates, including a larger engine and further improvements. Despite these changes, the core design and spirit of the 916 remained intact. The 916’s influence extended beyond motorcycles, influencing automotive and industrial design. The design philosophy of subsequent Ducati models and other manufacturers shows that tradition. The 916 remains an icon in the world of motorcycling, a testament to Ducati’s commitment to innovation, performance and style.
Gerald Charles Maestro Collection
The Maestro design is unique to Gerald Charles and is a tribute to the company’s great founder, Gerald Charles Genta. Roman Baroque architecture inspired the shape of the Maestro case, and the Gerard Charles Maestro collection currently includes six main variations. Models such as the 2.0 Ultra-Thin, GC Sport, 3.0 Chronograph, 8.0 Squelette, and 9.0 Tourbillon each have their own unique complications.
Today we’re introducing the Maestro 4.0, which features a marbleized black forged carbon case body and a matte black ceramic bezel. As for the movement, the Maestro 4.0 stands out by being powered by the new proprietary jump-hour caliber GCA 3002JH. This caliber consists of 265 parts and is 6.15 mm thick. It operates at a frequency of 4Hz (28,800vph) and provides a power reserve of 50 hours.
jump time
Jump hour complications can be identified by the absence of an hour hand. Instead, the time is displayed in a window (or guiche), revealing part of the rotating disc beneath the dial. The minute hand rotates every 60 minutes and, in conjunction with the hour digits displayed in the jump hour window, indicates the exact time. The Maestro 4.0 is partially skeletonized, so there is very little actual dial. However, it features a black rehole with white 60-minute markings and a black concentric grained base with trapezoidal indentations. In the center is a skeletonized time disc, with a red rectangle printed on the underside of the glass highlighting the time.
carbon, ceramic, titanium
As mentioned earlier, the Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 features a forged carbon body with a black ceramic bezel. The case back, crown, and buckle are all grade 5 titanium. These materials are famous in the motorcycle world for their lightness and durability. These are an ideal combination and perfect for this commemorative watch. Thanks to the special case construction of Maestro 4.0, Gerald Charles guarantees high water resistance up to 10 ATM (100 meters) and impact resistance up to 5 g.
The Maestro 4.0’s titanium caseback is equipped with a sapphire crystal. The movement is represented by a golden rotor. Features the Ducati 916 logo. Ducati customers who purchase the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 bike, which is limited to 500 units and pays homage to the original 916, can also have their bike’s serial number engraved on the case back..
Final Impressions, Prices and Availability
Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 wearing Ducati 30° The Aniversario 916 is a very enjoyable experience. With a diameter of 39mm, lug-to-lug length of 46.9mm, thickness of 11.15mm, and weight of 73.6g, it’s a perfect watch fit. Flexible, soft rubber straps add extra comfort. The watch is limited to 250 pieces and retails for €37,300 / US$42,400 before tax. Each limited edition watch comes with an exclusive lithograph sketch of the watch designed by Octavio Garcia, head of GC’s creative team. For more information and ordering possibilities for the Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916, please visit Gerald Charles’ website.
The bike used in this article is the original Ducati 916 Strada, of which only 1,600 were produced in 1994. It is rare to find one in completely original condition. Most of these bikes were used for competition and were successful, so they were usually adapted to track conditions or damaged by falls or collisions. Insider perks that mark its originality include an aluminum subframe (instead of steel), a short chain guard, and, best of all, year stamps on parts such as the fairing and clutch handle. Take a close look at the penultimate photo of this article.
What do you think about the Gerald Charles Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916? Is it a worthy homage to the iconic Ducati 916 bike? And what is your opinion about the bike? After 30 years, does this bike deserve its status as the most beautiful bike of all time? Feel free to leave a comment below.
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