Ducati and Gerald Charles present the Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916
Ducati continues the celebrations for the thirty years of the iconic 916 with the presentation of the Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916, the limited series watch created in partnership with the Swiss fine watchmaking Maison Gerald Charles.
From this prestigious collaboration, 250 collector’s watches take shape, characterized by the iconic Maestro case designed by Mr. Gérald Charles Genta and a manufacturing movement, combined with a series of details in homage to the legend of Ducati’s supersports bikes.
The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is a masterpiece of fine watchmaking in line with the characteristics and values of Ducati and Gerald Charles. The companies are united by an important stylistic heritage inherited from their historical designers: Mr. Gérald Charles Genta and Mr. Massimo Tamburini. The Maestro 4.0 is inspired by the genius of the two “Masters” and celebrates design as the maximum expression of both worlds, combining the precision and quality detail of watchmaking with the dynamism and performance of motorcycling.
Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO:“We are very proud of the result of this collaboration with Gerald Charles. Together, we present an extraordinary watch that pays homage to an authentic icon like the Ducati 916. The joint work of the Design Centers began with a precise idea in mind and faced successfully several technical and design complexities. This approach adds further value to a high-quality object that, from the first glance, reflects the values shared by Ducati and Gerald Charles: passion, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.”
Federico Ziviani, Gerald Charles CEO:“In keeping with the promise to introduce one complication per year, we have decided to launch the Jumping Hour complication, which has been missing from our watches for 13 years. The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 features an open-worked Ducati wheel to display time by rotation, perfectly in line with Mr. Genta’s preference towards unconventional complications. Obviously, the skeletonised motorcycle wheel inserted in a jumping hour disk represented several engineering challenges. It took a year and a half of R&D to succeed in paying homage to the iconic Ducati 916. This limited edition is the perfect representation of Artistic Creativity and Technical Mastery. Our aim is to break the rules of conventional watchmaking while maintaining design harmony and mechanical performance as priorities’’.
Devised for both durability and design, the watch features a matt black ceramic bezel on a marbled-black Carbon Forged case body, seamlessly integrated with Titanium crown, case-back and buckle: a testament to Ducati and Gerald Charles’s unwavering commitment to excellence. These materials, known in the motorcycle world as superlight and resistant, were ideal for this new watch. In addition, the finishings are an ode to racetrack asphalt. Due to the special case construction, high water-resistance to 10 ATM/100 mt and 5G shock-resistance are guaranteed.
The Maestro 4.0 Ducati 30° Anniversario 916 is the first Gerald Charles skeleton jumping hours watch as well as the first to display time on a motorcycle wheel. At the centre of the case, a central wheel has been added as a nod to the original Ducati 916-wheel rim. The golden jumping hour disk mirrors the motorcycle’s original three-spoke bronze alloy wheel, with black contours enhancing the colour contrast. In a refined touch, the top sapphire includes a “guichet” frame, also adorned with SuperLuminova-infused red contours, offering a view of the hour even in the dark.
The homage to 30 years of the legendary Ducati 916 is also evident on the glass case back, which allows the refined Gerald Charles in-house calibre to be displayed and is decorated with the celebratory laurel and the iconic logo of the motorcycle. Finally, for Ducatisti owners of the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 who purchase this watch, a unique customization is provided, with the engraving of the progressive number of their bike on the case back.
