Artistic License: The Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse G3487

The foundation of watch collecting is personal expression. What I like might be different from what you like. But that’s what makes this hobby so much fun. Everybody’s taste is different and some collectors are always looking for pieces that are a little out of the ordinary. That is what you get with the Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse G3487. With a unique backstory and equally unique aesthetic, these watches may not be to every collector’s liking, but that is precisely the point. The goal of these watches was, and still is, to bring a playful vibe to a limited production high-end watchmaker. Whether it works for you or not, the Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse G3487 brings some Disney magic to your wrist, and it does so extremely well.

History

While Gerald Genta is undoubtedly best known for his contributions to the watch design space (notably having designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus) Genta also founded his own eponymous brand in 1969. 

In the years since its founding, the brand has enjoyed a special relationship with Disney. As the story goes, the CEO of Disney in the 1990’s was a Genta fan and asked him to make a special piece for a family member. Genta agreed, but also requested the licensing to use Disney characters on the dials of his watches. As a result, Genta was allowed to use a number of Disney’s most beloved characters on the dials of his high end timepieces, a unique utilization of these characters that had never been permitted before. Through this relationship, Genta made watches featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and even Goofy. Each of these special watches was quite rare at the time, since Genta was a very small manufacturer. 

In 2000, Gerald Genta was acquired by Bvlgari, which, in turn, was acquired by LVMH in 2011. In the years since, the brand has produced a number of Disney models in commemoration of the relationship Genta and Disney have enjoyed over the years. Besides his most famous designs for other brands, Genta is probably best known for his Disney-themed pieces. And as a result, these pieces have become very popular and collectable.  

Design Details

While the Gerald Genta G3487 is ostensibly a purely playful piece, the watch actually has quite a sophisticated execution. The dial is made from mother of pearl, with Mickey Mouse and the hour markers printed atop it, giving it a 3D effect. Mickey’s hands are actually the hour and minute hands of the watch, as is the case with all of Genta’s Disney watches. Next to the 3 and 9 indices, and on the hands, are small lume plots, however, the rest of the dial remains non-luminous. The 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours are marked with painted Arabic numerals, while the intermediate hours are merely stick indices. 

In Genta-style, the entire case is octagonal, with the midcase extending into a single lug that the strap attaches to. The bezel extends into the midcase with protruding clawlike partitions. Perhaps most sophisticated of all, the crystal is extremely complicated on its own. Facets extend from the bezel towards the center, where a smaller octagon is formed around the central staff of the handset. It’s not immediately noticeable that this is the case head-on, but from the side (and in the right light), it’s clear that this was performed to help accentuate the case shape and profile. 

Perhaps to contrast all the angular case design, the crown is rounded and domed, with nurling to add grip during the winding process. The entire steel case is polished, as is the norm with almost all Genta watches. What’s perhaps most interesting about this piece is the fact that, once again, a geometric layout is a central theme for the watch’s presentation. Looking at Genta’s foundational designs, the Royal Oak and the Nautilus are both recognizable as a result of their geometric case shapes. Once more, the case architecture becomes a large part of the watch’s presentation. 

Inner Workings

The Gerald Genta G3487 is powered by the automatic winding ETA caliber 2892-2 Y3. The 21 jewel movement is a part of the broader ETA 2890 Flatline family of automatic movements. The 2892-2 Y3 affords roughly 42-hours of power reserve, slightly increased over the 2892, which has a date function. ETA calibers were quite popular in Genta watches, partially because it is the design, rather than the specs, that define many of the Maestro’s pieces. The 2892-2 Y3 was produced intermittently from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Versus the Competition

The most logical alternatives to the Gerald Genta G3487 would be any of a variety of other Disney pieces from Gerald Genta. Some of these watches are also elevated by the use of interesting complications. Perhaps most intriguing is a variant released in 2022, after the Bvlgari acquisition. The Gerald Genta “Arena” features a jump hour with retrograde minute display. Staying true to Genta’s original design, however, the watch once again use’s Mickey’s hands for the timekeeping display. This particular variant in stainless steel was limited to 150 examples total, maintaining Genta’s low production business model. 

Alternatively, Gerald Genta has recently introduced the “Fantasy”, another retrograde model, although this one also features central seconds. The “Fantasy” features another intriguing design element with a coin-edge side profile that adds a level of sophistication to its overall feel. While this particular variant is executed in full stainless steel, Gerald Genta has also made an alternative version with a rubber coated bezel. 

If you are a Genta admirer, and like the G3487’s mother of pearl dial, but are not a fan of Disney or Mickey Mouse, the Retro Classic G.3614 is a great option. This piece features the same jump hour and retrograde pairing of many of the modern and vintage Genta pieces, but with a beautiful blue mother of pearl dial, and without any of the Disney associations. Additionally, this piece incorporates the coin edge profile of the “Fantasy”. The only downside to this piece is that, unlike the other models mentioned here, the Retro Classic is a quartz-powered piece. This may not be a problem for you, but bear it in mind when comparing it to other models. 

Personality

The Gerald Genta G3487 will undoubtedly appeal to a unique subset of the watch collecting market. Only a few of these watches were actually made, and it is nice to see some well-thought out, high-end timepieces associated with Disney, in addition to the less-expensive alternatives you will find in the gift shop.

These watches are also particularly popular among Genta collectors. There are a select few collectors that have assembled collections of all the Disney references, enjoying the quirky nature of each of the models. 

To me, the intrigue of the Genta Mickey is the dichotomy between the playful dial and the sophisticated execution. On the surface, this watch has a toy-like quality. But close examination of the piece shows that it has had an incredible amount of attention paid to the finer details. The watch would be incredibly unique, even if the dial were entirely traditional. The case profile, crystal crown, and strap integration, help distinguish this watch from most other pieces on the market. 

Final Thoughts

The Gerald Genta G3487 encapsulates what is sometimes missing from the world of watchmaking: playfulness. We constantly see high-end brands competing to create the most complicated, expensive pieces, so I love seeing when a brand doesn’t take itself too seriously and produces something seriously fun and whimsical. While the Gerald Genta Mickey, or any Genta Disney piece, is very fun, this doesn’t come at the expense of quality and craftsmanship. That’s why I love the collaboration between Disney and Genta so much. Putting Disney’s characters on watches created by the Maestro seems like a natural choice. I believe other brands should follow suit and try a little harder to inject some fun into their designs! 

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