Last month, on a rainy afternoon in Paris, Evelyne Genta, widow of the legendary Swiss watch designer Gérald Genta, reflected on the unique feel of the Locomotive watch on her wrist. This hexagonal timepiece, designed by her late husband in 1979 for Grand Seiko’s sibling brand Credor, felt smooth and comfortable to the touch. “It’s not stiff,” she said, running her fingers along the bracelet. “Gerald was always very keen that the watch should be something you enjoy wearing.”
Evelyne’s daughter, Alexia, who runs the Gérald Genta Heritage Association, was sitting across from her mother, also wearing an identical Locomotive model. “We’re always matching in the end,” Alexia joked. “We’re like walking advertisements.”
The Locomotive, which was originally launched as a limited edition to mark Credor’s 50th anniversary last year, has been reintroduced in a new regular production model priced at $12,500. This updated version features a striking honeycomb dial that shifts in color from forest to grass green, mimicking the light of a train signal. The watch’s hexagonal pattern, depending on the light, shimmers with various hues.
As the women chatted on the second floor of the Grand Seiko flagship boutique at Place Vendôme in Paris, they discussed Mr. Genta’s collaboration with Credor, his deep admiration for Japanese culture, and the inspiration behind the name “Locomotive.” Evelyne explained that the term “locomotive” was a French slang used in the 1970s to describe something with great power or influence, much like the force and drive behind the watch.
Though Gérald Genta is best known for designing iconic timepieces like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, his work for Credor remains less familiar to many watch enthusiasts. However, Credor is now working to change that. At a dinner held at the Ritz in Paris, Akio Naito, president of Seiko Watch Corp., explained the brand’s new strategy to highlight the Locomotive and honor the legacy of Gérald Genta.