A proposito di quello che dicono in VC ripescato una vecchia intervista con Claude Daniel Proellochs, CEO Vacheron Constantin all'epoca, su The Purists, Sept. 28, 2004
TP: You mentioned the Royal Oak earlier, what do you reply to those who find the Overseas to look too much like the Royal Oak?
CDP: I don't think that these watches look alike and it would be suicidal for us to want to copy another brand. Our aim was not to make another Royal Oak because the Royal oak is unique just as the Overseas is unique. But you should remember that the Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the 222 were all three designed by Gerald Genta, he adapted his design to the perception he had of each brand.
Mentre su come e perché Genta é diventato famoso fu lo stesso designer a raccontare in una intervista del 2006 su Revolution
RP: What were you doing before the Royal Oak?
GG: I was on contract with several houses including Universal, Omega and Audemars Piguet. But at the time I worked in obscurity because the manufactures did not disclose who was working on their watches. You never gave credit to people with ideas; it was always the idea of the manufacuture. The designer was never known by anyone.
RP: Then how did you become known as the creator of these famous watches?
GG: It was only as a result of Japanese collectors and watch magazines that my name became known. When the Royal Oak became a hit, the Japanese wanted to know who had designed it. It was only as a result of their journalists that my name came out. As such, to this day, the relationship between the Japanese and me is very strong.
RP: Were you ever asked to sign non-disclosure contracts?
GG: When the news came out that Gerald Genta had designed the Nautilus, I couldn’t say anything because I was not supposed to as part of my agreement with Patek Philippe. Again it was the journalists that established this.
RP: When did people realize it was actually beneficial to be associated with you?
GG: The funny thing was when IWC read that I had designed the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, they immediately published my name as the person who created the Ingenieur SL. So from there it became a good thing to be associated with me. An when people worked with me, they were open about it. Ed infine, a proposito di Genta e 222, sempre dalla stessa intervista:
RP: At the launch of the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas in 2004, former CEO Mr. Proellochs cited your role in the design inspiration of the Overseas’ predecessor, the 222. How do you feel about this?
GG: Yes, I noticed that Mr. Proellochs mentioned my involvement in Vacheron Constantin’s 222. But I must say I am flattered today when people mention me in conjunction with products.
Ancora, in un articolo tratto da Revolution Press Volume 7, 2007 firmato da Wei Koh:
The 222 was born through Vacheron Constantin’s collaboration with a young design maverick named Gerald Genta.
That the latest Overseas models have turned out so winningly comes as no surprise when you consider that
these watches hold a particularly special place in the heart of CEO Juan-Carlos Torres. Torres’ first project upon joining Vacheron Constantin was the 222,
the steel and gold sports watch designed by Gerald Genta and that in truth still provides the genetic tissue of the modern Overseas.
Torres says, “
When I entered Vacheron Constantin, this was the first watch project I worked on. I saw the 222 and I immediately said this watch is strong. So in the future, I might take the design cues of the 222 as the platform on which to evolve the next generation of the Overseas. It could be the perfect balance between power and elegance.”
In sintesi, fu la stessa VC per bocca del suo CEO all'epoca del lancio dell'overseas, e del suo successore (Torres), nonché membro attivo del progetto 222, per implicita ammissione nel suddetto articolo, ad accreditare Genta quale designer del 222, cosa che Genta, per altro, non ha mai voluto negare esplicitamente.
Poi una mattina del 2009 un certo avvocato newyorkese co fondatore di Puristspro e fondatore di the hour lounge decise che non era Genta ma un certo Jorg Hysek il designer del 222, da non meglio specificate "ricerche" negli archivi della casa. E per tutta risposta VC gli diede un bell'incarico lautamente retribuito così bene da poter lasciare il suo lavoro e trasferirsi a Ginevra
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