Footballer Claudio Marchisio spotted wearing a Gerald Charles

Claudio Marchisio, the composed, technically precise midfielder who spent the best years of his career at Juventus and won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy, has turned out to be one of football's most credible watch collectors. Here he is photographed alongside the crown jewel of his collection: the Gerald Charles Maestro 99 Tourbillon in palladium, one of just 12 examples ever made.

Gerald Charles occupies a singular place in watchmaking history. The brand was founded by — and named after — Gerald Genta, the Swiss-Italian designer universally credited with creating two of the most iconic sports luxury watches of the 20th century: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (1972) and the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976). After Genta sold his eponymous atelier to Bulgari in 2000, Gerald Charles emerged as his final creative chapter. The Maestro 99 Tourbillon represents the apex of that legacy.

The watch features a skeletonised manual-wind movement housed in an octagonal-cushion case crafted from palladium — a platinum-group metal rarer and lighter than platinum itself, chosen for its hypoallergenic properties and subtle grey-white lustre. The dial layout is immediately recognisable in the image: a large central tourbillon cage positioned at six o'clock, red-tipped hours and minutes hands at twelve, and blued seconds hands, all floating above fully exposed gear trains. The case measures approximately 44mm and rides on a dark navy-stitched alligator strap. The movement architecture is a deliberate nod to Genta's architectural, geometric design philosophy — all structure, no excess.

For collectors, the Maestro 99 Tourbillon exists in rarefied air. Twelve pieces globally means this watch appears at auction perhaps once a generation. Palladium cases are uncommon across all of haute horlogerie, making this reference genuinely difficult to compare on the secondary market. Its $215,000 retail price positions it firmly alongside grand complications from Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Söhne.

Marchisio's choice here is not decorative — it signals deep knowledge. A footballer choosing palladium-cased Gerald Charles over more obvious trophy watches speaks to a collector who researches provenance. It is, in every sense, a match-winner on the wrist.