Famed for first fixing the friendly faces of everyone’s favorite Disney friends onto his watches in the 1980s as the watch designer of his own brand following his acquisition of the rights to do so, Gérald Genta’s design DNA has largely been linked with Mickey Mouse and Disney’s other cartoon characters like Donald Duck, as seen here.. Often dressed in various costumes or during a random activity such as golfing, Genta’s depiction of the characters often enables the character to seamlessly integrate into the function of the watch, with these watches often featuring retrograde minute hands that are designed to operate as the character’s hands. Coupled with its jump hour indication, these timepieces are horologically astute while remaining whimsical in nature. Depicted here is Donald Duck printed on a beautiful silver mother of pearl dial in his original blue and yellow sailor’s shirt with his signature red bowtie, but with the inclusion of a green baseball cap, clearly inspired by his activity of choice of choice as he swings his baseball bat on the hour every hour. Having bought the Gerald Genta brand in 2000, BVLGARI have listened to the ever-growing demand for these Disney-themed timepieces and so recently launched their own tribute inspired directly from this specific series.

Immediately recognizable as Genta's work just like a lot of his designs, the Disney collection is a wonderful reminder of how ahead of the curve Genta was over his career. Immediately vilified when he tried to present his Disney character watches in the 1980s due to them supposedly making a mockery of the industry, it is a powerful reminder of how far the watch industry has come over the years.