There are a few watch designers that are revered in the watch world, God-like figures who are responsible for the most popular watch designs in history. Designs that have been mimicked time and time again over the decades. Gerald Genta surely comes to mind, and if you’re into Seiko, Taro Tanaka would be another. However, there is one designer who flies under the radar, largely because he was involved with a brand that is very exclusive and worked on timepieces that saw fairly limited production quantities. This designer is Gilbert Albert.
We briefly spoke about Gilbert Albert in our recent interview with collector Roni Madhvani, an aficionado of mid-century Patek Philippes designed by Albert. While Albert is known in the watch world for his work with Patek, outside of it he is known mostly as a jewellery designer.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1930, Gilbert Albert showed promise as a jewellery designer from a young age, beginning his studies at L'École des Arts Industriels in the same city as a teenager. By age 25, he took up a job at Patek Phillipe after his talent was noticed by the company. He became head of Patek Philippe’s workshop, working at the firm for nearly a decade, into the early 1960s. During his tenure at Patek Philippe, Albert was described as a prolific designer, working on things from pocket watches to wristwatches, with some references being especially sought after.
The asymmetrical Patek Philippe ref. 3413 / Credit: Christie’s
The Patek Philippe reference 3424 is one of those timepieces, its rhomboid-inspired design considered a classic. Others in the ‘Asymétrie’ collection were the references 3412, 3413, and 3422. For women Albert designed the references 3270 and 3270-1. The cases of these references were made by Markowski, with the dials done by Stern Frères. There is something satisfying about the asymmetry of these case designs, a balance in the sharp angles complimented by the soft, round lines of the cases.
Patek Philippe ‘Cobra’ ref. 3414 / Credit: Revolution Watch
While the Asymétrie collection is well-known, Albert also designed the Patek Philippe reference 3414, otherwise known as the ‘Cobra’, with the help of watchmaker Louis Cottier. This peculiar timepiece was made in the late 1950s and even patented by Patek Philippe, but it was never released commercially, with the only examples in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. This is a ‘side-view’ watch with minutes shown as a black line going from left to right, and the hour shown below. It was powered by the Patek Philippe Cal. 9-90.
Patek Philippe ref. 789-1J / Credit: Collectability
Patek Philippe ref. 789J / Credit: Collectability
Albert was also behind some curious pocket watches, these pocket watches were inspired by futurist designs, with some even shaped like flying saucers. These include the references 782, 783, 785, and 799 that are part of the ‘Golf’ group, and the references 788 and 789 – part of the ‘Ricochet’ group. There were several other references of pocket watches that Gilbert Albert designed, often partnering with other companies to achieve the necessary results. For example, the cases of the Golf pocket watches were made in 18k yellow, pink, and white gold by F. Baumgartner. Meanwhile, for the references 788 and 789, the case was made by Antoine Gerlach while the dials were made by Stern Frères.
Patek Philippe ref. 3289/3, part of the ‘Tutti Frutti’ series / Credit: Heritage Auctions
Finally, another notable collection by Gilbert Albert for Patek Philippe was the ‘Tutti Frutti’ series, small jewelled watches made for women with intricately designed cases and bracelets adorned by diamonds, sapphires, and other precious gems. It is, in my opinion, one of his most artful series of watch designs, really bringing him back to his roots as a jeweller.
As with all things, unfortunately Gilbert Albert’s time at Patek Philippe came to an end. He moved on to Omega briefly before setting up his own atelier in Geneva in 1962. Over the next few decades, he continued his work, expanding his business and opening boutiques around the world. In 2010, at the age of 80, he finally sold his company, eponymously named Gilbert Albert, to Iranian businessman Majid Pishyar’s 32Group. Gilbert Albert passed away in 2019 at the age of 89.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“Gilbert Albert.” Christie’s, https://artist.christies.com/Gilbert-Albert-9308.aspx.
Edwards, Tania. “GILBERT ALBERT: THE GENIUS DESIGNER WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF WATCHMAKING.” Collectability, https://collectability.com/education/gilbert-albert-the-genius-designer-who-changed-the-face-of-watchmaking/.
Hailwood, Adrian. “Linear Progression: The Patek Philippe Cobra 3414.” Revolution Watch, April 14th, 2020, https://revolutionwatch.com/linear-progression-the-patek-philippe-cobra-3414/.
“Jewelry.” 32Group, https://www.32group.com/jewelry/.