The Breva Génie 01 is the world’s first mechanical wristwatch displaying time, altitude, weather forecasting barometric pressure and power reserve, with much of the movement on display through the open dial and display back.
The Génie 01 Platinum is a limited edition of 12 pieces.
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A dial side tour reveals a plethora of easy-to-read indications to keep the wearer fully informed about current time, altitude, remaining power in the mainspring, and a weather forecasting barometer. Hours and minutes are displayed on a transparent sapphire sub dial at 8 o’clock, with small seconds below 12 o’clock. Breva has fitted blued steel hands on the hours and minutes dial.
A scale displaying altitude arcs around the top perimeter of the ‘dial’ with blue raised numbers and markers. Barometric pressure is indicated on a second deep blue-hued dial at 2 o’clock, with icons providing scientifically based forecasts of likely weather conditions to come. A 65-hour power reserve indicator at 4 o’clock is instantly recognizable thanks to its engraved compass rose – an icon found throughout the Breva Génie 01. At 6 o’clock, an aneroid capsule measuring air pressure dominates the lower section, with another identical aneroid capsule underneath it to maximize sensitivity to the slightest change in air pressure.
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Three dual-purpose crowns on the case band provide power to, and allow setting of, the proprietary Breva movement. At 9 o’clock, a two-position crown is dedicated to winding the watch and setting the time.
On the top right at 2 o’clock, a knurled exterior ring adjusts the barometric pressure scale, while an inner pusher adjusts the position of the altitude indication.
At 4 o’clock, a crown on the right has a knurled locking ring that rotates 90° to lock/unlock an air valve. When unlocked, the valve opens and allows a small amount of air to equalise air pressure inside the case with the exterior air pressure. Longevity and reliability of the timepiece are maximized by means of an osmotic Teflon membrane that filters any moisture from any air before it enters the movement. Just above the crown, a red indicator on the dial marked ‘SEALED’ warns when the valve is unlocked.
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A barometer is an instrument for measuring air pressure, first invented by Evangelista Toricelli, a pupil of Galileo, in 1643. There are two main types of barometer: a mercury barometer, in which the pressure of the air forces a small column of mercury up a tube (similar to a mercury thermometer); and the anaerobic barometer, in which one or more aneroid capsules (aneroid means ‘without air’) expand/contract with changing air pressure.
Air pressure changes with both altitude and weather conditions. The barometer and altimeter measure air pressure with two small aneroid capsules stacked one above the other – the top one being clearly visible on the dial side at 5 o’clock.
The aneroid capsules in the Breva Génie 01 were especially developed to Breva’s specifications to optimise their precision and use in a wristwatch. The capsules are made from a special non-magnetic memory-metal (Breva patented invention), which is lighter and stronger than aluminium and has twice the ductility of steel. The capsules are exposed for long durations to high temperature and pure oxygen to maximise thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance. A clearly visible lever rests on top of the aneroid capsules and transmits the combined height of the capsules through a complex system of gears and racks to the altimeter indication and the barometer. The gearing for these two displays has been carefully calculated as the scale of changing air pressure due to altitude variations is quite different to weather variations.
The altitude display reads from -300 to +5,300 metres, while the barometric display ranges between 973 and 1053 hectopascals (hPa). In a nod to the original method of measuring air pressure in inches of Mercury, an inner scale of the barometer is marked mmHg: Hg being the atomic name for Mercury (Hg from the Greek hydrargyrum meaning ‘silver water’).
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Since air pressure can vary throughout the day (due to weather changes) the altimeter should be first set at a known altitude to ensure accurate results. As the hand is directly linked to the air pressure, the pusher at 2 o’clock moves the altitude dial left or right to synchronise the correct altitude with the indicator hand.
Functions:
Hours, minutes, small seconds, altitude indicator, barometric pressure indicator, power reserve indicator, air pressure equaliser, equaliser seal indicator, barometric scale adjuster, altitude scale adjuster.
Case, dial and strap:
Case material: available in platinum
Dimensions: 44.7 mm x 15.6 mm
Number of components: 70
Winding setting crown at 9 o’clock, altitude and barometric pressure adjuster at 2 o’clock (altitude inner pusher, barometer exterior ring), air pressure equaliser at 4 o’clock
Crystals: sapphire crystal and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Dial:
At 8 o’clock: transparent sapphire crystal dial with raised galvanic numbers and markers in platinum and blue steel hands
At 2 o’clock: blue sapphire crystal with raised galvanic numbers and markers in platinum
Altitude scale: available in metric or imperial measurements
Strap: hand-stitched alligator strap with fold-over clasp in 950 platinum
Water resistance: 30m
Air equaliser with moisture-resisting osmosis membrane Teflon fabric around a titanium rim
Movement:
Proprietary movement developed exclusively for Breva by Jean-François Mojon/ Chronode
Diameter: 36mm
Number of components: 405
Number of jewels: 46
Balance frequency: 4 Hz
Dual anaerobic capsules measuring air pressure
Power reserve: 65 hours
