The Breva Génie 02 Terre combines the stunning sophistication of a beautifully crafted mechanical timepiece with the practicality of a fully functional, high-performance mechanical altimeter.
Whether your passion is trekking, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking or just relaxing while enjoying the fresh air and stunning views, Génie 02 Terre helps keep you on time and on track.
The superbly finished proprietary movement, much of which can be fully appreciated through the open dial and display back, was developed exclusively for Breva by award-winning movement constructor Jean-François Mojon (Chronode). Génie 02 Terre is 100% Swiss-made, from inception to realization.
The dial side is dominated by a sub-dial at 8 o’clock displaying hours and minutes, and the precision altimeter sub-dial at 2 o’clock displaying meters (or feet). Arcing around the top of the dial is the large-scale altitude indicator, which displays up to 5,000 meters (or 16,400 feet), with small seconds below. At 4 o’clock, an indicator shows when the air valve is open or closed (it must be open to indicate the altitude), below which is the 65-hour power reserve indicator.
In pride of place at the bottom of the dial, the top of one of the two aneroid capsules measuring air pressure (from which the altitude is derived) is visible, with a high-precision arm multiplying by 200 times the expansion and contraction of the capsules and relaying the air pressure to the two altitude indications.
Three chevron-engraved crowns wind, set, adjust and operate the functions of Génie 02:
a. 9 o’clock: Two-position crown both winds the movement and sets the time.
b. 2 o’clock: A screw down crown rotates both the altitude’s precision-scale and large-scale to adjust for variations in air pressure, which affect altitude readings.
c. 4 o’clock: Screw down crown either seals air out of the movement or allows it in (for altitude function). Longevity and reliability of the timepiece are maximized by means of an osmotic Teflon membrane that filters any moisture and humidity from any air before it enters the movement. Just above the crown, a white indicator marked ‘SEALED’ warns when valve is locked.
Turning the Génie 02 over, the complexity of the beautifully finished 415-component movement can be more fully appreciated. The movement is framed by the names of prestigious ski resorts: Aspen, Vail, Las Lenas, Gstaad, St Moritz, Zermatt, Courchevel, Cortina, Kitzbuhel, and Lech, along with their altitudes, engraved around the perimeter of the caseback. When winding the movement you can see the rotation of the cap of the mainspring barrel.
The name ‘Breva’ is inspired by ‘La Breva’, a warm southern wind that contributes to the agreeably mild microclimate around Lake Como in northern Italy. Like its namesake, Breva blows a refreshing breeze through the often-stuffy world of Swiss haute horlogerie by creating timepieces that monitor your environment.
Génie 02 is a limited edition of 55 pieces in titanium G5 and is available with either meter or feet calibrations.
(Source: Breva)