Press Release
Génie 02: Altitude with Attitude!
The Breva Génie 02 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 helps keep you on time and on track.
Available in two models, the titanium case of the Génie 02 Terre and the black titanium on the
Génie 02 Air both offer a subtle but stunning backdrop to the high-legibility hands and
markers, ensuring that essential information, i.e. time and altitude, is easily visible at a glance.
Génie 02 is 100% Swiss-made, from inception to realization. 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).
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 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, an indicator
(white for Génie 02 Terre and red for Génie 02 Air) on the dial marked ‘SEALED' warns when
valve is unlocked.
Turning the Génie 02 over, the complexity of beautifully finished 415-component movement
can be more fully appreciated. The movement is framed by the names of prestigious ski
resorts on the Génie 02 Terre − Aspen, Vail, Las Lenas, Gstaad, St Moritz, Zermatt,
Courchevel, Cortina, Kitzbuhel, and Lech − along with their altitudes, engraved around the
perimeter of the caseback. On the Génie 02 Air, they become the code names of many of the
world's airports, along with their altitudes above sea level: GVA430M, HND6M; SYD9M;
JFK/LHR24M; SIN7M; DXB19M; HKG9M; LAX38M; GYD3M; CDG119M; BCT4M;
CVF2008M; OLB37M; IBZ6M; MIA2M; KUL22M; LTT18M; CGK10M; BGI52M.
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 available in titanium G5 (Génie 02 Terre) and black titanium G5 (Génie 02 Air) in
a limited edition of 55 pieces for each variation. Both watches are available with either meter
or feet calibrations.
Génie 02 in detail
High performance mechanical altimeter: Paradoxically, an altimeter doesn't really measure
altitude at all: it measures air pressure. In 1928, German inventor Paul Kollsman
revolutionized the aviation world when he invented the world's first accurate barometric
altimeter.
An air pressure altimeter is in fact a barometer developed specifically to display altitude rather
than barometric pressure. Pressure in the earth's atmosphere is a result of the weight of the
air pulled down by gravity. The higher the altitude, the less atmosphere above so less
pressure exerted.
Aneroid capsules: The aneroid capsules in the Génie 02 were especially developed to
Breva's specifications to optimize 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 aluminum and has twice the ductility of steel. The capsules are exposed for
long durations to high temperature and pure oxygen to maximize thermal conductivity and
oxidation resistance.
Génie 02's aneroid capsules were developed specifically for registering air pressure for
altitude readings rather than barometric pressure, and are different to those used on the
Génie 01.
A lever, clearly visible on top of the aneroid capsules, transmits the combined height of the
capsules through a complex system of gears and racks to the two − precision and large-scale
− altimeter indications. The gearing for these two displays has been carefully calculated to
optimize both precision and legibility.
Adjusting for changes in air pressure: Atmospheric pressure can change with the weather
and this can affect altitude readings. When bad weather approaches, air pressure can fall
causing the altimeter to confuse this decrease in pressure with an increase in altitude.
In order to compensate for weather or temperature induced barometric pressure variations,
the altimeter should be calibrated by using a known altitude or a known pressure value. A
known altitude can typically be taken from a specific landmark on a topographic map. But if a
known altitude is not available, a known pressure value will suffice. Barometric pressure is
measured several times per day and can usually be obtained from aviation weather reports.
Using the altitude to navigate in the mountains: An altimeter used in conjunction with a
topographic map can help verify location and aid navigation. A barometric altimeter as found
in the Génie 02 is often more reliable and more accurate than a GPS receiver for measuring
altitude. GPS altimeters may have difficulty in finding a signal, e.g. in a deep canyon or beside
a steep cliff, and may give inaccurate measurements if available satellites are near the
horizon.
Mountains are good for you: Studies by the University of Innsbruck in Austria, which is
ranked 3rd worldwide for mountain research, showed that people who holiday or spend time
at moderate altitudes had lower blood pressure and pulse rates, lost weight and slept better.
So as well as the pleasure of pure mountain air and breathtaking scenery, spending time in
the mountains is great for your health as well.
Mountain air is charged with negative ions that refresh and rejuvenate. The negative ion
concentration on mountains is typically 2000–4000 negative ions per cubic cm compared to
100–200 negative ions per cubic cm in a typical low altitude indoor environment.
Negative ions are invisible, odorless, tasteless molecules that we inhale in abundance in
environments like mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once in our bloodstream, negative
ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of serotonin (the
mood chemical), helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost daytime energy
levels. So strap on your Génie 02 and get out there!
Flight Levels: A pilot must recalibrate the altimeter according to local air pressure at sea
level, in order to take into account natural variations of pressure over time due to weather and
temperature. If altimeters are not calibrated before flight, two aircraft could be flying at the
same altitude even though their altimeters indicate that they are at different altitudes.
To ensure aeronautic safety, planes and air traffic controllers use flight levels, which is a
nominal pressure altitude in feet divided by 100 and always divisible by 500 (so always
ending in 0 or 5), rather than actual height above sea level. For example, 33,000 feet is
referred to as "flight level 330”.
Actual altitudes above ground are not as important for flight safety as the difference in
altitudes between planes. This difference can be determined from the air pressure at each
craft, and does not require knowledge of the local air pressure on the ground.
Flight levels solve this problem by defining altitudes based on a standardized air pressure at
sea level. All aircraft operating on flight levels calibrate to this setting regardless of the actual
sea level pressure.
A second advantage of flying at a consistent flight level, rather than true altitude, is that an
aircraft's aerodynamic and engine performance depend on air pressure rather than its true
altitude above ground or sea level. It is much easier to trim a plane to operate efficiently at a
specific air pressure rather than altitude.
Profile of Breva founder, Vincent Dupontreué
Breva founder Vincent Dupontreué was born just outside Paris in 1977. He had a precocious
entrepreneurial spirit that had him making and selling bracelets on the beach in Corsica
during holidays when just 11 years old and building and selling skateboard ramps with his
brother at 13. A job working in a bespoke men’s clothing store at 18 led, a few years later, to
the position of sales manager at Ermenegildo Zegna. Vincent Dupontreué quickly decided he
wanted to run his own boutique and when that wasn’t a possibility – he was still only 22 years
old – he set up his own fashion brand, called ‘Vincent Dupontreué’.
After seven successful years Vincent Dupontreué sold his fashion brand, did an MBA in
Lausanne, Switzerland, and ran an art gallery for a couple of years.
On his 33rd birthday in 2010, the desire for a nice watch ignited his entrepreneurial spirit once
again and he decided to launch his own high-end Swiss brand. A beautiful weekend on Lake
Como in Northern Italy provided both the inspiration for the name, Breva – ‘La Breva’ is a
warm southern wind contributing to the agreeably mild micro-climate around Lake Como –
and the idea of creating a mechanical timepiece that forecast the weather.
In 2013, after three years of research and development, Vincent Dupontreué launched Breva
with the Génie 01, the world’s first mechanical wristwatch displaying time, altitude, weather
forecasting barometric pressure and power reserve. This was followed in 2014 by the Génie
02, which features a fully functional precision mechanical altimeter, as well as time and power
reserve indications.
Génie 02 technical specifications
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, large-scale altitude indicator, precision-scale
altitude indicator, power reserve indicator, air pressure valve, equalizer seal indicator, altitude
scale adjuster.
Case, dials and strap:
Case material: titanium G5 (Génie 02 Terre) or black titanium G5 (Génie 02 Air), with altitude
calibrated in either meters or feet.
Dimensions: 44.7 mm x 15.6 mm
Number of components: 88
Crowns: winding setting crown at 9 o'clock, altitude adjuster at 2 o'clock, air valve at 4 o'clock
Crystals: sapphire crystal and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Dials: Grained and galvanically-treated Nickel silver, indexes and numbers in threedimensional Super-LumiNova
Altitude scales: available in metric (meters) or imperial (feet) measurements
Water resistance: 30m
Air valve with Teflon moisture-resisting osmosis membrane
Strap and buckle: natural rubber strap with titanium tang buckle
Movement:
Proprietary movement developed exclusively for Breva by Jean-François Mojon/Chronode
Diameter: 38.10 mm
Number of components: 415
Number of jewels: 45
Balance frequency: 4 Hz
Dual aneroid capsules specifically developed to derive altitude from air pressure
Power reserve: 65 hours
For enquiries, please contact Miss Helena Hui at +852 9534 0813 or email to
helena@3trinity.hk or contact Miss Jackie Liu at +852 3583 3300 or email to
jackie@3trinity.hk.
Distributed by Trinity International Limited on behalf of Breva
Tel: +852 3583 3100 Fax: +852 3583 1331
Website: www.3trinity.hk Email: info@3trinity.hk