Earlier in 2014 we showed you the newest creation by Breva, their Genie 02 Altimeter watch with a hands-on look. It followed up the Genie 01 watches from 2013 that included a barometer. For Baselworld 2014, Breva is adding an additional version of the Genie 02 with the Genie 02 Air produced in a titanium case that has been coated in black and bears slightly different dial and calibration.
The Genie 02 is a rather complicated watch given the fact that it has a mechanical altimeter in it. When Breva originally released the Genie 02 they tried to pen it as a watch for use on high mountains while skiing to check your altitude. I figured it made a bit more sense for them to focus on it being an aviation watch. So that is exactly what they did with the Genie 02 Air.
Breva needed to rework a few things on the Genie 02 in order to make it suitable as a flying versus skiing watch. Aside from the hip, dark color scheme, the altitude scales have been adjusted for a wider range. The Genie 02 has a scale that goes up to 5,000 meters while the Genie 02 Air has a scale that goes up to 15,000 meters.
As an aviation watch, I think the Genie 02 Air makes a bit more sense given the complication and who it is useful for. The Genie 02 Air in many ways is the ultimate cool mechanical toy. I doubt anyone would use it as a life-saving instrument, but as a back up to an electronic instrument it might be cool to wear on the wrist while flying, either as a pilot or passenger. I do suggest that you click on the link above to learn more about Breva and the Genie 02 altimeter watch in general. Price is $132,000. breva-watch.com
Génie 02 Air Technical Specifications from Breva
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: black titanium G5
Dimensions: 44.70 mm x 16.10 mm
Number of components: 88
Crowns: winding setting crown at 9 o’clock, altitude corrector 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: black grained indexes and numbers in three-dimensional Super-LumiNova
Altitude scales: available in metric (meters) or imperial (feet) measurements
Water resistance: 30 m
Air valve with Teflon moisture-resisting osmosis membrane
Strap and buckle: natural rubber strap with titanium tang buckle
Calibrations: altitude calibrations available in either meters or feet
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