The brainchild of independent Master Watchmaker Sébastien Billières, the GENUS GNS1.2 watch is highly sophisticated, exquisitely manufactured and finished by hand. In its first year this exceptional watch has already been awarded the Mechanical Exception Prize at the GPHG 2019, one of the industry’s most cherished awards. Seeing-off competition from some of the most technical creations from established Maisons, this unprecedented timepiece reinterprets the fundamentals of time display with its central free-moving elements and rotating discs, presenting a unique and thought-provoking puzzle to those seeing it for the first time.

The unique manner in which time is displayed, in a choreography of mobile elements, is the culmination of a more than 20-year long career of a truly dynamic individual and watchmaking Master of conceptual Haute Horlogerie and restoration, His previous employers, clients and employees rank among the “Who’s Who” of watchmaking companies. With his own skilled team of specialized watchmakers, the creation of GENUS WATCHES is a natural progression, backed up by an established and highly experienced atelier.

The seamless integration of the domed sapphire crystal offers a spectacular and deep view into the lace-like intricacy of the time display complication. The GENUS GNS1.2 stands out as a very special piece.

Dominating an utterly fascinating three-dimensional display which is constantly in motion, are two central blue discs which rotate clockwise (upper) and anticlockwise (lower), as between and around them, a procession of up to 12 free elements (the components with little blue arrows) appear to be coupled together as they complete a 60-minute cycle in a figure of eight. At the front of the procession, the lead component - the “genus” – indicates the minutes as it navigates around the ten-of-minutes numbers.

Although it is pretty easy to quickly read the time shown by the lead genus element, a more precise minute indication is provided by the precise minute rotating disc in the traditional three o’clock position near the crown, where a static pointer shows the individual minute.

Around the periphery of the dial 12 orbiting satellites rotate, each carrying one of the twelve luminous hours, and which pivot so as to maintain an upright position and always stay in the reading direction. Aligning with the fixed pointer at 9 o’clock, the hour is displayed. After dark, the GENUS GNS1.2 is transformed as the markings, pointers and most impressively of all, the tiny arrow tips along the spine of the free moving elements procession, glow in the dark because they are coated with cool blue Super-Luminova and appear to float in the darkness.

It is a captivating spectacle and one of exquisitely executed detail throughout, with each and every component manufactured and finished in house. The constant slow motion of the free elements is practically impossible to resist returning to, time and time again.

Fully revealed from above and through the sapphire case back, the mechanism is a technical tour de force having 418 individual hand finished components. The ref.160W-1.2 manual winding caliber comprises two modules with a dedicated complication animation, with its plates and bridges in solid 18K white gold, finished by hand with fine polishing and anglage. Beating at 18’000vib/h it has an impressive power reserve of circa 50 hours.

The GNS 1.2 is a unique and remarkable architectural object animated by moving elements that each play a role in indicating the passage of time.