The New Genus GNS2 Is The Perfect Example Of The Evolution Of Watch Species

Do you want to dazzle or be functional? If the first is your goal, creating a unique-looking, complicated watch with equally unique features is the way to go. If you opt for the second, it’s all about sober functionality. When Genus released its first creation in 2019, the GNS1, the small independent brand wanted to dazzle. And it did. The GNS1 was an open-worked spectacle in which not just bridges, wheels, and levers took center stage but also a mechanical, 11-piece snake-like object that traveled around the two central counters on the dial. The new Genus GNS2 has two three-piece snake-like creatures moving around the dial to tell time. In a way, the GNS2 is much like the tuatara.

Don’t tell me you don’t know the tuatara. The tuatara (or Sphenodon punctatus) is a reptile found only in New Zealand. Although it looks like a lizard, it is part of the order Rhynchocephalia. This “living dinosaur” is not just the only rhynchocephalian currently on our planet, but it is also extraordinary regarding evolution. Evolutionary biologist and ancient DNA expert Professor David Lambert and his team from the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution recovered DNA from the bones of tuatara up to 8,000 years old. The scientist found that at a DNA level, tuatara evolved faster than any other animal yet studied. On EurekAlert!, Professor Lambert says, “…the tuatara has the highest molecular evolutionary rate that anyone has measured.” However, the micromechanical “organism” named GNS1 took just five years to evolve into GNS2 — not unlike a tuatara.

Genus GNS2: evolution and compromise

Genus is an independent watch brand founded by watchmaker Sébastien Billières and business partner Catherine Henry. Billières got to show his great talent as a member of the Opus V project team at Harry Winston where he worked with Felix Baumgartner, one of the men behind Urwerk. It was only a matter of time before Billières would start a brand of his own. It was a logical step for a gifted technician with special views. “We live in an infinite universe, limited only by our own thoughts and beliefs,” Billières once said. It took a decade to create the GNS1, a watch protected by two patents. The development of the GNS2 has shown once again that when Billières unleashes his unlimited thoughts and beliefs, great things happen.

In addition to being an evolutionary model, the new Genus GNS2 is a compromise. That sounds negative, but in the case of the GNS2, the compromise turned out to be a step forward in the evolution of the original concept. The new watch shows a mix of dynamic mechanical complexity and user-friendly details that work very well. For example, the GNS2 creation shows a simplified display and has a lighter case. The closed dial results in a calmer look, as do the two separate and much shorter moving chains.

Evolution explained

The mechanical heart of the GNS1 is more or less the same as the one in the GNS1, but its “DNA” has changed. There’s more symmetry in the dial design, and the figure eight is now more prominent. Inside the dial’s figure eight, the open-worked tens-of-minute discs rotate in opposite directions under their static black indicators. The “snake” has evolved into a three-piece creature with striking blue metallic arrows that slither a figure eight around these discs, indicating the minutes. The original creation had a complicated, rotating way to indicate the hours, but the latest-generation watch’s dial shows easy-to-read fixed indexes. A second three-piece snake moves past them along the dial’s periphery.

Yes, the GNS2 is simpler than the GNS1, but that doesn’t mean the new watch isn’t intricate. It certainly is. The dial’s decoration is textured and plays with light. The hammered structure of the crescent-shaped portions flanking the figure eight creates a dynamic look that matches the watch’s moving objects. There are also the applied hour markers and polished spokes of the central counters, which reflect light most vividly. The various gray shades shine and sparkle in an understated and sophisticated manner, while the blue and black details stand out but don’t shout.

Tactile qualities

The Genus GNS2 is by no means a small watch. But the 43 × 18.8mm case is executed in titanium, meaning it weighs less than it looks. The attention to detail continues here, as the hollowed sandblasted flanks of the case clearly show. They make the case look slightly smaller. The large box-style sapphire crystal without edges allows an unobstructed view of the three-piece hour “snake” on the outside of the dial, but this feature is also the culprit of the watch’s thickness.

Even though this is the most sober Genus watch so far, it’s certainly not one that will slip under the radar. It’s just too big and also too special to go unnoticed. The lack of weight and the large sapphire crystal make it an easy-to-wear and pleasing watch, while the phenomenal finishing makes it just as satisfying to touch.

The power behind evolution

The caliber 260Rh-2 inside the GNS2 is largely the same as the movement in the GNS1. One barrel powers a movement that needs a lot of energy. Billières conceived a two-part movement with one part dedicated to energy and its transmission and the second one to how the energy is distributed and regulated. That one barrel still gives the watch a power reserve of 50 hours, which is nothing less than impressive for an unconventional 278-part movement with so many moving parts.

Please also pay attention to the blue surfaces of the regulating organ and the mirror-polished finishings. Billières didn’t just design and build the movement but also decorated it by hand in his Genevan workshop. To give credit where credit’s due, he did get some help from his sister Sarah.

The Genus GNS2 is a limited edition of 18 pieces, and the price is €61,360 before taxes. For more information, please visit the Genus Watches website.