The new species GNS2 is a perfect example of the evolution of clock species

Do you want to be captivating or functional? If your goal is the former, you’re right to create a complicated watch with a unique look and equally unique features. If you choose the latter, then subdued functionality is key. When Genus released its first creation, the GNS1, in 2019, the small independent brand wanted to be captivating. And it did. The GNS1 was an openwork spectacle, with bridges, wheels, and levers taking center stage, but also an 11-part mechanical snake-like object moving around two counters in the center of the dial. The new Genus GNS2 has two three-part snake-like creatures moving around the dial to tell the time. In a way, the GNS2 is very similar to a tuatara.

Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of the Tuatara. The Tuatara (or Sphenodon punctatus) is a reptile found only in New Zealand. It looks like a lizard, but it belongs to the order Lacertilia. This “living dinosaur” is not only the only lizard in the order Lacertilia currently on Earth, but it is also extraordinary in terms of evolution. Evolutionary biologist and ancient DNA expert Professor David Lambert and his team at the Alan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution recovered DNA from the bones of an 8,000-year-old Tuatara. Scientists found that at the DNA level, the Tuatara evolved faster than any animal ever studied. In EurekAlert!, Professor Lambert states that “…the Tuatara has the highest molecular evolutionary rate ever measured.” However, it took just five years for a micromechanical “organism” named GNS1 to evolve into GNS2, very similar to the Tuatara.

Genus GNS2: Evolution and compromise

JENUS is an independent watch brand founded by watchmaker Sébastien Birrière and his business partner Catherine Henry. Birrière was a member of Harry Winston’s Opus V project team, working alongside Felix Baumgartner, one of the driving forces behind Urwerk. It was only a matter of time before Birrière launched his own brand. For a talented engineer with a special outlook, it was only natural. “We live in an infinite universe, and the only things that limit it are our own ideas and beliefs,” Birrière once said. It took 10 years to create the GNS1, a watch protected by two patents. The development of the GNS2 proved once again that great things can happen when Birrière unleashes his infinite ideas and beliefs.

As well as being an evolutionary model, the new Genus GNS2 is also a product of compromise. This may sound negative, but in the case of the GNS2, the compromise was a step forward in the evolution of the original concept. The new watch successfully combines dynamic mechanical complexity with user-friendly details. For example, the GNS2 has a simplified display and a lighter case. The closed dial gives an impression of soberness, as do the two separate short moving chains.

Evolutionary explanation

The mechanical heart of the GNS1 remains almost identical to that of the GNS1, but its “DNA” has changed. The dial design has become more symmetrical and the figure of eight more prominent. Inside the dial’s figure of eight, openwork 10-minute discs rotate in the opposite direction under stationary black indicators. The “snake” has evolved into a three-part creature, with a striking blue metal arrow gliding around these discs in a figure of eight to indicate the minutes. Whereas the original piece indicated the hours in a complex rotating way, the dial of the latest generation of watches displays easy-to-read fixed indexes. A second three-part snake moves over them, along the perimeter of the dial.

The GNS2 is simpler than the GNS1, but that doesn’t mean the new watch isn’t complicated – in fact, it is. The dial decoration is textured and plays with light. The hammered structure of the crescent sections on either side of the figure eight creates a dynamic look that matches the moving objects of the watch. It’s also the applied hour markers and the polished spokes of the central counter that reflect the light most brilliantly. Different shades of grey sparkle and shimmer in an understated and sophisticated way, and the blue and black details are noticeable but not overbearing.

Tactile quality

The Genus GNS2 is by no means a small watch, but its 43 x 18.8mm case is made from titanium and is lighter than it looks. The attention to detail continues here, with the sandblasted case having hollowed-out sides that make it appear slightly smaller. A large, edgeless, box-style sapphire crystal allows an unobstructed view of the three-piece hour snake on the outer side of the dial, but this feature also contributes to the thickness of the watch.

This is Genus’ most understated watch to date, but it’s far from stealthy: it’s too big and too special to go unnoticed. The light weight and large sapphire crystal make it a comfortable, pleasant watch to wear, and the excellent finishes make it very satisfying to the touch.

The force behind evolution

The caliber 260Rh-2 in the GNS2 is almost identical to the movement in the GNS1. A single barrel powers the movement, which requires a lot of energy. Billières came up with a two-part movement, one for the energy and its transmission, the other for its distribution and regulation. Even with this single barrel, the watch has a power reserve of 50 hours, which is truly impressive for a movement with so many moving parts – an unconventional 278 parts.

Note also the blue surfaces and mirror finish on the regulator: Billières not only designed and built the movement, he also hand-decorated it in his Geneva workshop, naturally with the help of his sister, Sarah.

The Genus GNS2 is a limited edition of 18 pieces, priced at €61,360 excluding taxes. For more information, visit the Genus Watches website.

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