Genus co-founder Sebastien Billieres has mechanically trained dragons to tell time.
The master watchmaker estimated the technical development phase to last at most three to four months but the modelling of the miniature dragon alone took over a year.
Ultimately, the mythical creature gracefully slithers on the Genus Dragon -- the world's first and only wristwatch with an articulated dragon expressing the passage of time.
The captivating timepiece is based on the award-winning GNS1.2, engineered with free-moving elements called genera for an unconventional time display.
With a slender head indicating the tens-of-minutes, the genera has been stylised as a sinuous dragon that glides along the trajectory of an analemma.
Since 2021, the Genus Dragon collection has featured renditions in various colours, each with a distinct personality.
The genera is stylised as 11 segments of a dragon.
Likewise, the legendary serpent has been portrayed differently across civilisations. In European mythology, it is often depicted as a malevolent monster or a fierce guardian of treasures. On the contrary, the fifth animal in the Chinese zodiac symbolises peace, wisdom, and prosperity.
The Genus Dragon is characterised by a bearded maw and whiskers, and an elongated body with chiselled scales. An evolution of the primal serpent, it is wingless with well-proportioned legs, yet is capable of flight.
The independent Swiss brand imagined a dragon that represents strength and wisdom. Hence, the visage is designed with a benevolent and contemplative expression, eschewing any hint of aggression.
Akin to an automaton, the mechanical creature is born from the collaborative efforts of engineers, watchmakers, goldsmiths, sculptors, and engravers at the Genus workshop in Geneva.
The 11 segments sculpted from 18K gold move freely yet cohesively, one behind the other.
Adorned with playful horns, the head is composed of six elements that are separately carved and engraved. The craftsmanship is further evident in the attention to every detail such as the expressive eyes, tongue, scales, claws and limbs.
The kinetic sculpture is displayed under a domed sapphire crystal.
Each hand-crafted segment is unique in weight, shape, and height, enhancing the illusion of unrestrained movement and culminating in a lifelike undulation, most vividly observed along the dragon's spinal crest.
The intricate articulation between the segments themselves as well as between the segments and calibre 160W-1.2 makes the serpent appear perpetually in motion.
The 18K gold, however, makes it significantly heavier than the customary genera, which posed challenges in overcoming energy consumption and friction.
The hand-wound movement manages these additional loads while delivering on its promise of power, reliability and precision.
Its architecture combines two separate but complementary systems. Essential functions, including a single barrel, are grouped in the foundational movement, which provides a considerable power reserve of 50 hours, given the calibre's complexity and the masses set in motion.
The second system, the display complication module steers the indication of hours, tens-of-minutes and single minutes.
Genus' meticulous watchmaking process involves the assembling, disassembling and reassembling of the movement and the dragon -- not once but three times. Each time, surfaces and textures are further refined for the perfect interplay of light and motion.
The kinetic sculpture manifests the flow of time under a sapphire crystal with a pronounced dome while the calibre 160W-1.2 is revealed by the crystal on the case back.
The 43mm case of the Genus Dragon is available in 18K white or rose gold, Grade 5 titanium or Damascus titanium. Personalisation options include the colour scheme, engraving, finishes and gem-setting for a bespoke timepiece inhabited by the beautiful beast.
Green version of Genus Dragon in a Damascus titanium case.
The dragon has been engineered to indicate the tens-of-minutes.
