Dragons have always inspired watchmakers. In fact, it would probably be easier to list the watch brands that haven’t featured a dragon than the ones who have!
Dragons both thrill and terrify us in equal measure with their long scaly bodies and fire breathing powers. In western culture, they tend to be dangerous creatures that hide under bridges and eat children for breakfast, where in Eastern cultures, they symbolize power, strength, and fortune.
The Genus dragon isn’t attached to any particular mythology, it has been crafted in a way to fascinate watch lovers from all cultures. Unlike the vast majority of decorative art dragons that sprawl over dials and casebacks in static representations, the Genus dragon is in full flight as its lithe articulated body sweeps over the dial.
A New Chapter Unfolds
The orbital mechanics of Genus’s innovative GNS1.2TD movement, make it the perfect playground for a moving dragon. “When we set out on this adventure, I anticipated that it would take us a few months to complete,” shared Genus co-founder and watchmaker, Sébastien Billières. “I seriously underestimated how complex the undertaking would be and it took us over a year to complete.”
The Path of the Dragon
The dragon replaces the train of lozenge-shaped pointers seen on previous models but continues to trace a figure of eight around the dial, crossing in the centre and indicating the time as it passes. The dragon is made up of 11 mobile segments that articulate to both the left and the right. These multi-directional moving parts were so complicated to coordinate that the movement had to be assembled, disassembled, and reassembled three times to achieve the desired fluidity of movement.
How to Read the Time
A fixed pointer at nine o’clock indicates the hours on a satellite that rotates around the outside of the dial. What is also interesting to note here is that each hour numeral makes a quarter rotation every three hours so that it always stays vertically aligned.
The minutes are divided into tens and single digits with the head of the dragon indicating the tens of minutes and a skeletonized subdial at three o’clock displaying the single-digit minutes. So, in the photographs here, the time is 8:55.
A Wave of Motion
The dragon is crafted from 18-karat rose gold and is the result of expert goldsmithing, micro-sculpture, and engraving. Every detail has been meticulously crafted, from the scales on the body to the whisker-like tendrils. Even the inside of the mouth has been engraved.
The timepiece comes in 18-karat white gold and has been fitted with a new elegantly-shaped sapphire crystal that acts as an exhibition dome. Like with all Genus models, the possibilities for customization are boundless, much like the legends of dragons past and present. The only limit is your imagination.
