Breva Génie 03 Can Measure Speed Without Being A Smartwatch

Who says you have to be a smartwatch to get some "smart" functions? Some traditional watch makers are definitely not buying the whole smartwatch trend yet and seem to be content to just to add some of those features one way or another. Some are placing transparent displays on top of analog faces while others are hiding the brains inside the strap. Breva has a rather interesting take, putting a makeshift speedometer on a Génie 03 traditional analog watch, without using any digital component.

The Génie 03 basically has a mini anemometer on top of the watch face, using the speed of the wind as a substitute for measuring the user's moving speed. Since it is actually only measuring the speed of the wind that passes through it, instead of measuring the actual movement of the user, it might not be as accurate and can be "cheated", but it can still be a good approximate when all you can use are springs and coils.

The "speedometer" rises about half an inch from the watch's surface when in use, making it look like you have a miniature weather station on your wrist. Beneath the speed indicators is a set of Robinson cups that spin based on user movement. But once the speed hits 50 km/h, the cups stop spinning in order to prevent the mechanisms from snapping. From then up to speeds of 200 km/h, springs are used to measure wind speed instead.

This trick lets the Génie 03 get some more functionality but at the expense of a shrunken down watch face. That said, some watches already do come with that design, so it might not be too much of an offense to some's aesthetic tastes. The Breva Génie 03, however, might be offensive in terms of price, with a tag of almost $60,000. Though that's half the cost of the Breva Génie 02, it's still a very steep price to pay.

VIA: Gizmodo