Jezegabel also grew up outside Paris, the son of a newspaper editor and a lawyer. (In addition to a lot of silver jewelry and a black onyx ring, he wears a vintage Timex compass watch with a grosgrain band.) Unlike Jourden, he's worked on bikes from an early age and has never held an office job.

WSJ: Bespoke Wheels | Making It

Whereas the original prototype had a thin, flimsy shell, the Virta 2's gone downright rugged, ditching the iPhone chrome for a more durable gunmetal frame, and there's a full compliment of sensors (compass, accelerometer, ambient light and proximity) alongside quad-band radios, WiFi, Bluetooth and a pair of cameras for your video chat testing needs.

ENGADGET: Aava Mobile reveals Virta 2 smartphone development kit, we go hands-on