Lucky XIII- The Odyssey Continues…

It was the year Arthur C. Clark, one of my favorite authors and master of the sci-fi genre, made famous by the book and subsequent movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”.  As a kid I was always had a fascination with deep space exploration, and the idea of reaching those realms made more than enough material for my imagination to run wild.

That year, in its realistic form, was transformed by the unveiling of something absolutely unheard of, almost irreverent in its approach, and downright impossible!  Yes, that’s right, I said the “I” word.  Now, as impossible as it would seem…this unveiling did not take place in the secret labs of NASA, the ESA ,or even Apple.  This took place in the halls of Basel…yes…Basel.  Flash forward to 2013, and now that the dust has settled, and the digestive process has begun to occur as we all assimilate and try to make sense of all the beautiful (and some not so much) timepieces we  saw at this year’s Basel Fair.

As is the case each year since its inception in 2001, the waiting public is keenly aware and wallowing in anticipation for the newest member of the family – the Harry Winston Opus Family, that is.

Now there are many of you who may think that Mr. Winston should stick to what he is known for, and perhaps in some people’s eyes, what he is best at; that is beautiful and breathtaking diamond jewelry.  His name is synonymous these days, and for many days past, with the Academy Awards…bejeweling generations of Hollywood starlets with his creations…many worth millions!

More recently, the House of Harry Winston was added to the growing list of watch companies owned by the Swatch Group – like Omega, Glashutte Original, Jaquet Droz, Breguet, and quite a few other notables…so this is the first Basel Fair in a new location, with a new family background – certainly something to take note of – how will this shift impact the prowess of Harry Winston?  Only time will tell – but for now, its biz as usual.

And there are those of you who know that the house of Harry has been synonymous with the highest levels of horological wonders – never ceasing to amaze even the most jaded and astute collectors and aficionados alike.

A love for timepieces led Harry Winston down a path that began to widen when the Opus Project was announced in 2001 – and since then, has remained a personal highlight for me each year since – a uniquely creative adventure in the field of high complications and watch making and technical exploration… the Opus series embodies all of these qualities at once, and so much more.
Wrap the idea up with a liberal splash of creativity, massive piles of genius, and a lot of high-mech expertise, and you then get yourself an Opus timepiece.

The most brilliant point of Harry Winston’s Opus series can be summarized through the fact that only the most obscure and rare talents that usually remain off the radar screens of the watch making world, hidden away in some darkened workshop – are inevitably discovered and in essence , brought out into the light of day, for all to admire – from then on, a new star is born. All of this is from a common shared idea – further defining the Opus – a concept based on sharing.

Harry Winston partnered with some of the most brilliant, lesser known, and fiercely independent watchmakers to turn their wildest horological dreams into stark reality. These wondrous and special creations elevate the concept of fine watch making – fueled by  “Creative passion and Audacious innovation” –  the core values that make Harry Winston designs a whole different kind of animal.

Added to the concept of sharing is that the partners come together as equals, and work in total symbiosis. The Opus Project is successful only because it is also about friendship, mutual respect and a shared passion for all that is subtle, challenging and daring. The end result is a timepiece that neither partner could have created alone – in essence, the end justifies the means.
Here are the some of the collaborations with their respective watchmakers – some names that are now very familiar in the world of high horology:

Opus 1 with François-Paul Journe, Opus 2 with Antoine Preziuso, Opus 3 with Vianney Halter, Opus 4 with Christophe Claret, Opus 5 with Felix Baumgartner, Opus 6 with Greubel Forsey, Opus 7 with Andreas Strehler, Opus 8 with Frédéric Garinaud, Opus 9 with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Eric Giroud, and Opus 10 with Jean-François Mojon…

The list continues to today – this year, they have brought in watchmaker extraordinaire – Ludovic Ballourard to oversee an extremely limited production of just 130 pieces of Opus XIII’s creation – and yet again, it will challenge watch making principles… Unconventional to say the least – the dial portrays a virtual illusion of time displayed by multiple circular movements is what makes the timepieces a sight to behold, while it simultaneously performs it’s multiple functions. There are 59 hands for depicting the minutes and 11 rotating triangles for hours, and a “trapdoor ” to put on a strange show of functionality.  The Opus XIII will certainly be more entertaining than many of the newest creations abound, and another chapter in the History of Harry Winston has been written.  We will certainly be taking a more in-depth look at some of these horological wonders in coming posts – stay tuned for those, but in the meantime, enjoy the video clip of the newest member of the Opus family!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNSJfBMeHw8

Daswani, Out!