Archive for the ‘Watch of the Month’ Category:
Harry Winston: Opus 9
First launched in 2001, the Opus Series from Harry Winston has redefined the way we think about watch-making and indeed the simple act of telling the time. Every new piece in the series is a celebration of unprecedented collaboration by the industry’s most revered independent watch makers with results that both astound and delight. Released earlier this year the Opus 9 carries on this proud tradition to stunning effect.
The Simplicity Of Time
The hallmark of this latest creation from Harry Winston is its simplicity. In this stunning new creation the fine art of watch making has been reduced down to the absolute essentials. And yet the final result is unlike anything we have seen before; technically brilliant and at the same time unequivocally modern. This is linear driven time – expressed in diamonds.
Diamonds of Time
Typically diamonds are used solely to add to the visual appeal or a precious timepiece, however, in the Opus 9 this has been relegated to a secondary function. Replacing the traditional watch hands and cyclical dial, time is displayed by two parallel diamond chains, for hours and minutes. That’s right, you didn’t misread. Time is displayed in diamonds.
The effect is breathtaking. Each chain is luxuriously adorned with 33 baguette-cut diamonds, Harry Winston’s signature shape. Brilliant mandarin garnets are tactically positioned to indicate the hours and minutes. Meticulously calibrated, each stone is perfectly set into the links, to ensure movement, while maintaining their brilliance.
Crafted in brass, the chains are designed to maximize mobility while minimizing friction. True to form Harry Winston’s iconic, invisible settings give the gemstones the appearance of floating lines of light simply suspended in space across the face of the watch.
The case of itself is a thing of beauty yet at the same time entirely functional. Designed to emphasize the functional beauty of the diamonds, while supporting the movement it is crafted in white gold. The unusual bridge running through the centre of the dial lends both technical and aesthetic stability to the design forming a lynch-pin lock that secures the mobile components of the watch in place, creating additional stability and shock resistance. Encased in – a poetic view of time elapsing.
Mechanics Of A Masterpiece
Keeping with the simplistic theme the chains are powered by a strong automatic movement, concealed entirely within the case. A rack and pinion mechanism is needed to transform rotational time into linear time, creating the lateral drive needed to propel the continual gliding movement.
Though is seems simple enough in theory, in practice extreme balance and mechanical precision are essential to mobilize the weight of the diamond chains. While chain mechanisms have been explored before, the added weight of diamonds presents a new technical and functional challenge.
The Final Word
A stunning feat of architectural engineering, Opus 9 marks the first time that Harry Winston has partnered with two, independent pioneering forces in haute-horlogerie; long-time Winston designer and watch maker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and legendary designer Eric Giroud. Simplistic yet at the same time mesmerizingly complicated, the Opus 9 represents a new level of watch-making the likes of which the world has not seen before.
For this the Opus 9 is The Watch Lounge’s inaugural ‘Watch Of The Month.’
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Louis Erard 1931 Classic Moon Phase, A Lesson In Refinement
In a world of increasingly complicated and cluttered watch dials this new offering from Louis Erard takes a far more modest approach, with anything but modest results! Classic, unpretentious, reliable: the 1931 collection is dressed in its most beautiful finery in this chocolate-toned moon phase version. One look at its simple yet very delicate design and you will fall under its seductive spell. This timepiece doesn’t so much ask for attention as command it, with its subtle features combining seamlessly into a brazen, and yet at the same time refined, statement of style.
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This watch will certainly not suit all comers yet this only serves to add to its allure. Like its future owners, this timepiece has no time for fanfare or frivolities. If you are looking for a new watch that will make a bold statement to the masses, then the Louis Erard is not for you. However, if you are a more refined consumer looking to reflect your sophisticated appreciation for the finer things in life, then the 1931 Collection is definitely worth you consideration.
To further whet your appetite, the following specifications give an indication of this watch’s hertiage:
- Movement – Automatic, ETA 2824-2, Dubois Dépraz 9000 module
- Functions – Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, month, moon phases
- Case – Stainless steel, 40 mm, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 50 m
- Dial – Chocolate, applied silvered hour-markers
- Bracelet/Strap – Chocolate leather with stainless steel folding clasp
- Other versions – Small seconds with hand-wound mechanical movement, Peseux 7001 calibre
- GMT Large Date with automatic mechanical movement, ETA 2892, TT651 module
The Louis Erard 1931 Classic Moon Phase, for those who appreciate the beauty of pure refinement.
The Patek Philippe Skeleton Watch
Ever since the dawn of horology, people have been fascinated by the interaction of wheels, levers, and springs in timepieces. Therefore, it is not surprising that gifted watchmakers occasionally took a fancy to showcasing the wondrous inner choreography of their creations – much to the delight of their customers. These were the origins of skeleton watches, the challenging art of cutting openings into plates, bridges, and cocks until the limits of mechanical and functional feasibility are attained. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5180/1 salutes this fine art in a way that by far transcends the notion of the skeleton watch.
Debut of a completely skeletonized and rhodiumed movement
Patek Philippe offers connoisseurs of artisanal tradition such a transparent orchestration of time with the Ref. 5180/1, a skeletonized wristwatch featuring the ultra-thin self-winding calibre 240 movement with a 22K gold mini-rotor integrated into the plate. By affording a fascinating glimpse into the microcosm of hours, minutes, and seconds, it not only captivates the owner with an extravagant setting but also delivers metaphoric insights into the unfathomable fleetingness of time. However, it takes virtually infinite patience, uncommon artistic flair, and the ultimate in craftsmanship to arrive at this point.
Many hours are needed to fully skeletonize just the balance cock, and weeks of work must be invested to cut openings into the barrel bridge, the plate, both sides of the mainspring barrel, and numerous other parts of this watch with the objective of sculpting a breathtakingly transparent structure. As if this were not enough, the components are then embellished with exquisite engravings that give the elements an even more filigreed look and cause the incident light to literally dance along the polished bevels. Indeed, this is a fantastic stage for the ballet of rotating brass wheels. The pure beauty of the Ref. 5180/1 is accented by the “Patek Philippe Genève” signature that is hand engraved in the pierced plate around the circular opening that exposes the mainspring barrel. The opening itself is decorated with a Calatrava cross that is finished by hand down to the very last detail. The suspension system for the winding-rotor is in itself a lesson in tracery. The plate is pierced to such a degree that only a few delicately curved struts remain. The compact rhodiumed gold rotor that oscillates beneath them is engraved with arabesques on both sides.
Minimal art
To emphasize the diaphanous look and ultra-thin construction of the skeletonized calibre 240 movement, Patek Philippe went a step further with the Ref. 5180/1. The 39-mm case in 18K white gold is also reduced to an absolute minimum. On the dial side, it has a gently domed crystal, and the snap back with the sapphire-crystal window seals the other side. The 18K white gold casing ring is also pierced, leaving only 12 radial spokes that serve as hour markers. To highlight the aesthetic appeal of this magnificent timepiece, the periphery of the sapphire-crystal back is dyed blue in the zone beneath the casing ring. This charismatic indigo hue contrasts with the silvery gloss of the skeletonized movement, the golden brass wheels, and the luminous ruby-red jewels.
Aspiring owners need patience
The Ref. 5180/1 is not a limited, special edition. It now belongs to the growing collection of exceptional Patek Philippe watches. However, because of the time and the rare artisanal skills required to craft these timepieces, only very few of them will be produced in the course of a year. Because the skeletonization and engraving work is purely manual, slight deviations from watch to watch cannot be ruled out. However, this is not likely to concern collectors of exclusive Patek Philippe watches.
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