Harry Winston unveils Opus Eleven at Baselworld 2011
Harry Winston sure knows how to turn time in its favor with its master timepiece collection, The Opus Series. The collection was launched back in 2001, and ever since the brand has added one masterpiece to the collection every year, in collaboration with the independent watchmakers. This year the watch manufacturer has released the Opus Eleven at Baselworld 2011 with Denis Giguet, the founder of Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps, who has earlier been involved with Opus series (from 1 to 6) as Harry Winston’s Head of Production.
Harry Winston Opus 11 winds up the time in three overlapping cylinders. The main circle marks the hours, flanked by two pavilions, one displaying the minutes on a jumping disk for the tens and a running disk for the units; the other one simply displays the beat of the big titanium balance-wheel. The main circle features a complicated system of gears including, four satellites mounted on a rotating platform, each with three pairs of placards, a train of eight intermediate wheels, three elliptical gears, a triangular wheel and six conical pinions to keep track of hours via a complex disintegration process.
“The bevel gears are responsible for changing the axis of rotation of the placards and positioning them according to an elaborate drill maneuver. The triangular wheel and elliptic gears are calculated to vary the gear ratio to absorb shocks and prevent the placards colliding.”
The watch parts are manufactured using a technique called photolithography, which produces micro-components to a precision unattainable by traditional machining methods.The back of the watch keeps it minimal with a gold case displaying a manually wound movement in the style of the old pocket-watch movements. The case features 566 components, including 155 jewels. The Opus 11 is indeed a combination of design, innovation and Harry Winston’s tradition of unique timepieces to once again tell you the time like it’s never been shown before. A limited edition of only 11 watches will be available for watch connoisseurs.
Via: Perpetuelle
