Beauty and the Beast…
Well, here’s a new one to ponder: the new Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 3 Watch. This is the third series in Harry Winston’s exploration of the tourbillon, though in a much different form factor (see Histoire de Tourbillon 2, Hisotire de Tourbillon 1). I see this watch as one part beauty, one part beast (a descriptor that HW probably deplores). Beast: the watch case is a whopping 65.9mm x 45.9mm (compare to Antoine Preziuso’s Mega-Tourbillon (65mm round) or the MB&F HM2 (59mmx38mm) for example). Engineered to display the three tourbillon systems to their best advantage, however! Beauty: The hours and minutes are shown on discs rotating against their respective markers, and the seconds on a scale around the bi-axial tourbillon. Harry Winston shows off its flair with gemstones by using blue sapphires and citrines to indicate the power reserve — very nice.
Only 20 of each tourbillon artwork in the Histoire de Tourbillon collection are produced, i.e. elite collectors only. Officially unveiling will be in early March at Baselworld (the world’s largest annual watch show), so stay tuned in.
Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 3 Watch
Limited edition 20 pieces
65.9mm x 45.9mm white gold case, caseband and lugs in Zalium (a hard and ultra-light zirconium alloy),manual-wind triple tourbillon movement w/50 hrs power reserve
Eleven color-graded blue sapphires from dark to pale show the power left in the mainspring. The markers for the hours and minutes are color-matched with the gemstones. When the six yellow citrines appear against the marker, it’s time to wind up the watch.
Three tourbillons are in action, each rotating at different speeds. Two of them are nested one inside the other “to rotate the fourth dimension of time through the three dimensions of space.” In this bi-axial tourbillon, one tourbillon carriage rotates every 40 seconds within a second carriage going around in 120 seconds on an axis perpendicular to the first. This ensures that the vibrating balance moves through every possible plane in relation to the field of gravity to average out positional errors. The third tourbillon carriage rotates a separate balance on a single axis in the conventional way, but at the relatively high speed of one revolution every 36 seconds. This tourbillon is most effective when the watch is in a vertical position, and by rotating the balance quickly it minimizes its exposure to the effects of gravity. For even greater precision, the two regulating systems are connected through a differential gear that gives an average of their two rates.
Physics aside, the seeing these three tourbillons in action will be a thing of pure beauty:
And here’s a look at the nicely designed case back:
by Kyle Stults on November 10, 2011
Harry Winston is set to soon unveil two new men’s models in its Ocean Sport collection, and here they are. One is a chronograph with openworked dial, the other a basic 3-hander + date function. Light, non-allergenic, harder than titanium and extremely corrosion-resistant, the Zalium case (aluminum and zirconium alloy)
of the Harry Winston Ocean Sport watches are a HW exclusive, among other signature HW design elements in these watches. Not my favorite Harry Winston watches, but still very solid looking watches. Price TBD.
Harry Winston Ocean Sport Automatic and Chronograph
44mm Zalium case, DLC-finished bezel indices, automatic mechanical movement, 200 meter water resistance
This past weekend I saw an ad for the new Harry Winston Project Z6 Black Edition watch and thought it was worth a closer look. As far as I am concerned, Harry watches are as cool and as luxurious as they come, with just a bit of eccentricity mixed into the design. These watches are quite exclusive, as well (probably goes without saying, though). The Harry Winston “Project Z” series has been going since 2004 with six total “Project Z” watches produced thus far (excluding the Lady Z models). I gave you the first look at the Harry Winston Project Z6 watch back in January 2010, and the watch you see here is basically a DLC-coated (Diamond Like Carbon) version of it. Looks pretty sweet!
Flashback: Harry Winston Project Z6 Watch
Harry Winston Project Z6 Black Edition
Limited Edition 300 pieces
44mm DLC-finished zalium case, manual-wind mechanical movement (72 hours power reserve), black rubber strap
Ref. 400/MMAC44ZKC.K2
All of Perpetuelle’s Harry Winston Timpiece coverage HERE>>>
While the Harry Winston Opus 11 grabbed the spotlight at Baselworld 2011, the Harry Winston Midnight Big Date watch seemed content to sit quietly in the shadows. This new piece has all the classic Harry Winston elements and refinements, including a brilliant-cut diamond which tops the “Big Date” window. Though in many ways, though, it is a rather humble watch — it is only a two-handed timekeeper (i.e. hours & minutes only — no seconds hand) and as the name implies the attention is given to the double-window big date on the lower half of the dial. I guess if you like “big dates”, then maybe this watch is your thing — as for me, though, I’d prefer something else from Harry Winston. Price: $30,700 in rose or white gold case.
Harry Winston Midnight Big Date
42mm white gold case (10.2mm thick), automatic mechanical movement (F. Piguet caliber) silver or black dial with circular guilloche decoration and double-window big date set with brilliant cut diamond,
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My ONLY Watch 2011 previews continue with a first look at the Harry Winston Midnight GMT Tourbillon. As with virtually ever Harry Winston watch, it is a stunner! The piece incorporates many of the iconic Harry Winston signature features, but is extra special for its 45mm platinum case. The dial has a very masculine yet sophisticated monotone look, capped off with a tourbillon positioned at the 6 o’clock position (it doubles as the small seconds display). The GMT display is at 9 o’clock and includes day/night indication. The 11 o’clock aperture indicates the cities representing the second timezone, including — of course — the home of the 2011 Only Watch event, Monaco.
See more of my Harry Winston Timepiece coverage here.
Harry Winston Midnight GMT Tourbillon for ONLY WATCH 2011
Unique Piece
45mm platinum case, mechanical automatic movement (bidirectional winding), on alligator strap with platinum buckle
close up:
Functions:
- Excentered hours and minutes, second hand on the Tourbillon, second time zone at 9 o’clock with day and night indicator
On May 30, 2011 at the Christies “Important Watches: Hong Kong” auction, a rare Harry Winston Opus 6 manufactured in 2006 will be offered to the highest bidder. Of the eleven different masterpieces now in Harry Winston’s “Opus” series, the Opus 6 rightly holds its place high in the ranks of watch collectors. This very special Opus 6, one of just 6 ever made, is estimated to fetch between $300,000 – $500,000. More on the significance of this very special watch, after the look:
Harry Winston Opus (Greubel Forsey) (2006)
Number 5/6
44mm white gold case, manually wound mechanical tourbillon (2 tourbillon cages, 72 hour power reserve), hours and minutes by co-axial discs at 3 o’clock, and small seconds disc at 11 o’clock
Each year for the last eleven years, a new Harry Winston Opus has been created out of a collaboration with notable horological masters (the jaw-dropping Opus 11 was unveiled just last month!). The Opus 6 was done in partnership with Stephen Greubel and Robert Forsey, with its extraordinary feature being the Double Tourbillon 30° — a one-minute tourbillon inclined at 30° inside a four-minute tourbillon to offset any positional errors and to ensure superb chronometry.
Savvy watch enthusiasts will recognize the “Double Tourbillon 30°” as one (of many) signature achievements of the French-English watchmaking duo, whose timepieces under their own namesake brand sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars per piece.
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey (respectively)
Denis Giguet’s Exploding dial…
The Harry Winston Opus Eleven, one of the most exciting (and exclusive) pieces to come out of Baselworld 2011. Haven’t seen it yet? Check my original coverage here. And now, Hodinkee.com brings us up close and personal with Denis Giguet’s self-described “exploding dial” masterpiece:
Harry Winston Opus Eleven Video (Hodinkee)
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New Masterpiece…
Harry Winston has unveiled the Opus Eleven, created in partnership with Denis Giguet (MCT). Three overlapping cylinders on three levels are configured to deconstruct time – the main circle is the hour’s domain, flanked by two pavilions. One sub-circle shows the minutes on a jumping disk for the tens and a running disk for the units; the other shows off the beat of the big titanium balance-wheel. Apologies as the pics I have do not make it easy see exactly what is going on on the main dial, but I’ll post better pics soon. Anyway…here she is…
Update: New pics. WOW. All I can say is WOW. Look at the micromechanics of how the “hour” is presented in the main dial. Fascinating
Harry Winston Opus Eleven
Limited edition of 111 pieces, crafted in white gold
Every 60 minutes under the hours display falls into a frenzied anarchy, only to recover in a split second to display the current hour. There are no hands on the dial — instead there are 24 mobile “pallets” (6 per satellite in each quadrant) that form the figure of the time according to a complex gear mechanism mounted planetary gear train. To see this in action will truly be a sight to behold.
close up of the dial mechanism — it displays the hour of day in the middle via four micromechanical
this is the sub-dial that displays the minutes:
and this sub-dial is merely for further visual enjoyment of the wearer/observer:
Denis Giguet and MCT Team
Denis Giguet trained as an engineer and started making a name for himself in fine watchmaking. The experience he gained with such firms as Rolex and Harry Winston developed into a visionary approach far in advance of the watchmaking industry. Familiar with the design and construction of highly complicated watches, he worked as production manager at Harry Winston. In 2007 he launched his own brand, MCT, and designed the Sequential One, a far-reaching development in creative engineering for which he involved the crafts of more than 20 experts in their fields. His creative energy has given birth to Opus Eleven, a timepiece where his own vision of time is perfectly expressed by the Harry Winston personality.
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Avant-garde Exclusivity…
Harry Winston‘s back with another stunner (if Harry Winston’s your thing, that is). Following in the footsteps of the Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon No. 1 (announced in early 2009), this avant-garde timekeeper and mesmerizer will be limited to just 20 pieces with a price approaching $1,000,000 (I’d guess). It features a commanding 48.5mm white gold case which beautifully frames the bi-axial tourbillon (doubling as a 60-second hand) and is powered by a HW manual-wind mechanical movement. There is also a 12-hour sub-dial (with day (‘jour’) and night (‘nuit’) markings) at the 2 o’clock position and the minutes are at the 6 o’clock position. Of note there are 8 sapphire crystals on the watch — 5 on the front and 3 on the back (not pictured).
lHarry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon No. 2
Retrograde trilogy…
A new model in the Harry Winston Ocean Chronograph collection. Generally speaking, I love the look of Harry Winston watches…the use of blue hues here and there (a Harry Winston favorite) always seems to be the cherry on top of an otherwise nicely designed and unique looking timepiece. Here we see the time display located on the top of the dial, and three retrograde indications strategically positioned across the rest of the dial — chronograph minutes on the right side, chronograph hours on the left side, and seconds on the bottom. marked by the shuriken which itself rotates on its own axis. You will also notice the middle-third of the dial is set off visually with a side-sweeping Côtes de Genève decorative motif. All in all, a beauty in the eyes of this wanting beholder. Price? Who knows, who cares just buy it and wear it proudly…maybe somewhere in the $25,000-$50,000 range.
Harry Winston Ocean Chronograph
44mm white gold case, 100m water resistance, comes on alligator or rubber strap
also available in red gold
