Featuring a tourbillon, minute repeater, moon phase and date all packed into a 44mm platinum case which can be worn with either dial facing up, it was surprising that this example of such a limited Opus (only 20 units made) would fail to find a buyer. The Opus 4 – This dual-sided grand complication comes from none other than Christophe Claret (creator of the X-Trem-1 and 21 Blackjack). This is actually quite good as the Opus 3 became a bit of a legend as it took 7 years to finally deliver the watches (in 2011). This rose gold example did quite well at auction, surpassing the $75,000 – $150,000 estimates with a final price of $173,448 (lot 4877). Limited to 55 units in platinum or rose gold, the Opus 3 featured a massively complex hand wound movement and an exceedingly unique aesthetic that was a considerable departure from the previous Opus models. Each of the displays relies on its own jumping indicator to show the hour in the top left and right windows (blue), minutes in lower left and right (black), and date in the vertical center displays (red). The Opus 3 – One of the most eccentric of the Opus collaborations, the Opus 3 is the brain child of Vianney Halter and features six porthole displays. This extremely limited piece found a new home with a hammer price of $111,318 USD (lot 4581). Seen as both a tourbillon with retrograde calendar or as a fully exposed tourbillon, this auction was for a diamond clad version of the latter and saw estimates of $100,000 – $155,000. The Opus 2 was limited to 11 units spanning two different movement options which additionally each had a special single unit adorned with diamonds for a total existence of just 24 hand-made pieces. The Opus 2 – Featuring a 38mm platinum case and a total of two possible versions, the Opus 2 is the result of a collaboration with watchmaker Antoine Preziuso. Rare yes, but the design is 12 years old and tastes have changed a great deal since it was announced. Given that the range offered only 18 total units it was surprising that the Opus 1 failed to sell despite estimates of $60,000 – $80,000 USD (lot 4837). Including a 5 Day Automatic, a twin time Resonance Chronometer and a Tourbillon, the example seen at auction last week was the 5 Day Automatic with a diamond clad bezel. The Opus 1 was available in three editions, each being limited to six units. The Opus 1 – The first in the collection and the start of the Opus collaborations highlighting the work of F.P Journe. Below is additional information on each piece that was available including a bit about their creation, estimated value and hammer price (if the reserve was met). Apparently, all the Opus watches came from one collector. In the end, auction goers may have suffered Opus-overload, as only six of the eight available pieces were sold – but that is actually still good. Last week’s Hong Kong auction saw Christie’s offer an unprecedented selection of the Opus catalog, including Opus 1 through 7 and Opus 9. Though when the watches are actually released to customers is another story. Harry Winston works with one independent watch maker per year to produce a limited edition watch which is then announced into the fan fare of BaselWorld. The concept behind the Opus collection comes from the powerhouse mind of Max Busser who ran Harry Winston’s watch division before founding MB&F in 2004/2005. We have written of the Opus line in the past, but for those not in the know Opus is essentially a distinct line of Harry Winston timepieces which have been created in a collaborative partnership between Harry Winston and many of modern Horology’s most talented independent watch makers. While this auction featured much of the normal fare from Panerai and Rolex, the main call for interest was an unparallelled representation of the Harry Winston Opus line. On May 30th, 2012 Christie’s auction house in Hong Kong was host to the latest installment in their “Important Watches” auction series (which included a ton of watches).
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