(If you're into watches, the Opus 8 from Harry Winston, the celebrated New York jeweller, is an innovation - a digital watch with a complicated mechanical movement!)
By Roger Alexander
Neither a watchmaker nor a designer by trade, Frédéric Garinaud came up with an idea five years ago to invent a hybrid timepiece that would bring together complicated mechanics and digital electronics. Around the same time he first learned of the Opus concept developed by Harry Winston and began dreaming of an innovative timepiece to bring to the brand that was recently unveiled as Opus 8.
Known as ‘Magician’ by those he has worked with, Garinaud’s avant garde designs challenge traditional precepts within the industry. While watchmaking is his gift, this untiring creative also has a passion for ethology, cars, and even the sun…In fact, he dreams of one day breeding horses!
Indeed, at the heart of Garinaud’s work is unbridled creativity and pure emotion. A modest man with extraordinary talent, Garinaud’s passion and visionary style has already made an impressive impact on high-quality watchmaking.
As the adage goes, hunters work in pairs. And Harry Winston, always interested in developing his hybrid idea, met with Garinaud in early 2007 and presented him with a new challenge to transform the hybrid display into a digital format. Garinaud immediately returned to his design table to create a prototype. Eventually, at Basel 2007, armed with rolls of design drawings and his team from the Cellule des Spécialités Horlogères, the Magician - as reverential fans and peers call him - revealed his latest tricks, presenting his preliminary plan for Opus 8.
This was not a new development for Harry Winston had earlier launched a programme in 2001 to encourage a new interest for unlimited freedom and innovation in technical watchmaking, partnering with independent watch makers. Indeed, even now the Opus programme develops rare timepieces neither seen nor imagined within the industry.
Though Harry Winston was initially unconvinced, Garinaud continued to work his innovative magic. Ten days later, he received an important and enthusiastic call: Harry Winston had accepted the plans; the Opus adventure had begun!
Not surprisingly, in the end, the Opus 8 utilizes hand-wound mechanical movements to create a modern, digital time display. Inspired by pin art games, which create 3D impressions of objects pressed against them, the numbers in the display will only appear ‘upon request’, activated by a bolt on the right hand side of the case. Nothing appears until the mechanism is wound.
A plate joins together small segments, both mobile and fixed. Just underneath is a disc driven by the movement, which turns independently in real time. When the mechanism is wound, the pieces adjust to display the time. As the plate descends, the small segments remain visible, “blocked” by the crystal, allowing the hour to be read for 5 seconds. Technically, all functions are related, enabling everything to be displayed on demand – the minute hand turns the hour that then turns the AM/PM function.
The dial’s microbead blasted coating is similar to that of a calculator, while the segments are made of black anthracite with polished sides. As innovative in materials, as in mechanics, the sides of the segments are crafted of amorphous carbon. A material more commonly known in Formula 1 racing, Garinaud’s team successfully adapted it to use for watch microparts. The specialized material has an extremely low friction coefficient and highly resistant coating. Wear, blockages and material discharge become almost non-existent.
In addition to a modern, sophisticated technique, Opus 8 features a strikingly original dial display. On the left is a four-digit hour display – two for the hour and two for the time of day (am/pm). When it is 20 hrs, the watch will display 08 pm. On the right is an innovative minute counter, with a layout and display from bottom to top. Set in 5 minute segments (precision being secondary), the 5 minute indicator is an arrow-shaped ring. The hour and minute numbers recalls the symmetrical hexagonal typography found in liquid crystal mechanics.
With its imposing rectangular dimensions – 43mm wide, 41mm long, 13 thick – Opus 8’s bold, graphic shape resembles a retro-style television set. The case front has a resolutely digital display with its 4mm-thick domed crystal blocking the segments. With the display winding bolt located on the right and the winding crown on left, the mechanism has a movement rotation of 180 °.
The display of the hour is not possible during winding. In the middle, an opening allows us to admire the heart – the balance. The movement’s back is decorated like a printed circuit, with lines leading to the various time elements like at the top the hours (H), and the minutes (M). On the left, the periods of the day (AM/PM), and on the right, the 48-hour power reserve indicator (PRI). At the bottom, two lines indicate the co-designers of the watch - Garinaud & CSH (Cellule de Spécialités Horlogères) - and the serial number.
Rooted in the Pop Art moment of the 1970s, digital art and technology has revolutionized our way of life and continue to influence contemporary art and culture that allows artists to create works of extreme complexity, these same advances in digital technology have also transformed the art of modern watchmaking. And, armed with the avant-garde and innovative spirit that defined this decade, Opus 8 represents a continuation of this technological and artistic (r)evolution!
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Tech Details
Movement type: Mechanical, elliptical, with mechanical digital display module, Manual winding
Display: Hours, minutes (every 5 minutes), AM/PM.
Frequency: 3 Hz
Main Diameter: 35 mm
Display Module: 35.5 mm by 22.5 mm
Jewels: 44
Components: 437
Segments: 138
Power Reserve: 48 hours
Functions: On the face: Digital display indicated by segments: Hour (AM/PM) and
Minutes (every 5)
On The Back: Digital display indicated by discs: Hour (AM/PM) and
Minutes (every 5); Power Reserve also indicated on the back of the watch
Case: Material - White gold
Dimensions: Width: 45.8 mm; Length: 33.5 mm
Left: Crown for setting the time and winding
Right: Winding bolt for digital displays
Dial: Display module: black anthracite segments with polished sides; side of segments crafted from amorphous carbon ; hours, minutes and letters in digital form
Crystal: Anti- reflective Sapphire, 4 mm
Watchstrap: Leather
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Limited Edition: 50 pieces
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