.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
To be invited to create an Opus timepiece is both an honour and a formidable challenge. When Harry Winston asked Andreas Strehler to design the Opus 7 in 2006, his work would unavoidably be evaluated against the legacy of all earlier Opus pieces. An Opus watch needs to go beyond tradition and redefine how time is shown and understood. In keeping with his belief that the movement is where watchmaking starts, Strehler created a fully exposed mechanism that becomes its own aesthetic language rather than a conventional watch.
The Opus 7 was made in a limited edition of 50 pieces in white gold and debuted at Baselworld in 2007. The striking blue central wheel that dominates the dial, the prominent pusher built into the winding crown, and the sculptured butterfly-shaped bridge all instantly catch the eye. The Opus 7 is the ideal example of Strehler's signature strategy of using mechanical complexity to support conceptual simplicity. The lot is consigned by the original owner, demonstrating a deep appreciation for wristwatches uniting mechanical complexity and intricate design.
Strehler created a display that alternates between hours, minutes, and power reserve using a clever switching mechanism, never revealing all three at once. When the pusher is pressed, the main display wheel aligns to display the relevant information while the upper indicator wheel rotates to the selected function (H, M, or R). The wearer's relationship with time itself is altered by this radical approach to time display, which gives mechanical horology a dynamic and almost philosophical quality.
Andrea Strehler
Before starting his own independent atelier in 1995, Strehler developed his skills as a prototype maker at Renaud & Papi. After years of restoring vintage timepieces, he debuted his first original design at Baselworld in 1998: a perpetual desk calendar that integrated a pocket watch. This set the stage for a career characterized by both conceptual audacity and technical inventiveness.
The Opus 7 was made in a limited edition of 50 pieces in white gold and debuted at Baselworld in 2007. The striking blue central wheel that dominates the dial, the prominent pusher built into the winding crown, and the sculptured butterfly-shaped bridge all instantly catch the eye. The Opus 7 is the ideal example of Strehler's signature strategy of using mechanical complexity to support conceptual simplicity. The lot is consigned by the original owner, demonstrating a deep appreciation for wristwatches uniting mechanical complexity and intricate design.
Strehler created a display that alternates between hours, minutes, and power reserve using a clever switching mechanism, never revealing all three at once. When the pusher is pressed, the main display wheel aligns to display the relevant information while the upper indicator wheel rotates to the selected function (H, M, or R). The wearer's relationship with time itself is altered by this radical approach to time display, which gives mechanical horology a dynamic and almost philosophical quality.
Andrea Strehler
Before starting his own independent atelier in 1995, Strehler developed his skills as a prototype maker at Renaud & Papi. After years of restoring vintage timepieces, he debuted his first original design at Baselworld in 1998: a perpetual desk calendar that integrated a pocket watch. This set the stage for a career characterized by both conceptual audacity and technical inventiveness.