In the thirteenth year the Opus Series, Harry Winston’s Opus design team collaborated with independent watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard to create a complicated timepiece, like nothing you’ve ever seen. Opus XIII is one of the more wearable of the Opus Series timepieces, and its jewel-like dial is perfectly fitting for Harry Winston, who is known more for their jewelry than their watches.
The Opus XIII is presented inside a 44.25 mm in diameter by 13.6 mm white gold case, and powered by caliber HW4101. The manually wound movement has 364 components, 242 of which are jewels. The most functional jewels ever used in a watch. It features a 35-hour power reserve and is powered by 2 separate barrels which are armed by a rocking pinion. Winding the crown in one direction winds one of the barrels and winding it in the opposite directions winds the other. It has an annular balance wheel and a flat balance spring. The main plate and bridges have a circular grained finish.
Functions include an hour display via eleven, 180-degree rotating hands (one hand rotating each hour except at 12h/24h). The minutes display has fifty-nine, 40-degree rotating hands. The “HW” logo is revealed at the center of the dial at noon and midnight and is hidden the rest of the time.
The 18K white gold case has a polished bezel and lugs, with a satin-brushed case band. “Harry Winston” is engraved on the bezel at 12 o’clock, with “Opus XIII” engraved on the bezel at 6 o’clock. The signature Harry Winston triple arches are at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, with another protecting the case back. The 18K polished white gold crown is embossed with the “HW” logo. Water-resistance is 30 meters.
The display of hours and minutes is instantaneous, with the cumulative display of minutes via a peripheral, jumping retrograde system with fifty-nine hands. The successive display of hours via a peripheral, and a jumping system with eleven hands. A sliding shutter reveals the “HW” logo every twelve hours.
The dial features a sapphire crystal dome. Minute and five-minute hands are rhodium plated and polished. Minute hands have a black and white transfer. Five-minute hands have a black and red transfer. The hour hands are triangular shaped and are rhodium plated and polished. A faceted smoke sapphire crystal sits over the minute hands.
The strap is hand-sewn in black alligator leather with an 18K white gold folding buckle. Limited edition of 130 pieces. Overall, this is one of the more elegant Opus watches I’ve seen, although with that said, it is also one of the hardest to read the time on. (Ref. OPUMHM44WW001)
