It is safe to say that under the guidance of Maximilian Büsser, the then CEO of Harry Winston watches, the Opus collection has been key in the success that independent watchmaking is enjoying today.

Harry Winston’s Opus collection was a revolutionary collaborative effort between the famed brand and the brightest minds of contemporary independent horology that pushed the limits of both the design and the mechanics of watches. Launched in 2001, the first in the series was the Opus 1 done in collaboration with François-Paul Journe who made in fact 3 different models, the Chonomètre à Tourbillon, Chronomètre à Resonance and an automatic version with power reserve that would be the premise of his Octa series.

The present Opus 7 was a collaboration with horological wunderkind Andreas Strehler who is known as the watchmaker’s watchmaker, a brilliant movement constructor and designer. Apart from his own brand, he has worked with some of the world’s greatest brands to create unique complicated movement, his motto being “It’s complicated to be simple”.

Presented in 2007, the Opus 7 is an incredibly complex yet easy to use timepiece that indicates hours, minutes and power reserve with absolutely no hands but via a disc on the top left side of the dial. A first push enables the reading of the hours as indicated in white opposite a small arrow-shaped indicator marked H in silver, a second push rotates the disc and the minutes are indicated in blue opposite a small arrow-shaped indicator marked in blue. A last push on the crown and the disc rotates again to indicate the elapsed power opposite a small arrow-shaped indicator marked R in blue.

The visible gears and bridges on the dial side are shaped in the form of a butterfly, a Strehler’s signature feature and hide with their graceful shapes the mind boggling complexity of the movement. Limited to just 50 pieces, the present Opus 7 is sure to enchant the esthete collector.