拍品专文
With Harry Winston instruction manual, fitted presentation box, outer packaging and additional black crocodile strap.
Born in 1963 near Paris, Vianney Halter entered the Watchmaking School of Paris at the age of 14. After he graduated in 1981, Vianney Halter spent the first ten years of his professional life in the restoration of fine antique clocks, pocket and wrist watches dating from the 16th to the 20th century, thus acquiring an extensive knowledge of the history of watchmaking and technical skills. After a brief stint in Bangkok, in 1990, Vianney Halter moved to Switzerland to work with his friend, François-Paul Journe, and together they designed complications for a number of famous Swiss watch brands. In 1994, Vianney Halter decided to establish his own brand in Sainte-Croix, in the Jura mountains of the canton of Vaud. He named his company Janvier SA in honour of the great French watchmaker Antide Janvier who worked in the mid-18th and early 19th century. There he continues to receive commissions from major brands such as Franck Muller, Audemars Piguet, Jaquet Droz, Breguet and Mauboussin while conducting with his own horological experiences inspired by all things mechanical.
In 1998, Vianney Halter became a member of the AHCI, (Académie Horlogére des Créateurs Indépendants, or the Horology Academy of Independent Watchmakers) and the same year, he presented his unique watch "Antiqua" at the AHCI stand at the Baselworld Exhibition. The inspiration of the Antiqua originates from the marine chronometer which Vianney Halter decided to adapt to an automatic perpetual calendar in a case with multiple reiveted portholes to be worn on a wrist. Since then, Vianney Halter continues to astonish with his creations which challenge every known notion of horology with their ingenious and original movements and, unconventional designs, evoking at the same time age-old traditions of watchmaking and science fiction novels. It is therefore fitting that Vianney Halter was awarded the prestigious prize of Prix du Meilleur Horloger-Concepteur 2011 (2011 Best Watchmaker-Designer) at the XIth Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genéve on November 19th, 2011.
In 2003, Maximilian Büsser totally changed directions when he approached his friend Vianney Halter to create the Opus 3. A truly independent watchmaker and a non-conformist creator, Vianney Halter is famous for his "OHNI", objet horloger non identifié or unidentified horological object. His creations conjure up visions of Jules Verne's famous science fiction novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". The Opus 3 was conceived after many conversations between Vianney Halter and Maximilian Büsser on the evolution of the wristwatch. The first wristwatches were mechanical and displayed the time in analogue form, with a numbered dial upon which are mounted at least a revolving hour hand and minute hand. The 1920's saw the appearance of mechanical digital wristwatches in the form of "Jump Hours" which display the time using "digits" or numerals. Then came the invention of the quartz digital watch in the late 1960's, followed by the growing appeal of quartz watches with analogue dials. In recent decades, the most popular timepieces are mechanical analogue watches again. Maximilian Büsser and Vianney Halter both felt that they should conclude cycle by creating a new mechanical watch which is completely digital.
Vianney Halter, always looking at ordinary mechanical "things", took his inspiration for the Opus 3 from the calculating machine and changed it into an unprecedented way of reading time. Outwardly simple with its six potholes in a rectangular case featuring "only" a digital display of jumping hours, minutes, seconds and date, this watch is in fact a one-of-a kind technical feat which required more than 2 years of research and development from the concept to its prototype. The Opus 3 movement is so complex, it requires more than 250 components including ten stacked and overlapping discs carrying a total of 47 Arabic numerals which rotate on their axes at different speeds to display the hours, minutes, seconds and date through the six potholes. As most of the parts did not pre-exist, Vianney Halter had to make 98 of the parts himself. The case of the Opus 3, with more than 80 parts, is as complex as the movement. As the movement could not be housed in any other case, Vianney Halter had to design a special case with a unique toothed winding crown which is solely adapted to the movement. The present watch is number 25 of a limited edition of 25 examples only.
Born in 1963 near Paris, Vianney Halter entered the Watchmaking School of Paris at the age of 14. After he graduated in 1981, Vianney Halter spent the first ten years of his professional life in the restoration of fine antique clocks, pocket and wrist watches dating from the 16th to the 20th century, thus acquiring an extensive knowledge of the history of watchmaking and technical skills. After a brief stint in Bangkok, in 1990, Vianney Halter moved to Switzerland to work with his friend, François-Paul Journe, and together they designed complications for a number of famous Swiss watch brands. In 1994, Vianney Halter decided to establish his own brand in Sainte-Croix, in the Jura mountains of the canton of Vaud. He named his company Janvier SA in honour of the great French watchmaker Antide Janvier who worked in the mid-18th and early 19th century. There he continues to receive commissions from major brands such as Franck Muller, Audemars Piguet, Jaquet Droz, Breguet and Mauboussin while conducting with his own horological experiences inspired by all things mechanical.
In 1998, Vianney Halter became a member of the AHCI, (Académie Horlogére des Créateurs Indépendants, or the Horology Academy of Independent Watchmakers) and the same year, he presented his unique watch "Antiqua" at the AHCI stand at the Baselworld Exhibition. The inspiration of the Antiqua originates from the marine chronometer which Vianney Halter decided to adapt to an automatic perpetual calendar in a case with multiple reiveted portholes to be worn on a wrist. Since then, Vianney Halter continues to astonish with his creations which challenge every known notion of horology with their ingenious and original movements and, unconventional designs, evoking at the same time age-old traditions of watchmaking and science fiction novels. It is therefore fitting that Vianney Halter was awarded the prestigious prize of Prix du Meilleur Horloger-Concepteur 2011 (2011 Best Watchmaker-Designer) at the XIth Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genéve on November 19th, 2011.
In 2003, Maximilian Büsser totally changed directions when he approached his friend Vianney Halter to create the Opus 3. A truly independent watchmaker and a non-conformist creator, Vianney Halter is famous for his "OHNI", objet horloger non identifié or unidentified horological object. His creations conjure up visions of Jules Verne's famous science fiction novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". The Opus 3 was conceived after many conversations between Vianney Halter and Maximilian Büsser on the evolution of the wristwatch. The first wristwatches were mechanical and displayed the time in analogue form, with a numbered dial upon which are mounted at least a revolving hour hand and minute hand. The 1920's saw the appearance of mechanical digital wristwatches in the form of "Jump Hours" which display the time using "digits" or numerals. Then came the invention of the quartz digital watch in the late 1960's, followed by the growing appeal of quartz watches with analogue dials. In recent decades, the most popular timepieces are mechanical analogue watches again. Maximilian Büsser and Vianney Halter both felt that they should conclude cycle by creating a new mechanical watch which is completely digital.
Vianney Halter, always looking at ordinary mechanical "things", took his inspiration for the Opus 3 from the calculating machine and changed it into an unprecedented way of reading time. Outwardly simple with its six potholes in a rectangular case featuring "only" a digital display of jumping hours, minutes, seconds and date, this watch is in fact a one-of-a kind technical feat which required more than 2 years of research and development from the concept to its prototype. The Opus 3 movement is so complex, it requires more than 250 components including ten stacked and overlapping discs carrying a total of 47 Arabic numerals which rotate on their axes at different speeds to display the hours, minutes, seconds and date through the six potholes. As most of the parts did not pre-exist, Vianney Halter had to make 98 of the parts himself. The case of the Opus 3, with more than 80 parts, is as complex as the movement. As the movement could not be housed in any other case, Vianney Halter had to design a special case with a unique toothed winding crown which is solely adapted to the movement. The present watch is number 25 of a limited edition of 25 examples only.