The story of the Opus One begins not with Harry Winston or François-Paul Journe, as might be expected, but with Maximilian Büsser, the creative, Willy Wonka-esque mastermind of haute horologie.

During his time as CEO of Harry Winston Timepieces in the early 2000s, Max Büsser decided to team up with young independent watchmakers and create watches that would bear the genetic codes of both Harry Winston and the watchmaker. Setting it apart from other watchmakers of the day, these pieces were to have the name of the watchmaker proudly displayed on the watch. This project gifted to the world some of the most unusual, fascinating and complex timepieces to ever see the light of day.

For the first collaboration, Büsser approached F.P. Journe, who had just launched his eponymous brand with three references in succession: the Tourbillon Souverain, the Chronomètre à Résonance, and the Octa Réserve de Marche (1999, 2000, and 2001 respectively). Büsser and Journe added the Harry Winston DNA to create the horological alchemy of the Opus One: the signature Harry Winston case inspired by the arch of the Harry Winston Salon in New York with the movement and dial layout of F.P. Journe. The three references Journe had already created were rendered into three versions of the Opus One, each in a limited edition of only 6 pieces each. They all bear “Pièce Unique” on the dial, and are double signed Harry Winston and “Animé Par F.P. Journe Invenit Et Fecit”. Of course, being an early Journe piece, it bears the brass movement so coveted by Journe aficionados.

For the Opus One Chronomètre à Résonance, each piece possesses a unique dial: anthracite grey, purple (see Geneva Watch Auction XIV, Lot 144), blue, turquoise with diamonds, silvered, and black with diamonds – the present lot. Audacious and vibrant, it is the ultimate black-tie luxury watch with haute horologie bonafides. The case is set with 51 baguette diamonds, a total of 4.85 carats, while the dial is set with 158 diamonds for a total of 0.35 carats. Black diamonds act as the hour markers for the two dials. The dial itself is a dark slate, vertically brushed, and manufactured in the Harry Winston ateliers.

Offered as a full set and having recently completed a factory movement service, it remains in outstanding overall condition having never been polished, in our opinion. An incredible, pièce unique from the turn of the 21st century, it is one of the ultimate trophies for the collector of the ultra-rare and most cool of timepieces.