Harry Winston

Jack Forster
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Hi Ed, I cannot speak for Harry Winston. I will share with you what. . .

. . . I have been told about the project by those close to it, over the last few months.

A bit of background: the major technical hurdle, as you know, in Vianney Halter's original design was simply how to reliably get all six windows to instantaneously jump when necessary.  This basic problem is what nearly killed the project.  My recollection (I don't have my notes in front of me) was that Vianney's original design and original concept was to have two barrels to provide the necessary power, AND to have all indications set-able from the crown alone.

The problem, therefore, is to figure out how to store the energy necessary to effect the changeover and how to distribute the power from the two barrels through the indications system -rather the same problem as figuring out how to keep a complex irrigation system going.  It is a huge intellectual challenge and obviously, the original design team underestimated the staggering problems posed.  As you know, Vianney Halter eventually ceded the primary engineering design position and the project went to another firm, which, unfortunately, did not pursue alternative solutions perhaps as aggressively as Harry Winston had hoped.  The realization of the project was eventually taken over by Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi and the task of unravelling the Gordian knot of Opus 3 fell to Frederic Garinaud.

His basic realization was that Vianney Halter's original design conception was the correct one, but a means had to be found of simplifying the power flow through the movement.  The challenge was increased by the fact that the cases had already been made and so the original six porthole design and movement size had to be retained in any solution  (if you remember, there were rumors floating around that the number of portholes was going to be reduced to four- not so, this was never seriously considered, to the best of my knowledge.)

Mr. Garinaud was obliged to reconcieve the entire train and constructed a large working model as proof of concept -which worked.  Now, my impression -and again, this is just my personal impression and should not be taken as anything more than (partially) informed speculation, is that the watch is in essence working, in the original case.  However, the stage it never went through in the first place -that of fine tuning the final iteration so that it can work as reliably as those who, like yourself, have been waiting these many years have a right to expect -is now what is taking place.  Again my impression is that HW is at the stage of final, minor refinements to the mechanism and the watch will be presented in a reasonably imminent time frame, unless there are further developments of which I'm not aware (which is of course perfectly possible.)  But extremely careful, very hard work has been done to realize the project over the last few years and I feel we are very close to seeing it bear fruit.

I can only speculate again as to Harry Winston's disinclination to comment on the project but my guess is that after so many rumors, false starts, and disappointments they simply feel that the most reasonable course is to wait until they are ready to present a real, working, reliable model which is ready for immediate delivery.

I for one look forward eagerly to what I believe will be the release of one of the great collector's pieces of all time.  Certainly those lucky owners who receive their working pieces will have something that will conversationally trump any gathering of watch collectors .

Cheers,

Jack Forster