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lot 27

Harry Winston

Speake Marin Tourbillon

Estimate CHF 20 000 / CHF 30 000
Starting bid CHF 20 000
Hammer price CHF 34 000
Total bids 13
All prices do not include 24% Premium

Specification

CaseRose gold case 750/1000, sapphire caseback
StrapBlack leather strap with original rose gold folding clasp
DialBlack dial with vertical Genveva stripes, applied rose gold hour ring and arabic numerals, tourbillon display at 6 o'clock
MovementRhodium-plated hand wound movement, with a 110 hours power reserve, vertical Geneva stripes and tourbillon
Ref.200-MMT40R
Movement No.50/75
Case No.019215
AccessoriesPapers
D=40 mm

Condition report

Case:Good, signs of wear
Strap:Very good, small sign of wear
Dial:Mint Condition
Movement:All functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):340 degrees
Accuracy (Dial on top):+ 10 s/day
Box:No
Papers:Yes

Details 

An extremely rare, fine, and important limited-edition complicated wristwatch of the Harry Winston ‘Rare Timepieces’ watch division, active since 1989. Limited edition launched in 2005. Case made of 18k rose gold, diameter 40mm, 12.85mm thick, opened dial with golden chapter ring, sapphire caseback. Hand-wound tourbillon caliber HW400A, ruthenium-coated, power reserve up to 110 hours. Functions – hours, minutes, tourbillon, warning indicator of low (last 25 hours) power reserve at 6 o’clock, double power reserve indicator on the reverse of the movement. Black leather strap with Harry Winston 18k rose gold double folding clasp. Limited edition of 75 pieces. 

Lot essay 

The history of this watch is closely related to Maximilian Büsser, founder of the MB&F brand, the man who managed Harry Winston’s ‘Rare Timepieces’ division. He ensured the watches of this brand came to be highly ranked in the industry. The well-known ‘Opus’ series, initiated in 2001, was his first highly successful project that radically changed the attitude towards the brand among industry specialists, collectors and connoisseurs. In keeping with his idea of collaborating with the most inventive master watchmakers of the moment, Maximilian Büsser entrusted the creation of the Excenter Tourbillon watch to Peter Speake-Marin, a very talented English watchmaker working in Switzerland, and a member of the respectable AHCI – Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants. 

Taken as a starting point in the development was the 13.75 caliber, the movement-blank of Swiss Time Technology (STT) movement manufacturer (formerly Progress Watch, founded in 1999 and absorbed into STT in 2003, and bought in 2006 by Pascal Raffy, owner of the Bovet brand, who changed the STT name to Dimier 1738). The STT movement-blank was positioned on the market as a low-cost Swiss tourbillon movement. Nevertheless, during development, Peter Speake-Marin was able to modify it into a higher category, using the design and finishing methods inherent in high-end movements. In particular, the two gorgeous steel tourbillon bridges installed on both sides of the movement should be noted, in the decoration of which an extremely expensive black polishing technique was used, while the tourbillon axis on both sides was placed between two diamond endstones. The mainplate and the bridges were adorned with a very finely executed Côtes de Genève, with the mainplate exposed on the dial ruthenium-plated, while the bridges on the rear side of the watch were rhodium-plated. The caliber HW400A, in addition to an impressive 110-hour power reserve, received a double power reserve indicator on the reverse side – this is a very rare feature for the tourbillon movement – and a display of critically low power reserve on the dial. This is a miniature sapphire window installed on the 6 o’clock marker, whose colour changes from golden to purple when the last 25 hours of power reserve remain. 

The Excenter Tourbillon remains the only Harry Winston watch with a hand-wound tourbillon, created with the participation of Maximilian Büsser and Peter Speake-Marin.

The Excenter Tourbillon was launched in two limited editions, each of 75 pieces, in 18k rose gold, as in the present lot, and in platinum. Subsequently, this development was used in several models, for which the movement was modified by the addition of an automatic winding, with its designation changing to the HW401A caliber. Therefore, the Excenter Tourbillon remains the only Harry Winston watch with a hand-wound tourbillon, created with the participation of Maximilian Büsser and Peter Speake-Marin. This undoubtedly makes this model a significant piece possessing great collectible value. 

Reasons to bid 

The Excenter Tourbillon Limited Edition Ref. 200-MMT40RL.T would appear to be an excellent purchase, a real must-have for the collector who desires an extremely fine, rare and important limited-edition complicated wristwatch from a world-famous brand, one of the important newcomers to the haute horlogerie watch market. The combination of impeccable technical workmanship, exquisite artisan finishing of the movement, and its unusual and recognizable design, adds to the appeal of this lot. 

N. B. 

The keen collector should note that also offered for purchase in this sale is another rare and important 18k rose gold Harry Winston Maximilian Büsser’s period watch – Opus V. Together with the present lot, they represent the pinnacles of mechanical watchmaking art, created for Harry Winston by the most influential independent watchmakers under the supervision of Maximilian Büsser.

The pinnacles of mechanical watchmaking art, created for Harry Winston by the most influential independent watchmakers under the supervision of Maximilian Büsser.