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Lot Essay
US$160,000-260,000
With Harry Winston International Warranty dated July 2009, instruction manual, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Felix Baumgartner was born in Switzerland, in Schaffhausen, in 1975 and is a third generation watchmaker. Before he could even tell time, Felix Baumgartner would spend much of his spare time in his father's clock-restoration atelier, which adjourned his bedroom, watching him and assisting him with various elementary tasks. He attended the watchmaking school in Solothurn and in 1995, towards the end of his final year at school, he declined his father's invitation to work in the family clock-restoration atelier and answered an advertisement placed by independent watchmaker Svend Andersen, and went to Geneva to work with him. Andersen was one of the founders, in 1985, of the AHCI, Académie Horlogére des Créateurs Indépendants, or the Horology Academy of Independent Watchmakers and a major figure in promoting the need for manual and artistic watch-making where craftsmanship still occupies an important place. Baumgartner held the job for nearly three years, during which time he gained valuable experience. During the same period, Baumgartner started to develop an idea for a no-hands, minimalist, modern wristwatch that indicated the time by means of rotating hour numerals. In 1997, Thomas, Felix Baumgartner's elder brother, also a watchmaker, was joined by their friend Martin Frei to create the "101" and founded the Urwerk Genéve company. In 1997, with Anderson's support, the trio presented their creation at the AHCI exhibition stand at Baselworld exhibition as AHCI candidate members the UR-101 and the UR-102. Instant fame did not come their way as the production of the 101 never got beyond 10 to 15 watches per year. It was in 2003 that the Baumgartners and Frei would finally launch the watch that would become the face of Urwerk - the UR-103 which was an instant hit with its movement of rotating "satellites" and ultra-zany design inspired by the TV series Star Trek and aerospace designs by the Russians and American in the 1960's and 1970's. 2005 was another milestone for Felix Baumgartner who was chosen to create Harry Winston's Opus 5. This nomination not only gave his watches credibility among collectors, Opus 5 also cemented his reputation as one of the most forward-thinking and avant-garde watchmaker and design of his generation. Since then, Urwerk has introduced two new designs, the UR-200 series, nicknamed "the Hammerhead" in 2007 followed by the UR-CC1, or King Cobra in 2009. Today, many variations of these collections adorn the wrists of their hip and cool followers with cases of titanium, gold or black PE-CVD coated platinum.
Felix Baumgartner met Maximilian Büsser in 2003 at the Baselworld exhibition while showing his new Urwerk UR-103. Büsser in searching for a creator for the Opus 5, once again wanted to alternate a "crazy" Opus model with the more traditional Opus 4 by Christopher Claret and was attracted by the freshness of Baumgartner's vision. Further discussions followed in Geneva and by the middle of 2003, Büsser decided that URWERK had all the qualities he was looking for, which was the ability to incorporate new technological and aesthetic ideas to create a watch that represents the time in which it is made. In 2005, Felix Baumgartner created the Opus V which was based on the satellite concept of rotating hours of the UR-103, however, Baumgartner pushed the boundaries further by inventing a new time display system which had never been seen before. Taking the principle of the satellite indication and the retrograde minute hand, the watch's off- centered display is made of three small cubes, each with four numbers that are arranged like satellites in a three-dimensional rotating system that turn and revolve to show the current hour, with the retrograde minute hand moving over a 120 degree counter. The Opus V also presents many "hidden" details such as the innovative function of an integrated service indicator with a scale of 0 to 5 years at the back of the watch to let the owner know when it is time to send the watch in for maintenance and, the original winding crown, hidden under a cover which can be opened like the door of a racing car. Opus V wristwatches were released in the limited edition of 100 items in rose gold or platinum, some of which are set in diamonds. The Opus V was to be the last collection of the Opus series under the management of Maximilian Büsser who left Harry Winston in 2005 to launch his own watch brand MB&F.
With Harry Winston International Warranty dated July 2009, instruction manual, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Felix Baumgartner was born in Switzerland, in Schaffhausen, in 1975 and is a third generation watchmaker. Before he could even tell time, Felix Baumgartner would spend much of his spare time in his father's clock-restoration atelier, which adjourned his bedroom, watching him and assisting him with various elementary tasks. He attended the watchmaking school in Solothurn and in 1995, towards the end of his final year at school, he declined his father's invitation to work in the family clock-restoration atelier and answered an advertisement placed by independent watchmaker Svend Andersen, and went to Geneva to work with him. Andersen was one of the founders, in 1985, of the AHCI, Académie Horlogére des Créateurs Indépendants, or the Horology Academy of Independent Watchmakers and a major figure in promoting the need for manual and artistic watch-making where craftsmanship still occupies an important place. Baumgartner held the job for nearly three years, during which time he gained valuable experience. During the same period, Baumgartner started to develop an idea for a no-hands, minimalist, modern wristwatch that indicated the time by means of rotating hour numerals. In 1997, Thomas, Felix Baumgartner's elder brother, also a watchmaker, was joined by their friend Martin Frei to create the "101" and founded the Urwerk Genéve company. In 1997, with Anderson's support, the trio presented their creation at the AHCI exhibition stand at Baselworld exhibition as AHCI candidate members the UR-101 and the UR-102. Instant fame did not come their way as the production of the 101 never got beyond 10 to 15 watches per year. It was in 2003 that the Baumgartners and Frei would finally launch the watch that would become the face of Urwerk - the UR-103 which was an instant hit with its movement of rotating "satellites" and ultra-zany design inspired by the TV series Star Trek and aerospace designs by the Russians and American in the 1960's and 1970's. 2005 was another milestone for Felix Baumgartner who was chosen to create Harry Winston's Opus 5. This nomination not only gave his watches credibility among collectors, Opus 5 also cemented his reputation as one of the most forward-thinking and avant-garde watchmaker and design of his generation. Since then, Urwerk has introduced two new designs, the UR-200 series, nicknamed "the Hammerhead" in 2007 followed by the UR-CC1, or King Cobra in 2009. Today, many variations of these collections adorn the wrists of their hip and cool followers with cases of titanium, gold or black PE-CVD coated platinum.
Felix Baumgartner met Maximilian Büsser in 2003 at the Baselworld exhibition while showing his new Urwerk UR-103. Büsser in searching for a creator for the Opus 5, once again wanted to alternate a "crazy" Opus model with the more traditional Opus 4 by Christopher Claret and was attracted by the freshness of Baumgartner's vision. Further discussions followed in Geneva and by the middle of 2003, Büsser decided that URWERK had all the qualities he was looking for, which was the ability to incorporate new technological and aesthetic ideas to create a watch that represents the time in which it is made. In 2005, Felix Baumgartner created the Opus V which was based on the satellite concept of rotating hours of the UR-103, however, Baumgartner pushed the boundaries further by inventing a new time display system which had never been seen before. Taking the principle of the satellite indication and the retrograde minute hand, the watch's off- centered display is made of three small cubes, each with four numbers that are arranged like satellites in a three-dimensional rotating system that turn and revolve to show the current hour, with the retrograde minute hand moving over a 120 degree counter. The Opus V also presents many "hidden" details such as the innovative function of an integrated service indicator with a scale of 0 to 5 years at the back of the watch to let the owner know when it is time to send the watch in for maintenance and, the original winding crown, hidden under a cover which can be opened like the door of a racing car. Opus V wristwatches were released in the limited edition of 100 items in rose gold or platinum, some of which are set in diamonds. The Opus V was to be the last collection of the Opus series under the management of Maximilian Büsser who left Harry Winston in 2005 to launch his own watch brand MB&F.