OPHION OPH 411 Vesper inspiration
The new Ophion OPH - VESPER, is inspired by the works, of the utopic concepts of Étienne-Louis Boullée, who was a visionary French neoclassical architect, whose work greatly influenced contemporary architects and modern designers.
We took inspiration in his visionary projects that depurated the neoclassical elements to make classical futuristic aesthetics.
Boullée made his biggest impact, developing a distinctive abstract geometric style inspired by Classical forms.
His work was characterized by the removal of all unnecessary ornamentation, inflating geometric forms to a huge scale and repeating elements such as columns in huge ranges.
Newton Cenotaph
His style was most notably exemplified in his proposal for a cenotaph for the English scientist Isaac Newton, who 50 years
after his death became a symbol of Enlightenment ideas. The building itself was a 150 m (500 ft) tall sphere, taller than the
Great Pyramids of Giza, encompassed by two large barriers circled by hundreds of cypress trees.
The massive and spheric shape of the building was inspired by Boullée's own study called "theory of bodies" where he claims
that the most beautiful and perfect natural body is the sphere, which is the most prominent element of the Newton Memorial.
Day and Night
Though the structure was never built, Boullée had many ink and wash drawings engraved and circulated widely in the professional circles in 1784.
The small sarcophagus for Newton is placed at the lower pole of the sphere. The design of the memorial is intended to create the effect of day and night.
The night effect occurs when the sarcophagus is illuminated by the sunlight coming through the holes in the vaulting, giving the illusion of stars in the night sky.
The day effect is an armillary sphere hanging in the center that gives off a mysterious glow. Thus, the use of light in the building's design causes the building's interior to change its appearance
Top view of the Newton Cenotaph
Following the designing process that Boullée used to created his magnificent style, we studied in detail the project, to extract the most characteristics elements, combining the geometries and repeated patterns from the top view, side view and cross sections of the building, in where the sphere and small repetitions are the main protagonists.
This was our starting point of the Ophion Vesper, we also wanted to capture the dichotomy of day and night, from the interior of the mausoleum, creating the feeling of looking to a starry sky at night, when looking the dial of our watch, remembering that magical emotion of the complete darkness broke by the distant lights of thousands stars, a mosaic of small lights millions years away.
Ophion OPH - 411 VESPER
Taking all the key elements from the Boullée design language, we have translated a lot of the style cues to our new model, evolving and distorting the aesthetical language of classical elements, to create a piece complete different and unique.
We first have the main protagonist that is in the root of all the elements, the sphere, the case, the lug the crown, all the structure parts of the watch emanated from the sphere, in the dial the circle and rings are predominated, this roundness is juxtapose by our second design protagonist, the repetition of patterns, repetition in all the small micro indexes indicating the minutes and seconds, mirroring the top view of Newton Cenotaph, every one of the each little squares, is a 3D micro indexes with the head polished that shines like a tiny start at night.
We also have the repetition on the hour’s maker, like bridges that connects all the 3 rings, these raised applique conform the straight elements of the composition.
The 3 rings for the seconds and minutes, are also raised, polished and chamfered, the hands are polished on the middle part and brushed in the sides, to match the straight geometric style of the hour markers.
Looking at the complete composition you get this strong 3d hypnotic effect in were each element had a complexes geometry of its own. It’s a sensation that you like more and more each time you look at it.
We choose a name from classical latin, Vesper, “evening star”, matching perfectly with the style of the watch, that evokes the feeling of a magical summer night with the sky full of stars
Multilayered dial
Ophion OPH - 411 VESPER variations
OPH 411 Vesper Black dial
OPH 411 Vesper Blue dial
OPH 786 Vesper turquoise dial
Launch limited edition, 50 pieces
OPH 411 Vesper Salmon dial
OPH 411 Vesper Silver dial
Schwarz Etienne BASE MOVEMENT
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OPHION DESIGN
- Schwarz Etienne ASE 200 Micro rotor, custom made for the OPH 411 Vesper
- Custom desing of the main bridged
- Custom desing balance wheel bridge and escampent bridge
- Custom decoration on the bridges and rotor
SPECIFICATIONS
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel hand polished, with independent made and welded teardrop lugs.
Size: Bezel: 38.5 mm Case: 39 mm, lug width: 22mm
Thickness without crystal: 9.85mm, thickness with crystal: 11.45mm
Top: domed sapphire crystal, with exterior ARDUR scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, and interior anti-reflective coating.
Bottom: flat sapphire crystal, with exterior ARDUR scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, and interior anti-reflective coating.
Produced in collaboration with Voutilainen-Cattin S.A. in Switzerland.
- Dial: Multilayered with laser cut microindexes applied hour markers
Hour markers: Appliques are CNC, finished with pvd blue, or with rhodium bath.
Produced in collaboration with CADOR GmbH in Germany.
-Hands: PVD blued hands, or nickel plated. diamond cut
Produced in collaboration with Estima AG in Switzerland.
- Movement: Custom made desings and decoration made under Ophion specifications; proprietary design in the main bridges and balance wheel bridge, Grenaille finish on the bridges, machine chamfering on the edges, machine straight brushing in the balance ans escapement bridge.
Produced in colaboration with Schwarz Etienne in Swizerland.
- Strap: Handmade Leather strap or handmade Alligator leather
Price: 7.950 euros before taxes and including shipping.
OPH 411 Vesper Launch Edition
To celebrate the introduction of our new watch,
We have created a limited edition of pieces in turquois blue
Giving that extra special color touch to the dial making the watch even more special
The edition is limited to 50 pieces worldwide
Prices is the same as the regular watch
7.950 euros without taxes including shipping
Delivery Q4 2024
RESERVATION OPH 411 Vesper
Prices with cowhide leather strap or alligator strap
Total price of the watch with shipping wihout taxes: 7.950 euros
Pre order 3.975 euros for reserving the watch
Balance payment one month before delivery
Delivery espected for Q4 2024
GALLERY
