When Harry Winston is mentioned, titles like “King of Diamonds” and “Jeweler to the Stars” immediately come to mind. Boasting a gem collection “second only to the British Royal Family” and a rich history with Hollywood, Harry Winston Jewelry has left an indelible impression on people.
However, “jewelry and watches go hand in hand,” and Harry Winston is not only a renowned jeweler but also a professional watchmaker. The brand’s watch business began in 1989 with the Premier wristwatch collection, particularly the Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar watch, which early on established Harry Winston’s position in professional watchmaking.
Right: Premier series Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar watch
In the 1980s, Swiss mechanical watches were struggling to emerge from the quartz crisis, and complicated mechanical functions became a “trump card” for mechanical watches to return as luxury items. At that time, bi-retrograde function watches were still rare in the market, and Harry Winston’s Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar became an industry benchmark.
The retrograde function opened the path for Harry Winston to explore complex mechanical functions. The Opus series and Histoire de Tourbillon series, which were born successively in the 2000s, continued to strengthen the brand’s power in the field of high-end watchmaking innovation, while also shaping “complex mechanics” into a label for Harry Winston watches.
Right: Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon Series No. 10
Born in 1998, the Ocean series is Harry Winston’s sporty style watch and one of the brand’s representative works. Creative mechanical functions, historical connections with New York, and the identity as a jeweler – these characteristics unique to Harry Winston are fully displayed in the Ocean series watches.
The Ocean series is inspired by the nautical world, with the dial design drawing inspiration from nautical instruments. The sectioned dial layout is a distinctive feature of this series, easily reminiscent of the control panel of a luxury yacht. Since its inception, the Ocean series has been a luxurious sports watch perfectly suited for wearing during seaside vacations.
01
Retrograde: Harry Winston’s Mechanical Signature
The operation of retrograde hands is quite similar to nautical instruments, and this function is frequently used in the Ocean series watches. The Ocean series Double Retrograde watch is such a piece, with the double retrograde functions symmetrically distributed on the left and right, while the hour and minute indicator is positioned at 12 o’clock, and a date window at 6 o’clock.
The retrograde function on the left is the second hand, which moves along an arc-shaped scale, jumping back every 30 seconds, returning to zero and starting again, repeating this cycle. On the right is the day retrograde hand, which moves one step every midnight, jumping back from S (Sunday) to M (Monday) every seven days to indicate the next week. The vast difference in frequency between the two retrograde hands, one moving rapidly and the other slowly, adds an interesting dynamic to the watch.
As a luxury sports-style watch, the Ocean series features a screw-down crown design, providing excellent water and dust resistance. Most Ocean series watches have a 100-meter water resistance, allowing them to brave waves and weather without fear.
Crown guards are a common design in sports watches, but the guards on the Ocean series watches are special. The upper and lower guards are designed as an arched structure, easily reminiscent of the domed entrance of Harry Winston’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York.
The arched doorway of the Fifth Avenue flagship store has been a consistent element throughout the brand’s 35-year watchmaking history, visible in most Harry Winston watches. In the first-generation double retrograde perpetual calendar watch, the “three arches” on the side of the case and the double “arches” on the strap side were even more prominent. The arch can be said to be another iconic element of Harry Winston watches.
The Ocean series Double Retrograde watch design leans towards a unisex style, including the 36mm model. The dial features a classic black and white contrast, paired with black and white rubber straps with contrasting borders, achieving a color scheme that is both simple and elegant.
In addition to the 36mm size, the Ocean series Double Retrograde watch also comes in a 42mm version, suitable for different wrist sizes. This watch features a lustrous mother-of-pearl dial, with diamond-set decorations on the bezel, lugs, and subdial scales, showcasing luxury within a sporty design. It’s a declaration that such a magnificent timepiece comes from the “King of Diamonds”.
02
Jeweled Splendor in the Ocean
As the creation of the “King of Diamonds,” high jewelry watches are undoubtedly Harry Winston’s masterpieces. “Jeweled splendor” is another label for Harry Winston watches.
The Ocean series Date Moon Phase high jewelry watch, with its 18K rose gold case and bracelet fully set with diamonds – 978 in total, weighing 38 carats – perfectly embodies the high jewelry watch style of the “King of Diamonds.”
As mentioned earlier, inspired by nautical instruments, the Date Moon Phase watch dial also adopts a sectioned layout: the off-center hour and minute dial is at 1 o’clock, while the date dial overlaps symmetrically, forming the shape of the number “8”. The moon phase dial is off-center at 5 o’clock. The “8” structure is very prominent, a number that carries auspicious meaning in Chinese culture.
Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice a standard emerald-cut diamond on the radiant dial, serving as the 12 o’clock marker on the hours and minutes subdial. This is Harry Winston’s brand signature.
The emerald cut and emeralds are so important to Harry Winston because of a crucial emerald in the brand founder Mr. Harry Winston’s career.
When Mr. Harry Winston was just a 12-year-old boy, he demonstrated his “eye for gems” by discovering a natural emerald among a pile of imitation stones in a pawnshop. He bought it from the owner for 25 cents and sold it two days later for $800.
This incident revealed Mr. Harry Winston’s talent as a jeweler, setting him on a lifelong path in the jewelry business. Consequently, the emerald cut became Harry Winston’s representative symbol, incorporated into the brand’s logo design.
This high jewelry watch’s dial, bezel, lugs, bracelet, and rotor are set with a total of 978 brilliant diamonds, including 836 baguette-cut diamonds. Both baguette and emerald cuts demand high-quality diamonds; the more colorless and flawless the diamond, the better it showcases the cut. This again demonstrates the “King of Diamonds'” exacting standards for gemstones.
The latest Ocean series Date Moon Phase Baguette 42mm Automatic watch also features an emerald-cut diamond at the 12 o’clock position on the hours and minutes subdial. The bezel is set with sapphires, emeralds, or diamonds, adding a rich jewelry aesthetic to the series.
The watch dial color corresponds with the gemstones set in the bezel. The sapphire-set version features a blue ruthenium dial that shimmers with a deep blue glow, making it particularly beautiful.
The legendary status as a jeweler, sensitivity to gemstones, and advantage in jewelry design make jewelry watches, especially high jewelry watches, a distinctive and representative work of Harry Winston in the world of haute horlogerie.
03
Project Z: Pure Sports Style
In 2004, Harry Winston launched the Project Z series, focusing on the application of Zalium, an exclusive innovative alloy. Zalium has extremely low allergenicity and excellent corrosion resistance, even surpassing titanium alloys in these aspects, while being less dense than stainless steel. These advantages make zirconium alloys commonly used in medical, nuclear, aerospace, and other technological fields.
The Project Z16 watch, introduced in late 2023, is the first full calendar model in the series. The day and month are displayed in window format, while the date is shown on the outermost ring of the dial. At the center of the dial is a retrograde second hand that completes a retrograde movement every 30 seconds. The red and white dual-color design of the hand and scale emphasizes the contemporary instrument style of the watch.
The latest addition to the Project Z series, the Zalium Variation Bi-Color series watch, also uses the unique Zalium material. It places more emphasis on sportiness and design, incorporating New York’s architectural inspiration into contemporary skeletonized dial design, interpreting pure retrograde functionality and the design aesthetics of the brand’s birthplace, New York.
Turquoise and orange, fluorescent green and black, navy blue and white – these contrasting colors outline the watch’s contours. This design style is reminiscent of typical sportswear, with bright colors and a dynamic feel.
The skeletonized dial design features decorative intersecting bridge structures inspired by the metal framework of Manhattan Bridge in New York, highlighting the brand’s close connection with the city.
The case is another manifestation of the sports style in the Zalium Variation Bi-Color series watch. The brushed case has a subtle blue-gray tone, masculine and rugged, distinctly different from stainless steel or titanium alloy watches. This is the unique characteristic of the Zalium material.
The Project Z series has continued for nearly 20 years, demonstrating Harry Winston’s persistence in innovative watchmaking materials. Besides Zalium, Harry Winston has also developed Winstonium, a platinum alloy. As the name suggests, it’s closely related to Harry Winston. This platinum alloy contains more of the precious metal rhodium, giving it a brighter luster.
For over three decades, whether it’s the continuous exploration of unknown territories in haute horlogerie by the Opus series and Histoire de Tourbillon series, or the fusion of innovative materials, mechanical functions, and sports style in the Project Z series, you can see Harry Winston’s ambition and perseverance in the field of watchmaking.
From the Fifth Avenue flagship store to iconic New York buildings like the Manhattan Bridge, from the emerald cut to various high-quality gemstones, Harry Winston has ingeniously incorporated the brand’s DNA into haute horlogerie aesthetics, establishing a unique stylistic aesthetic. Harry Winston watches are a special presence in the world of haute horlogerie.
For watch enthusiasts who are passionate about haute horlogerie craftsmanship and have distinctive aesthetics and preferences, Harry Winston watches are an option not to be missed.
The Legacy of Harry Winston: From Diamond King to Horological Innovator
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