Text by Aki Nogami
Harry Winston's Mastery of Men's Purpose
Men should be armed with diamonds
Harry Winston, a New York high jeweler, began making watches in 1989.
This iconic retrograde watch, which marks the company's history, takes on a new look worthy of its title as the "King of Diamonds" by adorning it with two types of diamonds: round brilliant and baguette cut.
This watch features Harry Winston's iconic double retrograde movement with off-center hour and minute displays. The crown guard, modeled after the facade of the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York, is also an iconic design element. The case, bezel, and lugs, as well as the hour and minute display ring, date window, and retrograde counter, are set with a total of 367 round brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 4.50 ct). Automatic movement (Cal. HW3305). 35 jewels. 28,800 vph. 18KWG (42mm diameter). Water resistant to 10 bar. Priced at 885 million yen.
Are diamonds a supporting or leading role in a watch? The timepieces created by Harry Winston will reveal the answer.
The HW Ocean Bi-Retrograde Automatic 42mm, with its off-center hour and minute display and retrograde mechanism, continues the company's watchmaking history. The shining round brilliant cut is accented with white mother-of-pearl, giving it the appearance of a jewel, while the substantial baguette cut features the "Project Z1" logo.
The frame, which resembles the Manhattan Bridge continuing from "0", gives a sharp impression, and the fact that the diamonds and designs have different textures that harmonize with each other also shows the skill of a jeweler who is well-versed in gemstones.
What is required for diamond jewelry is overall harmony and balance. For example, the larger a solitaire stone, the better; there are cuts and carat weights that look more beautiful depending on the individual characteristics of the stone. Harry Winston watches use VVS+ stones, selected by appraisers known as "Hawk's Eye," just like their jewelry. Inclusions that interfere with the refraction of light are rejected, and because the chain of light created by multiple stones in the bezel setting is crucial, all stones are of the same quality. This gives diamond watches a more harmonious and powerful shine.
Moreover, baguette-cut diamond watches boast a charm that is uniquely Harry Winston. Stones with the same step cut as the company's iconic emerald cut are required for clarity rather than brilliance from reflections, and because inclusions are easily visible, high-quality ones are considered rare. With the same quality as round brilliant cut stones, the size is calculated and set to within 0.1 mm to fit into the case, making these watches truly a display of the diamond jeweler's skills.
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Harry Winston has always sought uncompromising quality, not only in the brilliance of a single diamond, but also in small diamonds like side stones. This watch, which incorporates the company's many years of diamond know-how, is a direct reflection of the company's journey to achieve the pinnacle of jewelry and timepieces, just like the Retrograde mentioned above.
