Harry Winston is a brand that combines the technology of complex mechanisms comparable to that of established watchmakers with the numerous decorative techniques it has cultivated as a jeweler. We will introduce the charm and diverse range of Harry Winston watches, which are classic yet urban, artistic yet innovative.
Harry Winston Basics
What are the characteristics of Harry Winston watches? To find out, let's take a look at the brand's history.
Founded in New York
Harry Winston is a jewelry brand founded in 1932 in Manhattan, New York by Harry Winston (1896-1978).
Since its founding, the company has consistently focused on producing the highest quality and most innovative jewelry.
His jewelry is loved by royalty and Hollywood actresses, earning him the nicknames "King of Diamonds" and "Jeweler to the Stars."
In 1989, following in the footsteps of founder Harry Winston, the company entered the watch industry and has since established itself as a leading luxury watch brand.
"King of Diamonds"
Harry Winston is also known for owning a number of historic jewels.
From the very beginning, the company has had a special passion for diamonds, purchasing the 726-carat Jonker rough diamond in 1935 and the 726.60-carat Vargas rough diamond in 1938.
A 1952 issue of Life magazine stated that "Harry Winston owns the second largest collection of precious stones in the world, after the British Royal Family," demonstrating his extraordinary passion.
The "cluster" setting technique invented by Harry Winston in the 1940s completely changed the perception of jewelry at the time.
This is an innovative technique that uses extremely thin platinum wire to set diamonds of different cuts in a three-dimensional manner. By minimizing the use of base metal, the diamonds can capture light from all angles, maximizing their brilliance.
Since then, clusters have become a cornerstone of Harry Winston's designs, and the technique is also used to decorate luxury watches.
Watchmaking since 1989
The watch industry is home to many long-established watch brands based in Switzerland that have been in business for over 100 years.
The creation of a superior watch requires advanced technology and know-how, and long-established watch brands have an advantage thanks to their many years of experience. Harry Winston, a newcomer to the watchmaking industry, overcame this difficult challenge with its ingenuity and conviction.
In 1989, the company released its first timepiece collections, the HW Premiere and Signature, which quickly took the watch industry by storm.
In particular, since its debut, the brand has made extensive use of retrograde display mechanisms, which have now become so refined that they can be considered Harry Winston's specialty.
Combined with the skills and aesthetic sense of a jeweler, their complex and elegant luxury watches exude the air of a first-class watchmaking maison.
Discover Harry Winston Watches
While it is not uncommon for watches to be adorned with precious stones, Harry Winston diamonds are of exceptional value, something only a top jewelry brand can achieve. Let's learn about the characteristics of Harry Winston watches.
Luxurious decoration with carefully selected jewellery
Harry Winston jewelry watches feature only the finest diamonds, carefully selected by experienced gemologists.
Perfectly cut to maximize brilliance, the diamonds are secured to the case, bracelet, dial, etc. using a combination of various setting techniques.
Design code unique to jewelry stores
Harry Winston has several design codes that stem from its history as a jewelry brand.
One of them is the "Three Arches," inspired by the facade of the Harry Winston flagship store, which moved to 718 Fifth Avenue in New York in 1960.
The motif born from this arch is featured at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions on the HW Premiere and HW Avenue, and at the 3 o'clock position on the HW Midnight, HW Ocean, and Project Z.
The "HW Emerald" watch features an octagonal case inspired by the "emerald cut" favored by founder Harry Winston, and this shape is also used in the brand logo and display cases that adorn the interior of the store.
Advanced watchmaking techniques
Since its entry into the watch industry, Harry Winston has adopted perpetual calendars and bi-retrograde display mechanisms, and has since become recognized as a leader in complicated watches.
What further increased its fame was the release of the first model, "Histoire de Tourbillon," in 2009.
A tourbillon is a mechanism that offsets the mechanical force acting on the movement due to the influence of gravity, improving precision. The classic tourbillon, developed in the era of pocket watches, was effective in countering the vertical influence of gravity, but it is not suitable for the three-dimensional movement of a wristwatch.
This is where the "multi-axis tourbillon," which has multiple rotation axes, came into being. The pinnacle of this trend was the three-axis tourbillon, "Histoire de Tourbillon 9," which was announced in 2018. This mechanism, in which three carriages rotate at different speeds, enhances precision and has been acclaimed as the pinnacle of complication.
Artistic handiwork
One of the characteristics of Harry Winston's jewelry watches is that many of their pieces are based on the theme of "métier d'art," which means "artistic handiwork" in French.
One of the "Métiers d'Art" is "marquetry," a marquetry technique that was popular in the 17th century, and the "HW Premier Precious Marquetry 36mm" is made using this technique.
The dial features an intricate arrangement of mother-of-pearl, enamel, and pear-shaped sapphire cabochons on a white gold base plate.
The "HW Premiere Feather," which incorporates "featherwork," creates a dynamic beauty not seen in conventional dials.
Additionally, there are also models that incorporate Eastern and Western art on the dial, such as the HW Premiere Precious Weaving Automatic 36mm, which uses mother-of-pearl weaving, a technique derived from the traditional Japanese mother-of-pearl inlay, and are well worth seeing.
