Founded in New York City in 1932, Harry Winston is viewed by many as the crème de la crème of Joaillerie and Haute Horlogerie, having established itself at the pinnacle alongside the very best in the industry. Bridging the House’s fine jewelry expertise with the art of fine watchmaking, the House of Harry Winston creates exceptional collections that push creative bounds and transcend time and generations.
Barring the ultra-high-end Histoire de Tourbillon & Opus lineups, the Ocean collection brings to life a vision of contemporary aesthetics balancing sporty elegance and technicity. A nod to Harry Winston’s Fifth Avenue Flagship Salon are the watches’ case shapes, lugs, crown and signature arches. Amongst the various complications available in the gender-neutral collection, the retrograde complication best captures the naturalistic expression of the ocean wave motion. A retrograde display hand traces an arc before resetting back to the starting point. It can be adapted to virtually any time or calendar function, including the minutes or date. Here, Harry Winston presents two contrasting bejewelled and technically advanced expressions of the Ocean.
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Technical Futurism
Harry Winston presents an explosion of energy and tension as technical brilliance, structural principles and chromatics harmonise for the 300-piece limited edition Harry Winston Project Z14. At the heart of the avant-garde piece is the ultra-light and corrosion-resistant Zalium — Harry Winston’s proprietary signature alloy of aluminium and zirconium — used in the watch case. A series of cut out bridges and plates in shades of grey create a three-dimensional dial, anchored by the excentre time display and 30-seconds retrograde display. The Harry Winston blue is used for the hour indexes, chapter rings and hands, Harry Winston emerald-cut logo, seconds arch display and strap. The exposed complication reveals the inner works of the retrograde with a snail-shaped cam and return spring being the brains behind its red “snap-back” seconds hand.
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Diamonds Are Forever
One cannot fault Harry Winston for having diamonds in the list of ingredients for the Ocean Biretrograde. A total of 367 brilliant-cut diamonds (~4.50 cts) line the Ocean Biretrograde Automatic 42mm while 198 brilliant-cut diamonds (~3.55 cts) and one emerald-cut diamond (~0.02 carat) encrust the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm.
Two of Harry Winston’s hallmark complications — excentre hours and minutes, and a double retrograde display (30-seconds and day) — make an appearance for both -precious creations. An opalescent mother-of-pearl dial is opted for the 42mm model to retain the glory of the diamonds and an 18k white gold case provides a complementary sheen. A subtle guilloché adorns the three subdials reminiscent of ocean waves, which is a further testament to the jeweller’s keen eye for details.
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Sharp contrasting shades of black and white give a sense of extravaganza as the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm are presented in opposing configurations. White mother-of-pearl and glossy black lacquer are responsible for the striking two-tone look while Harry Winston’s signature emerald-cut diamond crowns the top of the hour excentre time display in place of the emerald-cut logo seen on the 42mm. Both editions of these 36mm timepieces are limited to 100 pieces per design.
The Ocean Biretrograde models and Project Z14 are powered by Harry Winston’s movements HW3305, HW3302 and HW2202 respectively, with flat silicon balance spring, and protected by 100m water resistance.
This story of the Harry Winston Ocean collection first appeared in our September 2021 issue. Grab a copy here!
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