rom a young age, Harry Winston had an expert eye for precious gemstones and, by 1920, founded the Premier Diamond Company in New York. Purchasing jewelry from estate sales, Mr. Winston breathed new life into the stones by freeing them from old-fashioned mountings, reshaping them, and allowing them to shine in contemporary, near invisible settings. Mr. Winston’s reputation soared and, following the creation of his eponymous jewelry house in 1932, he became the ultimate reference for magnificent, diamond-driven jewelry. Referred to as the “King of Diamonds,” it is estimated that he came to own more than one-third of the world’s most famous precious stones.
The Premier was the first timepiece collection launched by the House of Harry Winston in 1989 and takes its name from Mr. Winston’s Premier Diamond Company. A collection that translates the glamour and three-dimensionality of Harry Winston’s jewelry designs into the realm of watchmaking, the Premier is the dedicated series for creative designs and Métiers d’Art. Instantly recognizable by the diamond-set lugs – which are designed to echo the three arches crowning the entrance of Harry Winston’s New York Flagship Salon on Fifth Avenue – the cases of the Premier Automatic 31mm models sparkle with the light of 63 brilliant-cut diamonds. The dainty 31mm case has an ultra-slim profile of just 8.4mm and is available in 18-karat white or rose gold.
The color blue is intimately associated with the House of Harry Winston and recalls the magnificent 45.52-carat blue Hope Diamond that Mr. Winston acquired in 1949. In honor of the famous diamond, the white gold model flaunts a magnificent blue mother-of-pearl dial. Alongside the world’s finest gemstones and diamonds, mother-of- pearl plays a starring role in Harry Winston’s timepieces as designers expand the decorative potential of the material to create three-dimensional shapes.
In the Premier Automatic 31mm, this precious and natural element comes to life with the decorative technique of engraving. The mother-of-pearl is engraved with an intricate series of lines that grow larger as they move away from the center. The resulting sunburst pattern radiates beams of light while adding depth and volume to the composition.
Honoring the legacy of the “King of Diamonds,” the dials are embellished with 126 brilliant-cut diamonds. Twelve diamond hour markers are set on the peripheral chapter ring, leading to a second ring of bead-set diamonds framing the engraved section. A delightful sprinkling of snow-set diamonds in the center of the dial breaks the strict geometry of the engraving and adds a playful note. Last but not least, Mr. Winston’s favorite gemstone cut is replicated here in the prominent emerald-cut diamond at noon.
The signature attention to detail that charac- terizes all Harry Winston creations is evi- dent in the sophisticated Swiss-made auto- matic movement. The incorporation of a flat silicon balance spring that is impervious to magnetic fields, resilient to corrosion and less vulnerable to shocks will ensure years of impeccable service. The beautiful finishes on the movement and the 22-karat skeletonized rose gold rotor can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Both Premier Automatic 31mm editions are designed with white alligator leather straps with white or rose gold ardillon buckles set with 15 brilliant-cut diamonds.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- References: White gold version: PRNAHM31WW005 / Rose gold version: PRNAHM31RR004
- Movement: Calibre HW2010 • Mechanical, automatic winding • Diameter: 21.0 mm • Thickness: 3.30 mm • Number of components: 174 •Number of jewels: 20 • Frequency: 21 600 vibrations/hour (3 Hz) • Flat silicon balance spring • 22K rose gold skeletonized rotor, circular Côtes de Genève, rhodium plating, circular graining • Power reserve: Up to 40 hours • Functions: Hours and minutes
- Case: 18K white gold or 18K rose gold • Diameter: 31 mm • Height: 8.4 mm • Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides • Case back: Open, sapphire crystal • Water-resistance: 3 bar (30 meters) • Gem-setting on the case: 63 brilliant-cut diamonds
- Dial: White gold version: blue beaded mother-of-pearl, 18K gold, sunray pattern, 126 brilliant-cut diamonds, 1 emerald-cut diamond • Rose gold version: white beaded mother-of-pearl, 18K gold, sunray pattern, 126 brilliant-cut diamonds, 1 emerald-cut diamond
- Strap: White alligator leather • 18K white gold or 18K rose gold ardillon buckle set with 15 brilliant-cut diamonds
- Total gem-setting: 204 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.48 cts) • 1 emerald-cut diamond (approx. 0.02 carat)
