it seems diamonds are a girl's best friend :) harry winston told me all about it ~ Harry Winston 2013 Basel Offerings

BLING IT ON! The fully set bracelet below features 372 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 5.45 carats) & every buckle is set with 33 brilliant-cut diamonds... that should be enough yuh? ;)

2013 has been an interesting year for the Swatch Group. from not having much of a foothold in the jewellery realm or haute joaillerie, they acquired Harry Winston which is a premier name in jewellery which also has an established watch division. it will be interesting to see the integration of HW with the rest of the Swatch Group and to see what may come out with some cross pollination... but we'll give that some time :)  

The HWRT division is of course a focus year on year to see what amazing timepieces they come up with but I will not look at the Opuses for this post today and give some attention to the Basel 2013 range. I will be adding more information and hopefully retail prices soon once I receive them but for now do have a gander at some pics of them and marketing info provided by Harry Winston. My thanks to the team at Harry Winston for letting me spend some time with their 2012/2013 offerings. Ok let's start with some nice big watches for the boyz...   

 

HW Ocean Project Z6 Countdown Alarm

Project Z6 Blue Edition ~ Alarm with overlapping disks – one displaying the primary time, and the other showing the time for which the alarm is set, each with separate day and night indicators. One of the most distinctive features of the Harry Winston Project Z6 Blue Edition is also the multi-level, vertical satin-brushed blue dial, which displays a number of sophisticated features and finishes, including a smoked sapphire glass effect over the alarm hour indexes, a blue sand-blasted applique at the center of the day/night indicator at 2 o’clock, and Côtes de Genève applied to the alarm subdial. The contrasting orientation and style of the finishes in different areas of the dial create a striking, memorable visual effect.

 The Project Z6 Blue Edition shares the sophisticated implementation of the alarm function characteristic of the Project Z6 series, where the alarm consists of a minute repeater style hammer, which strikes a gong and produces a crisp sound. Designed to be seen, not only heard, the hammer is fixed to the ZaliumTM case to show the alarm ringing and enhance sound transmission, amplification and tone. This piece is offered in a 44 mm Zalium case, the hardness and resistance to abrasive wear of this material being enhanced by a grey DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) finish

 Premier Excenter Perpetual Calendar Moonphase

 

This year a deep blue smoked sapphire dial was introduced in the Ocean Sport Chrono line. The intricate workings of the black DLC treated automatic movement with a skeletonized chronograph module are clearly visible beneath the Super Luminova enhanced hands, distinctly pointing to the hours and minutes marked on the flange, and ensuring a perfect legibility of the time. A skeletonized date disk turns steadily in order to clearly display the date at 12 o’clock

 

 Harry Winston Ocean Dual Time Monochrome (250 LE) shows the time in two different time zones: home time and local time, wherever a traveler may be. Unusually, each dial has its own day/night indicator (in virtually all dual time zone watches this is either absent, or present for only home time). The large date display is also unusual in presenting the date, in two digits, in a vertical rather than the ordinary horizontal orientation. The dial is coated with a special layer of oxidized platinum which is then hand-brushed to create a patina

 the 44mm case is made of Harry Winston's unique, proprietary alloy, ZaliumTM, composed of aluminum and zirconium. Light, highly resistant to corrosion, and with a particular gun-mental sheen unlike any other alloy, it is a sophisticated counterpoint to the pre-aged, hand-finished patina of the dial.

 Black rubber strap with diamond point finish and Shuriken motif

 and it looks great on the wrist ;)

 The Harry Winston Ocean Collection introduces, for the first time, a combination of two sophisticated complications in a single timepiece: the Harry Winston Ocean Tourbillon Jumping Hour. Unlike many jumping hour watches, the Ocean Tourbillon Jumping Hour timepiece has a minute hand which has been specifically designed so that the hour window is never blocked.

 The tourbillon in the Ocean Tourbillon Jumping Hour has a very unusual design. Instead of being located on the back of the movement plate, it is suspended from two gleaming, hand-chamfered steel bridges which seem to hold it free in space –seeming to move with no apparent mechanical connection to the rest of the timepiece

Only sharp eyes will uncover its secret: the tourbillon is driven by a wheel geared to its outer circumference, which is nearly completely concealed by the minute track of the dial

 Floating in between two panes of sapphire, the tourbillon's open structure contrasts with the rich opacity of the dial, which is also suspended from a system of meticulously hand-finished, open-worked bridges. Executed in black sapphire, the dial reveals the hour through an aperture at the 12 o’clock position, which "jumps" instantaneously once per hour

 

 The Midnight Monochrome watches feature slate dials. In order to reproduce the unique structure of slate, the Harry Winston dial-makers developed a new technique far removed from the usual watchmaking finishes, honing it to create a plate with a truly slate-like effect. In addition to its mineral beauty, the dial thus guarantees a degree of longevity entirely in tune with the principles of excellence upheld by the House of Harry Winston. The sophisticated yet understated metallic grey dial of the men’s model is animated by the hours, minutes and date indications. The men’s model is equipped with a white gold case with a 42 mm diameter.

 The silver white shade of the ladies’ model has been treated to a damask effect and makes a perfect match with the diamond-set bezel and lugs and the rose gold case. This 39 mm-diameter model is equipped with a quartz movement

 Premier Feathers up next. The latest creations in what has become an iconic collection are once again touched by the grace of the unique skill exercised by Nelly Saunier. A gifted master plumassière, or feather artist, she is endowed with masterful and delicate expertise that enables her to tame feathers in such a way that they obey her creative purpose. As delicate as its raw material, this art is practiced by a rare breed of craftspersons who continue to perpetuate this ancestral ornamental art. Loyal to its vocation, Harry Winston wished to express itself in a unique register where poetry and sensuality merge to form an inseparable whole

Each of the three new models issued in limited production features a marquetry created with the feathers of a bird belonging to an authorized species and specifically bred for this purpose. In addition to extreme dexterity, this skill requires excellent perception of volumes and above all of colors. Each dial thus crafted composes a nocturnal motif in shades of sky blue, turquoise, or sapphire blue, revealed by a touch of immaculate white or deep purple

 These stunning creations are framed by a 36 mm-diameter 18-karat white gold case set with 66 brilliant-cut diamonds adorning the wrist in a flowing, sensual manner; while three iconic arches evoke the neoclassical façade of the Harry Winston flagship salon in New York City, and the diamond-set crown adds a further precious touch

  Premier Ladies 36mm

 

 Ocean Biretrogade ~ In inimitable Harry Winston style, the Ocean Biretrograde deftly blends elegant design with top-quality mechanics – expressly for Ladies. Nearly one decade after the launch of its Ocean Collection™, and seven years since the release of the first Ocean Biretrograde, Harry Winston now unveils stunning new dials for this collection

 The three new dial colors underscore the femininity of the timepiece: creamy sanded white, dark slated gray, and warm, rich chestnut

 HW1029 mechanical movement. This movement consists of 256 components that work harmoniously together to offer hours, minutes, date indication and the much-coveted retrograde seconds and day indications. Thanks to an annular balance wheel and flat balance spring, the timepiece offers 42 hours of power reserve. It is deftly finished with a gold skeletonized rotor, Cotes de Genève, circular graining and chamfered bridges – all visible through a sapphire crystal case back

 In total, 16 different versions of the new Ocean Biretrograde emerge, with choices ranging from strap to bracelet, and from unset to partially and fully set. This collection offers women the precision of a complicated mechanical movement with double retrograde functions that literally seem to bring the dial to life with each flyback of the day and seconds hands. This constantly in-motion dial brings drama and intrigue to the forefront. A date aperture, with magnifier, at 6 o’clock, and three diamond indexes marking the hours also accent the dial

hope you enjoyed the post and I assure you my next Harry Winston post will have Opuses ;) HAGWE! Cheers, Raph