ocean’s twenty
Harry Winston celebrates 20 years of its Ocean Collection with sparkling creations that are beautiful inside and out, discovers melainne chiew
king of diamonds Harry Winston demonstrates its expertise as a high jeweller in its latest timepieces, endowing them with a smorgasbord of the precious gem. Visually breathtaking, Harry Winston watches are also known to feature impressive complications.
This holds especially true at Baselworld, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of its sporty elegant Ocean Collection, where it launched a new quintet of watches. Models, which included an anniversary special and a brandnew perpetual calendar, are not only contemporary in looks but also reiterate signature features such as bi-retrograde displays and offcentred hours and minutes. True to its name, all offer water-resistance of up to 100m.
This year heralds the limitededition Ocean 20th Anniversary
Biretrograde Automatic 36mm in 18k white gold for ladies. Keeping to original design codes, the watch flaunts hallmark complications such as an off-centred dial for hours and minutes, and a bi-retrograde display for seconds and days. It also brings to mind turquoise waters and ivory sands with a motherof-pearl dial that dazzles with 170 diamonds — all brilliant-cut except one emerald-cut — and 120 brilliant-cut Paraiba tourmalines. Issued in an emblematic 20 pieces, this bejewelled beauty beats with the self-winding HW3302 calibre that is regulated with a flat silicon balance spring. No tiny detail has been spared here; its 18k white gold rotor is further lavished with a lovely Côtes de Genève finish.
Another noteworthy offering is the Ocean Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Automatic 42mm, which is Harry Winston’s fourth biretrograde calendar since 1989, when it launched the first one for the company and the world. Offered in 18k white gold or rose gold, this masculine ticker is fitted with the automatic HW3501 calibre, which is equipped with a flat silicon balance spring and 72-hour power reserve. Its systematic design keeps its date and days bi-retrogrades concentric with the hours and minutes for an orderly aesthetic. Beyond visual organisation, however, the retrograde indications flourish with animation: While the day hand advances, the date hand descends, both snapping back to the start after concluding their respective cycles. Beating at 28,800vph (4 Hz), the movement also powers the months and moon phases, which can be viewed from their respective off-centred subdials.
In the Ocean Biretrograde Automatic 36mm, also driven by the same self-winding HW3302, Harry Winston offers a more understated design by ensuring that dial legibility takes precedence. Offered in 18k rose or white gold, with a motherof-pearl dial in blue or burgundy, respectively, time is indicated via three numerals and a scattering of diamond markers. Both variants are set with 130 brilliant-cut diamonds with lotus motifs, and a hallmark emerald-cut diamond — the founder’s favourite cut — for a grand finish.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Ocean Waterfall Automatic 36mm, which exemplifies the brand’s modus operandi with a symphony of diamonds cascading from its heavily gemset dial. Set in 18k white gold, the watch glistens with a breathtaking 12.86ct of baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds, with a touch of pink sapphires. Exposed on the sapphire case back, meanwhile, is the automatic HW2202 calibre with a gem-set 18k white gold rotor, which drives the ticker’s off-centred hours and minutes and retrograde seconds.
Rounding out this latest collection is the Ocean Moon Phase 36mm, another scintillating stunner. The moon phase complication lies on an enchanting canvas of mother-of-pearl, which is offered in dreamy blue-and-pink or stormy havana brown. It is enriched with twin moons — one indicates the current phase on the open, crescent-shaped aperture; the other dips behind a blanket of diamonds like a mirrored reflection. As nearly 3.49ct of brilliant-cut diamonds shimmer away, a asymmetrical round date window floats, as if in outer space, between 7 and 8 o’clock, for a quirky effect. It beats with the calibre HW5201, a high-end Swiss quartz movement.