The Low-Down

A jeweler becoming a household name is rarer than the jewels with which he works, but Harry Winston achieved it in his lifetime. Indeed, he even gets a specific mention in the 1953 movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

He was known as the King of Diamonds, and his legacy lives on in some of the most beguiling jeweled watches money can buy.

Marking a first for the Premier, the resplendent florals bask in the light with a profusion of brilliant-cut diamonds set against vibrant mother-of-pearl backgrounds. Harry Winston’s greatest talent was to unlock the hidden potential of a gemstone. The Sunflower first appeared in archival sketches of the 1950s. Just as sunflowers turn their faces to the sun, the diamonds on the case and dial of the Premier Sunflower Automatic reveal their brilliance and fire when basking in the light, be it sunlight or the twinkling lights of celebrity-studded theaters.

With each hour represented by a sunflower petal, the sunflower comprises 177 brilliant-cut white diamonds and eight red rubies or blue sapphires, spread across the case and the mother-of-pearl dial. The intriguing design can be viewed as a series of miniature sunflowers or one large sunflower dominating the dial. It’s no coincidence that the watch is designed to complement the rest of the Sunflower fine jewelry pieces in the Harry Winston range.

The case itself is 36mm in 18-karat white gold, featuring a bezel set with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds. Beneath the shimmering sunflower gems that adorn the dial, even the mother-of-pearl background has been meticulously crafted with a variety of techniques. It features a minutely detailed fiery red or royal blue beading adorned with 12 nacre cabochons to add even more allure to the composition.

The Premier Sunflower Automatic is powered by the HW2008 caliber, a self-winding Swiss-made movement finely decorated with Côtes de Genève, and with 72 hours of power reserve. It features a rose gold skeletonized rotor.

The watch comes on a choice of a pearly red or blue alligator leather strap in a limited edition of 30 pieces each.

IMHO

‘Twelve sunflowers, composed of brilliant-cut diamonds, mark the passing hours. The center of the dial contains eight smaller flowers with diamond petals and ruby or blue sapphire hearts.’

It sounds simple, but this description completely defines the Harry Winston philosophy. The jewelry comes first; and the stone must always dictate its setting, it’s never cut to fit. Harry Winston himself never designed watches, but his approach to jewelry making has been carefully preserved and is still practiced.

During his lifetime, Harry Winston owned more than one third of the world’s most precious gems. He correctly maintained “no two diamonds are alike.” It’s for this reason that no Harry Winston jeweled watch is set at exactly the same price. As each piece features a unique arrangement of one-of-a-kind diamonds and gemstones, carat weight and stone quantity may well vary slightly, making each Harry Winston watch a veritable one of its kind.

Tech Specs

Ref: PRNAHM36WW038 (Red Version) / PRNAHM36WW037 (Blues Version)

Movement: HW 2008 Self-winding movement with 72-hours power reserve
Functions: Hours and Minutes
Case: 36mm; 18k white gold; water resistant to 30m
Dial:
• Red version: 18K gold base, red beaded mother-of-pearl, red beaded mother-of-pearl cabochons, 120 brilliant-cut diamonds, 8 brilliant-cut rubies
• Blue version: 18K gold base, blue beaded mother-of-pearl, blue beaded mother-of-pearl cabochons, 120 brilliant-cut diamonds, 8 brilliant-cut blue sapphires
Strap: Red or blue pearl alligator leather
Price: TBC
Availability: Limited edition of 30 pieces in both red and blue