Harry Winston watches came into being in 1989 when Ronald
Winston, son of Harry conceived the notion that it would be
a natural progression to add watches to the already famous
line jewelry produced by Harry Winston Jewelers.
The first collection was named the Ultimate Timepiece Series
and consisted of watches that were haute horology. Since that
time Harry Winston watches has regularly unveiled new collections
and new timepieces.
One of the most highly respected people in the company is
Managing Director Maximilian Busser since 1998. A mere 31 years
old when he accepted the position he has led the company to
prominence over the past few years by developing company strategy,
marketing, products and world wide distribution. Under his
leadership the company has experienced a 300% increase in turnover
of its products.
Harry
Winston manufactures all of its own cases and bracelets and
mostly uses dials produced by “Les Cadraniers de
Geneve” a dial manufacturer.
All Harry Winston watches are produced Switzerland and until
recently were available only at Harry Winston salons. The salons
are located in New York, Beverly Hills, Paris, Tokyo and Osaka.
With the additional of independent retail partners the company
outlets now number approximately 65.
The stellar
reputation of Harry Winston was not achieved through mass
advertising. Instead the company
has grown due to “word
of mouth”. The company’s extensive customer base
of celebrities and other notables are an intrinsic part of
the company and their patronage and trust is highly valued.
Among its most famous timepieces are the Excenter so named
because of the off center position of its two counters. The
Excenter features an automatic movement and a bi-directional
bezel.
Harry Winston watches are not to be mistaken for mere jewelry
watches. Ronald Winston has collaborated with some of the most
knowledgeable people available to produce a line that is becoming
increasingly complex. His dedication has led to the introduction
of some highly technical and complex models. Most recently
he has developed the Opus series which includes tourbillion,
resonance chronometer, and grand complication pieces. The Opus
Adventure, as it is called, is truly a walk into the future
of time keeping and the release of each new piece is eagerly
anticipated.
Thus it
is that the House of Harry Winston lives on through his son
who is dedicated to maintaining
his father’s
credo of “only the exceptional”.
Harry Winston Replica Watches - A Brief History
Harry
Winston was affectionately known as “jeweler to
the stars” however this was not a title that was easily
earned.
At an
early age he learned the value of precious jewels. One story
is told of how as a lad of 12 he spotted
a dull looking
ring with a green stone in a pawnshop window. Harry is said
to have purchased this ring for a mere 25 cents. He took the
ring to his father’s local jewelry store and to his father’s
amazement the ring contained a stunning two carat emerald.
Harry is said to have sold the ring two days later for an astounding
$800.00.
At age 24 Harry established his first diamond company. The
next few years were spent traveling and acquiring precious
gems and jewelry collections. Finally in 1932 he founded Harry
Winston Inc.
In 1946 Harry became acquainted with the Duke and Duchess
of Windsor who rapidly became admirers of his jewelry. In 1947
he was the first jeweler to lend his jewelry to attendees of
the Oscar awards. Over the ensuing years Harry acquired such
famous gems as the Hope Diamond and the sapphire reputed to
have belonged to Catherine the Great. In 1955 he began opening
a series of salons around the world with the first aptly located
in Geneva.
When Harry
Winston passed away in 1978 the company was taken over by
his son Ronald who continued his
father’s traditions.
It was Ronald who brought Harry Winston watches into being.
The first collection was aptly named the Ultimate Timepiece
series and consisted of haute coutre watches. Since that time
the brand has consistently produced time pieces of both amazing
beauty and technical excellence.
After unveiling the Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater in
1995 and the Ocean Chronograph in 1998 Winston went on to produce
the Biretrograde complication in 1999. It is the Premier collection
however that showcases the truly awesome technical excellence
that is part of the Harry Winston watch collections.
The showpiece of the Premier collection is the Excenter models
which combine technical excellence and esthetic beauty and
takes its name from the off-center position of its two counters.
The company also produces a number of other collections including
the Avenue, Signature and Opus collections.
Hamilton Watches
Founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton watches
have come to represent a variety of uniquely American values
- rugged individualism, functional style, initiative, boldness,
steadfastness.
Initially manufactured to provide the country's railroads
with reliable timing devices, the Hamilton railroad pocket
watch was adopted as the official watch of the American Expeditionary
Forces worldwide. A wrist watch version of the railroad watch
was issued to General Pershing and his doughboys in WWI, accompanied
Admiral Byrd on his expeditions to the North and South Poles,
served the Picards well on their first balloon ascent into
the stratosphere, and was on the wrist of the first American
to scale Mount Everest.
In the period between the wars, Hamilton stylishly re-designed
the conventional watch case going beyond traditional round
shapes and introducing dramatic lines featuring asymmetrical,
square, and triangular cases. Aside from the classic designs
of the era such as the Ardmore, Benton, Boutlon, Cabot, Contour
and Wilshire models, now faithfully re-created in Hamilton
s American Classics collection, the company also became known
for producing fashionable, decorative timepieces for women.
Other notable Hamilton innovations which forever altered watch
technology included: the development of a revolutionary temperature-compensating
hairspring alloy which resulted in much improved timekeeping
accuracy; the introduction of the world's first electric wrist
watch powered by a small battery; and the introduction of Pulsar,
the world s first electronic watch.
Today, Hamilton s primary collections include the American
Classics collection (mentioned above) and the Khaki collection,
updated versions of the legendary military timepieces of yesteryear.
These durable sport watches for both men and women include
models designed to withstand the pressures of deep-sea dives,
the hazards of mountain climbing, and provide reliable, precise
performance under extreme conditions.
