Harry Winston presents a Premier timepiece that depicts two adorable tiger cubs on its dial, along with gold rosettes inspired by the grand entryway leading into Harry Winston’s iconic Fifth Avenue Salon in honor of the Chinese Year of the Tiger. A limited edition of eight pieces, the delightful Year of the Tiger watch augurs good fortune and happiness for years to come. Since 2016 the House of Harry Winston has celebrated the Chinese New Year with a timepiece representing one of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac. On February 1, 2022 the Chinese Zodiac welcomes the Year of the Tiger, the king of all animals in China, inciting awe and admiration. Legend has it that people born under the sign of the Tiger are fiercely independent with powerful, passionate personalities. Before leaving the protection of their mother, tiger cubs discover their world and hone their hunting skills by playing with their siblings. Harry Winston’s designers have created two adorable, playful baby tigers on the dial, representing the early stages of a cub’s life. To recreate the magnificent tawny coat of the tiger, each lovable cub is crafted in 18-karat rose gold, while the characteristic stripes of the feline are rendered in the cut-out areas of the gold and then filled with red beaded mother-of-pearl. Their endearing faces, complete with whiskers and cute little noses, are animated with bright gleaming diamond eyes. As a timepiece celebrating one of China’s most beloved traditions, the combination of the red mother-of-pearl background and gleaming gold symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. As with all Harry Winston timepieces, there are countless allusions to Mr. Harry Winston’s dazzling legacy of jewelry designs, stone cuts and talent for transforming nature’s bounties into objects of everlasting beauty. What is particularly exciting about this Chinese New Year model is that it marks the first time a rosette motif makes its debut on a Harry Winston timepiece. The floral rosette pattern is taken from the wrought iron gates leading to Harry Winston’s Flagship Salon at 718 Fifth Avenue. Adopted as the leitmotif of the Winston Gates fine jewelry collection, three gold rosettes now grace the dial of this timepiece. Crafted in 18-karat rose gold and a diamond in their center, the three-dimensional rosettes add volume to the dial and confirm its provenance as an original Harry Winston timepiece. Another nod to Mr. Winston’s legacy is the depiction of two peonies on the bodies of the tiger cubs. Mr. Ambaji Shinde, who was Harry Winston’s legendary head of design for 40 years, was a gifted Indian painter and jewelry designer renowned for his opulent creations for Indian royals and Maharajas. Working closely with Mr. Winston, the two men created some of the House’s most iconic pieces, often inspired by flowers. Recalling this historic appreciation of nature, the peonies on the timepiece dial are brought to life using beaded mother-of-pearl, in a palette of pink, purple and green. As a tribute to the “King of Diamonds,” the dial is enlivened with the brilliance and sparkle of 65 brilliant-cut diamonds. Like many Premier models, the hours and minutes are excentered and placed just below the large emerald-cut diamond at noon, directly referencing Mr. Winston’s favorite diamond cut.
A sophisticated Premier case in 18-karat rose gold set with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds - including the truncated diamonds in the crown and tips of the lugs - houses this charming Chinese New Year model. The diamond-set lugs, at either end of the round 36mm case, emulate the shape of the famous arched stone entrance framing the wrought iron gates of Harry Winston’s New York Salon. Matching the dial color, the timepiece comes on a shiny red alligator strap secured to the wrist with a rose gold ardillon buckle set with 17 brilliant-cut diamonds. On the reverse side, a sapphire crystal reveals the superior Swiss-made mechanical automatic movement. Fitted with a flat silicon balance spring to ensure precision, the movement offers a robust power reserve of 68 hours and is water-resistant to 30 meters. The rose gold skeletonized rotor and the movement with its refined finishes can also be admired along with the number of each limited edition x/8 engraved on the case back. Limited to just eight pieces, the luckiest number in Chinese numerology, the Harry Winston Premier Chinese New Year is presented in a special red box decorated with golden images of the tiger, rosettes and peonies.
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