Precious gemstones are synonymous with Harry Winston, and so are precious art forms, like the spectacular mosaic glass setting on the dials of these four gold Premier Precious Micromosaic models. An inimitable luxury made by hand in Ravenna, Italy, the vibrant patterns on the dial are highlighted with quintessential Harry Winston diamonds in an artistic marriage that is destined to shine for a lifetime.
Harry Winston The Premier Collection – The Italian art of micromosaics revisited
The latest chapter in Harry Winston’s unique Métiers d’Arts saga takes place in Italy, in the historic city of Ravenna, known worldwide for its mosaics.
An ancient art, mosaics are made from small pieces of coloured glass, ceramic, stone or other materials known collectively as tesserae. The tesserae are then applied on an adhesive surface to create a design. Widely used in Ancient Greece and Rome, the art of mosaic flourished under the Byzantine Empire. Ravenna, the capital city of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, and then Byzantine Italy through the 8th century, took the art of mosaic to unprecedented levels, creating masterpieces for the local walls and ceilings of the early Christian monuments.
Finding new and original ways to animate timepiece dials is a true passion at Harry Winston, whose designers turned to the impressive art of glass micromosaic for their newest Premier timepiece. The four unique models feature timeless handcrafted dials that juxtapose bold colour palettes with contrasting fragments of translucent and opaque glass, to create geometric designs that are fascinating and unique.
To start, artisans in Ravenna select coloured glass blocks that, when mixed in the right proportions, create the perfect colour. To make the mixing possible, they heat the glass until it is soft and malleable. Once the desired colour is obtained, they work the material to form a very specific shape that lends itself to stretching into long, thin rods or threads. The glass is then left to cool, cut into small pieces and arranged on the gold base of the dial with the aid of tweezers. This fully handcrafted process is repeated for each desired colour and shape. Finally, the surface is sealed in an oven and polished until it gleams like precious stones.
Geometry in glass and diamonds
The Premier Precious Micromosaic timepiece is presented in both 18-karat white and 18-karat rose gold cases, and each dial composition is limited to just 30 pieces. All of the models flaunt vibrant colours and abstract geometric designs, but the dials with red and turquoise tones have a discreet floral motif in the upper left-hand area of the dial. Looking closely, triangular-shaped compartments, punctuated with 14 brilliant-cut diamonds, house an even smaller setting of glass rhomboids and triangles. The larger triangles on the dial are defined by thin strips of coloured glass, functioning like the individual cells used in cloisonné enamelling.
The rose gold model of the Premier Precious Micromosaic, with a brown, tan and white dial, and its sister, the white gold version with a blue and white dial, display a combination of geometric glass shapes and colours. Once again, tiny triangles and rhomboids in different colours are arranged in a dynamic, abstract arrangement and embellished with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds set in V-shaped patterns that flutter across the dial. These unique, inimitable works of art are protected under a sapphire crystal glass with an anti-reflective coating, guarding their beauty against the effects of time and light.
Premier Precious Micromosaic – The perfect showcase for a work of art
Since its debut in 1989, Harry Winston’s Premier collection has been the designated timepiece to showcase various artistic forms. Instantly recognizable by its distinctive diamond-set lugs at 12 and 6 o’clock that replicate the shape of the arched entrance to Harry Winston’s Fifth Avenue Flagship Salon, the luxurious gold case of the Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36mm is set with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds.
A mechanical automatic heart
The Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36mm is powered by a high-end Swiss mechanical automatic movement with an 18-karat rose gold skeletonized rotor and refined hand finishes, all of which can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Equipped with the latest technology in the form of a flat silicon balance spring, this movement is destined to keep impeccable time on par with the everlasting beauty of the dial.
All four models of the Premier Precious Micromosaic are limited editions of 30 pieces. The pearly alligator leather strap designed to match the color scheme of the dial is attached to the wrist with a gold ardillon buckle set with 17 brilliant-cut diamonds.
Harry Winston Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36mm Technical specifications
References
Blue version: PRNAHM36WW024
Turquoise version: PRNAHM36WW025
Brown version: PRNAHM36RR025
Red version: PRNAHM36RR026
Calibre
HW2008
Type
Mechanical, automatic winding
Movement dimensions
– Diameter: 26.2 mm
– Thickness: 3.37 mm
Number of components
186
Number of jewels
28
Frequency
28 800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Balance spring
Flat silicon balance-spring
Finishes
18K rose gold skeletonized rotor, circular Côtes de Genève, rhodium plating, circular graining
Power reserve
72 hours
Functions
Hours and minutes
Case
18K white gold or 18K rose gold
Case dimensions
– Diameter: 36.0 mm
– Height: 8.48 mm
Crystal
Sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Case back
Open, sapphire crystal
Water-resistance
3 bar (30 meters)
Gem-setting on the case
57 brilliant-cut diamonds
Dial
PRNAHM36WW024: 18K gold base, handmade micro mosaic glass in blue and white colour tones, 36 brilliant-cut diamonds
PRNAHM36WW025: 18K gold base, handmade micro mosaic glass in turquoise blue and white colour tones, 14 brilliant-cut diamonds
PRNAHM36RR025: 18K gold base, handmade micro mosaic glass in brown, nude and white colour tones, 36 brilliant-cut diamonds
PRNAHM36RR026: 18K gold base, handmade micro mosaic glass in red, pink and white colour tones, 14 brilliant-cut diamonds
