Harry Winston recently updated its high-jewelry collection with the new Avenue C Large (Ref. 335/UQWW.DB/BD/BD). Although the brand is capable of producing the most complicated mechanical watches, when it comes to jewelry timepieces, HW doesn’t shrink from equipping them with the simplest (but still bearing the proud “Swiss Made” inscription on them) quartz movements.
There is nothing wrong with this approach: in ninety-nine occurrences out of one hundred, a high-jewelry watch is bought for what it is: primarily as a jewelry item, not a complicated time-measuring device.
And, as a highly expensive trinket, the Avenue C Large does its job well.
The watch is not an ordinary member of the Avenue collection, which mostly comprises rectangular watches with their cases crafted from precious metals and adorned with precious stones, but is a real crown jewel that makes the other pieces of the range fade in its dazzling radiance.
According to official specs, the timepiece is presented in a massive 18-carat rose gold case almost 48 millimeters long and about 35 millimeters white. Almost every square millimeter of its surface is set with 53 diamonds (40 of them baguette-cut and the rest are brilliant-cut) totaling 7.8 carats.
The parts of the body that are somehow visible to a stunned admirer are mirror polished in order to make the Art Deco-styled timepiece look even more imposing.
The white gold dial, as well as the bracelet, which is, too, made of the same precious metal, are, too, set with as many as 416 baguette-cut diamonds tipping the scale at 27 carats!
Of course, the polished white gold hour and minute hands do not look particularly in contrast with the glittering background of the dial. However, when it comes to this kind of jewelry, it feels somehow inappropriate to talk about legibility and all that.
There is still no information regarding the timekeeper’s price, but I have an intuition that the Avenue C Large will cost like a wholly-loaded new Mercedes-Benz S-Class armored sedan.*
See also: Hublot Big Bang 38-millimete
WWR Verdict
Originality 4/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Overall Legibility: 3/5
Nighttime Legibility: 1/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
* UPDATE ON PRICE: Well, it looks like the watch will actually cost like a fully-loaded Rolls-Royce Phantom: the jewelry maker plans to sell the ref. 335/UQWW.DB/BD/BD at an outrageously high price of approximately $780,000 depending on your local taxes.
Photos: Harry Winston
Harry Winston Avenue C Large 335/UQWW.DB/BD/BD specification
Price: $780,000 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: 18-karat white gold, set with 40 baguette-cut diamonds and 13 brilliant-cut diamonds (7.8 carats)
Shape: Rectangular
Dimensions: 47.60 mm x 34.80 mm
Dial: 18-carat white gold sunray dial set with 156 baguette-cut diamonds (7.5 carats)
Hands: White gold, polished
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: 18-carat white gold set with 260 baguette-cut diamonds (19.5 carats) with 18-carat white gold folding buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid