iW Magazine iW Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 157

At amfAR Milano 2016, Harry Winston donated a pair of its Open Cluster Diamond Earrings set with 22 diamonds and modeled by Sara Sampaio (right), raising 100,000 Euros for AIDS research. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Harry Winston). Below: Histoire de Tourbillon 7. How do you see Harry Winston compared to three years ago and also in five years’ time? NH: The difference is now we are more focused as a watchmaking brand. Compared to before 2013, we now have models that are working and a much more competitive price structure. In five years time, hopefully we will be as creative as this year and to have some new complications and new models to show you. Having been for a long time the beloved top luxury jewelry brand for women, Harry Winston is also progressing quite solidly as a watchmaking brand. Is there any relevance that you are trying to link the historic and continuous success of your jewelry segment in parallel with that of your timepieces? NH: For sure. Harry Winston is an outstanding fine jewelry brand with a very long history behind it. The sales turnover of our jewelry segment is a lot higher than that of the watches and will always be. Our goal is to be as good in watchmaking as we are in jewelry manufacturing. We do not have the history in watchmaking and we will not have it. You cannot buy history. What we have though is the commitment and the capacity to build on it and develop the history of watchmaking. Thank you Nayla. Vasken Chokarian is publisher of iW Middle East, where this interview first appeared. SUMMER 2017 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 155