Harry Winston’s Ocean Bi-Retrograde Elevates The Women’s Sports Watch

Monochrome luxe from the self-styled King of Diamonds.

Harry Winston Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm

Of course, a brand can do no wrong with a generous sprinkle of stones on a women’s timepiece. But if the name in question is Harry Winston, chances are, the bar would be set a whole lot higher.

And why should anyone expect any different? A brand famed for its dazzling red carpet-worthy jewellery ought to demonstrate the same exacting standards for its moneyed timepieces and, to that end, the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm Harry Winston delivers its promise beautifully.

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A captivating pair of ladies’ sports watches in white gold, the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm is aesthetically commanding and mechanically creative. Hailing from Harry Winston’s Ocean collection – ostensibly a dive watch range, given its nautical inspirations, but really, designed to adorn the wrists of the superyacht party crowd – the watches feature signature design elements such as a crown protector in the shape of Harry Winston’s arches, round case with contemporary lines, and off-centered displays. In this version, however, the watches are enlivened with a lovely combination of animated retrograde displays, simple yet charming complications and, of course, the best diamonds that money can buy.

Harry Winston Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm

The black and white theme is executed gorgeously. Set against a white mother-of-pearl dial are an ex-centered time display and retrograde indicators for the 30-second and day counters. Demarcated by black lacquer or white mother-of-pearl chapter rings, and outlined by brilliant-cut diamonds, the colourways offer an interesting variant on the ‘panda’ and ‘reverse-panda’ style combinations that have enjoyed a recent resurgence. The look is neatly echoed on the rubber strap that features a white base and a weave-like pattern at the middle that looks intriguingly like a piece of fabric.

And who wouldn’t notice the shimmer of diamonds on these watches? Quite restrained by Harry Winston’s standards (it’s a sports watch after, after all), each model comes with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds on the 36mm case, 99 brilliant-cut diamonds on the dial and one emerald-cut diamond at 12 o’clock – all rated with D-F clarity and IF-VVS colour. Though not entirely impossible, you might find it a stretch to pair the watch with an evening gown. That aside, the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm is as versatile and all-occasion as it gets, its casual grace and glitter effortlessly accompanying any kind of get-up from the workday to the weekend.

Harry Winston Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm

A watch that is just as fascinating on the inside, the Ocean Biretrograde Black & White Automatic 36mm is driven by a 312-part automatic movement with state-of-the-art silicon spring that optimises rate regularity and timekeeping precision, and offers up to 65 hours of power reserve on a full wind, allowing you to leave the watch on your dresser for two days and pick it up to wear it after without it missing a beat. It would’ve been a shame to tuck all that power and performance out of sight, so Harry Winston has wisely opted to showcase the movement via an open caseback, dressed up with sophisticated hand-finishing, including circular Geneva stripes on the bridges, circular graining on the base plate, and an 18K white gold rotor. Limited to 100 pieces per model.

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Ex Editor-In Chief

Alvin promises not to be a douche when talking about watches. He may have scoured the Basel and Geneva watch fairs for the past 15 years, and played an instrumental role to the growth of Singapore's pioneering horological and men's lifestyle publications, but the intrepid scribe seeks to learn something new with each story he writes.


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