Harry Winston – A Legendary Presence

Harry Winston gave diamonds a legendary, high-fashion presence. Yet, his own persona was iron-gated, secluded and secretive. What was his deep obsession with the time 10:11 on watch faces, and why did he flee from every front-facing photograph?

By Dan Scott

In 1939, Vogue magazine editors look at a wealth of Winston designs. (Photo: Vogue)

Winston (foreground) demanded his face not be shown in this photo in his Manhattan office, where he was reviewing diamonds for an upcoming collection, circa 1956. (Photo: Swatch Group)

Harry Winston in the shadow at work in his private office in New York guarded by three forms of high security. All visitors had to be cleared through the gates. (Photos: Swatch Group)

As Creative Director for his own print ad campaign, Winston cast the talent and directed the show for this ad that was never completed nor released. He named the ad, “Secrets,” circa 1949. Shareholders thought the image was “too odd” and “challenging for any consumer to understand.” (Photo: Swatch Group)

An extraordinary display in Harry Winston’s hand. These gems include some of his most prized, including the "Sapphire of Catherine the Great" (next to thumb), the "Hope Diamond" (between index and middle finger), the "Royal Spanish Emerald" (green), the "Idol's Eye" (to left of emerald), the "Jonker Diamond) (center, square-cut), the "Star of the East" diamond (tear shaped, bottom), a large ruby, and a pair of 50-ct matched pear-shaped diamonds. (Photo: The Estate of Harry Winston)

A Harry Winston rendering with the completed tear-drop diamond earring created for Liz Taylor.

One designer name is known worldwide and remains synonymous with masterful diamond designs and bespoke luxury. While you may believe you know a lot about Harry Winston, you're bound to read some surprises in this story. For example, why did Winston constantly flee from all public photo opportunities, yet demanded that his designs be publicly photographed? Why did he have his custom-made shirts and suit sleeves cut 3/4" higher in the hem than the norm?
    There are still many hidden secrets surrounding a man who would embrace the titles of “King of Diamonds” and “Jeweler to the Stars,” yet would rarely attend public functions or personally accept awards in his honor. Carrying himself with the utmost dignity and style, Winston ensured those traits were always connected with his brand.
    While the spotlight shined on many wearing his designs, Winston lead his life in a cloaked fashion, literally under lock and key. He often preferred phone calls to in-person visits, kept a rigid calendar denoting anyone who was even a minute late for his meetings, and only released the combination of his personal safe to his wife, which he changed yearly (i.e. safe combination).
    His dynamic diamond jewelry designs drew the 20th century’s most eminent figures to the gated doors of his New York salon. A gate made of iron, a replica to his personal estate property gate, and one that would become a staple visual element for his brand. Ornate iron gates often equal status and protection. Winston's gates were as large and ornate as they come and always guarded or locked.
    These gates greeted the one percent of the world, heads of state, royal dignitaries and Hollywood’s brightest, most dripping in his diamonds upon entrance or exit. Some thought Winston's family was blue blood and royal to the core. Those who thought so were incorrect, but with his palace-like surroundings, it was no wonder all felt a regal presence.
    The Duchess of Windsor insisted on an introduction when visiting New York and departed with some new "crown jewels." Jackie Kennedy Onassis proudly and very publicly wore a Winston engagement ring. Richard Burton purchased a flawless pear-shaped Winston diamond for Elizabeth Taylor, who made Red Carpets and Winston designs inseparable.
    Harry Winston’s design and branding philosophy remain perpetuated in every fine jewelry and timepiece that bears his name, always showcasing diamonds. He truly had an eye for the incredible.
Born in 1896, Harry Winston worked at his father’s jewelry shop from an early age. He showed a prodigious talent for jewelry. At age 12, he snapped up a green stone from a bin that was labeled “junk jewelry” for 25 cents at a neighborhood pawn shop, and sold it two days later for $800. It was really a two-carat emerald. Winston left school at age 15 to work in the family business in Los Angeles, California. Before long, he decided to strike out on his own.
    In 1920, he moved back to New York City to open his first business, the Premier Diamond Company. Relying on his eye for elite gemstones, he began to buy up entire estate sales of fine jewels. He'd remove the stones from their outdated settings, melt the platinum or gold and re-cut the removed stones and set them into his own dramatic designs.
    Success brought both media attention and the chance to grow the business. In 1932, he was able to open Harry Winston Inc, under which brand he designed, manufactured and sold his own jewelry. His philosophy was simple but revolutionary: jewelry design should always be dictated by the gemstones themselves, rather than their settings.
    It’s thought that one-third of the world’s most famous diamonds passed through Harry Winston’s hands during his long career. Some came more easily than others. In 1938, he finally acquired the Vargas diamond after months of extensive travel across three continents and several meetings on price as well as honoring a request to make the then present owner's wife a custom ring as part of the deal.

The Vargas Diamond was originally discovered in Brazil on August 13, 1938 and cut by the House of Winston and made famous by Harry himself who only allowed photos such as this to be shot with his hands.

Marlyn Monroe performs "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and was the perfect Hollywood sex symbol to drip in diamonds. (Photo: MGM Studios)

    Other acquisitions included the 726-carat Jonker, a rough stone that Winston split into 12 beautiful faceted diamonds, and the unusually shaped "briolette," once the focal point of a Maharaja’s headpiece which oddly disappeared in the early 1940's.
    In 1949, Harry Winston acquired the most famous stone of all his acquisitions: the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond. Originally mined in India, the heart-shaped blue diamond was a centerpiece of the crown jewels of pre-revolutionary France, before appearing in England and passing to King George IV. In 1958, Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, where it remains on permanent display.
    Throughout his life, Harry Winston used his wealth and influence to support worthy causes. Between 1949 and 1953, he took his most famous jewels—including the Hope Diamond, the Star of the East and the Jonker—on tour across America. The exhibition, entitled “The Court of Jewels,” raised large sums of money for local charities.
Philanthropy remains at the heart of the company ethos.  
    The Harry Winston Brilliant Futures Charitable Program helps disadvantaged young people achieve their potential all over the world. And the youth of the world are constantly in the brand's view. Yearly large-scale youth-focused non-profit events include headline sponsorships with Voices for Children, including the headline sponsorship at their 30th annual ball, a recurring partnership with the Foundation for AIDS research and, interestingly, numerous non-promoted and actually somewhat secretive but significant support to find a cure for the global AIDS epidemic.
    On the for-profit side of events, the Winston brand continues its support of events such as Wedding Week held in New York City.
    While Winston and fashion fit hand to glove, the brand has not heavily promoted or sponsored any event during any New York Fashion Week (NYFW) since 1969. That changed in February of 2017, when Luxe Licensing was commissioned to create a video invitation to a handful of front-row attendees during two runway shows, produced at 10:11pm. A small group of elite editors and EVPs were hand-delivered a hardbound, slim book embedded with a 5"x7" LCD flatscreen. Upon opening the invitation entitled "Into the Night," the custom video played. Nine of the ten accepted the day of, and were treated to cocktails and a private viewing pre-show.
    We need to rewind to 1960 to find Winston breaking records and getting Wall Street's attention. After a large-scale De Beers meeting, he transported a significant portion of his diamond collection from his private vault to the now famous Fifth Avenue, Manhattan salon. This event was documented as the largest transport of diamonds within that era and made for a splashy news story.
    These global headlines and TV coverage only reinforced Winston's ever-growing concern for his personal security and that of his family. It would mean distorting any images showing Winston's face and only grow to a much deeper concern towards the time of his death. Winston adored the camera, as long as it didn't picture him or show anyone how his diamonds were cut.
    He would, though, break his own public diamond cutting rule in 1968, when he allowed a live television broadcast of the risky cleaving of the 601-carat Lesotho diamond. It was also a cleavage that proved to be wildly successful. One of the finished stones cut from the Lesotho Diamond was purchased by Aristotle Onassis as an engagement ring for Jacqueline Kennedy.

Winston men's timepiece showing the hands set at 10:11 on the dial. (Photo: Swatch Group)

Winston women's diamond and 18K gold tank watch. (Photo: Swatch Group)

Set in platinum, the 25.27-ct Jonker V, is one of 12 faceted diamonds from the original 726-ct rough. It sold at Christie's in 2017 for more than US$ 3 million.

The flawless pear-shaped 101.73-ct Winston Legacy Diamond acquired by the House of Winston in 2013.

Model Hilary Rhoda dons a temporary setting for the Hope Diamond by Winston. (Photos: The Smithsonian)

Wedding Week 2018 in NYC, co-sponsored by Winston. (Photo: Wedding Week LTD)

Voices of Children event sponsored by Winston in 2001. (Photo: Swatch Group)

    While he kept his face off camera, Winston made sure the face of his watches were always in clear view. To help ensure this, he mandated his suits and dress shirts to be cut 3/4" higher than the "fashion norm." This allowed approximately 1/2" of his pressed cuff shirts to be visible below the hem of his suit sleeve (now an expected fashion must), in order to strategically display a strong portion of his timepiece. This brilliant marketing tool worked wonders as his hands and arms were widely photographed. Some claim this is the reason his watch ads offer an extreme close-up of the timepiece face.
    One secret that Swatch Group couldn't confirm originated from Winston, but many rumors in Winston's wheelhouse of thought stemmed from the 1920s through the 1960s.
Winston had a deep fascination with the time 10:11. Many speculate why this odd and very specific time meant so much to him. Winston would always ensure his timepieces were shot displaying the exact time of 10:11. Ad agencies were quick to adopt this tool as it allowed any branded watch name to be clearly visible and command attention at the top, bottom or sides of the watch face.
    Others enjoyed the 10:11 hands of time appearance, expressing that the static watch image appeared to be "active." Still others thought it was a gentle means of moving one's eye to the watch fob, often a highly branded element. Regardless of the reason, you will never see any watch advertisement anywhere in the world that doesn't follow the 10:11 rule today.
    Anyone searching today will find it impossible to locate any image of Harry Winston's face (except for a single publicity shot only available in high resolution by licensed agreement). This was due to Winston's constant concern about exposing himself or his family to undo harm. Even at personal events, Winston would flee from cameras. If he found someone trying to distribute an unapproved image that showed his face, that individual would be served with a lawsuit. This process continues to this day, now purely based on brand equity and brand image.
    Harry Winston died in 1978. He left his company to his wife, who upon passing, gave all assets to their two sons. But owning the world's prestigious diamond emporium isn't easy. Swatch Group acquired the design house when the company suffered serious financial debt, while a two-decade-long battle continues between the Winston brothers erupting into numerous legal challenges questioning their remaining equity.
    Still, Harry Winston's legacy lives on in the brand that bears his name. From his legendary Manhattan salon on Fifth Avenue to London, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and beyond, his famed initials are forever framed in an emerald-cut outline, his most desired form of diamond cut.

Caption for the top image: A seldom seen photograph of Harry Winston showing his back while he gazed out from his NYC office windows was blended with branded images. (Original photo: Getty Images, with approved photo effects by Luxe Licensing. Swatch Group (c) 2019)

Dan Scott is a Brand Architect with Luxe Licensing with current and past clients including Harry Winston, Chanel and Gucci jewelry as well as newly launched brands. He welcomes conversation and is available at [email protected].

The only approved headshot of Harry Winston offered anywhere. (Photo: Getty Images)