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Harry Winston, Inc.

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This article is about the company. For the person, see Harry Winston.
Harry Winston, Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryJewelers, watchmaking
Founded1932 (Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc.)
1936 (Harry Winston, Inc.)
FounderHarry Winston
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
Key people
Nayla Hayek, CEO[1]
Harry Winston, Founder
ProductsJewelry, watches
ParentThe Swatch Group
Websiteharrywinston.com

Harry Winston, Inc. is an American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces.[2][3] The company was founded in 1932 as Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. and changed its name to Harry Winston Inc. in January 1936.[4][5] The company is named after its founder, Harry Winston, who was called by many as the "King of Diamonds".[2][6][7][8][9]

Harry Winston is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious jewelry manufacturers in the world.[10][11][12][13][14] The company has its headquarters in New York City, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group, which acquired it from the Toronto-based Harry Winston Diamond Corporation in January 2013.[3][5][15]

History

Early history

Harry Winston's headquarters, 718 5th Avenue, New York City

American jeweler Harry Winston opened his first store under name Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. in 1932.[3][4] In 1936, the company changed its name to Harry Winston Inc..[4][5]

Harry Winston was the first jeweler to loan diamonds to an actress for the Academy Awards, in 1943; after dressing Best Actress nominee Jennifer Jones in his signature diamonds, Winston became popular with Hollywood celebrities.[16]

Recent development

After the death of the company's founder, Harry Winston, the company went to his two sons, Ronald and Bruce, who then entered into a decade-long battle over the control of the company.[17] In 2000, Ronald, along with new business partner, Fenway Partners, bought Bruce out from the company for $54.1 million.[18]

In 2010–2011, the company's sales were €246 million in total sales and €36 million in watches.[19] The company also got a new CEO, Frederic de Narp, formerly of the Cartier North America. He succeeded Tom O'Neill.[20]

On January 14, 2013, Harry Winston, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its luxury brand diamond jewelry and timepiece division, Harry Winston Inc., to the Swiss Swatch Group.[3] The transaction included the brand and all the activities related to jewelry and watches, including the 535 employees worldwide and the production company in Geneva, Switzerland.[21]

Noted acquisitions

Harry Winston store at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Further information on diamonds traded by the company: Harry Winston § Noted diamonds Winston owned

The company bought the flawless blue diamond The Winston Blue on 15 May 2014.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "It's Official, Nayla Hayek Becomes CEO Of Harry Winston". Forbes. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. ^ a b "The "diamond king" now wears a Swiss crown – FHH Journal". journal.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  3. ^ a b c d "Harry Winston – History". www.hautehorlogerie.org. Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Company Overview of Harry Winston, Inc". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  5. ^ a b c "Harry Winston - Swatch Group". www.swatchgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  6. ^ "Three of a Kind: Larger-than-Life Diamonds". Sotheby's. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  7. ^ "5 minutes with… A Harry Winston wreath necklace | Christie's". www.christies.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  8. ^ "Heritage, history and Mr Harry Winston". The Telegraph. 2016-11-17. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  9. ^ Meers, Carolyn (2017-12-08). "Harry Winston Unveils Revamped Flagship in Beverly Hills". Robb Report. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  10. ^ "Harry Winston Most Prestigious Jeweler". JCK. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  11. ^ "Harry Winston Diamond Corporation: Exhibit 4 - Prepared by TNT Filings Inc". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  12. ^ Thorp, Clare (2017-11-30). "Why Harry Winston fine jewellery is a timeless gift". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  13. ^ Presse, Agence France. "This Flawless 101-Carat Diamond Just Sold For $26.7 Million". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  14. ^ "Harry Winston - Jewelry Artists - Artist Biographies - Macklowe Gallery". www.macklowegallery.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  15. ^ Koltrowitz, Silke. "Swatch Group acquires Harry Winston for $750 million". Reuters UK. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  16. ^ "How Movie Stars Pick Oscars Jewelry For The Red Carpet". Forbes. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  17. ^ Burleigh, Nina. "The Trouble with Harry Winston". www.nymag.com. New York. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  18. ^ Pristin, Terry (22 December 2000). "New Partners Hope to Expand Harry Winston". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  19. ^ Chevalier, Michel (2012). Luxury Brand Management. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-17176-9.
  20. ^ "Harry Winston". www.worldtempus.com. WorldTempus. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  21. ^ "acquires the jewelry and watch brand Harry Winston Inc". Swatch Group. 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  22. ^ "Harry Winston Renames World's Largest Flawless Vivid Blue Diamond, 'The Winston Blue". Forbes. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
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