Stage prop
The house of Harry Winston was founded in 1932 in New York, that storied era of Prohibition, Art Deco and the creation of glimmering legends. Fitting then, that Harry Winston should pay tribute to that gilded age of its birth with the new Broadway Glasses, part of its haute joallerie collection unveiled at Baselworld 2017. Diamonds, onyxes and emeralds cover a boxy gold and titanium body that is designed to mimic the opera glasses carried by society attendees to allow them to view stage productions from the distance of their private boxes. Fully functional with modern binocular lenses, the gems – two layers of 80 baguette-cut diamonds and six rows of 240 brilliant-cut diamonds – are arranged in a bold geometric pattern recalling the Art Deco spirit. A lone green emerald punctuates that white gleam, indicating the focus wheel.
There is also another little other feature here that you might miss in all the shine. On the delicate bridge of the binoculars, framed by black onyx and four emeralds, is a watch face. Set with 48 baguette-cut diamonds, the octagonal shape of the discreet timepiece references Mr Winstons’ favourite diamond cut. A tiny button enables the timepiece to pop up when pushed, so time can be adjusted from the inside. This entire delicate creation is held with a long handle, a tribute to classic lorgnette stems, made from 18-karat white gold and onyx marquetry, as well as 30 brilliant-cut and 14-baguette cut diamonds. Society may have changed, and stage productions certainly have, but with the Harry Winston Broadway glasses in hand, relive the glories of a time gone by.
