Montres Passion Magazine, Baselworld 2008, and myself agree that Harry Winston’s Diane Minute Repeater watch is something to remember.

Most recently the Harry Winston watch won an award at the annual Montres Passion Magazine Watch of the Year 2008.  The “Diane, minute repeater” won the Jury’s Special Prize for watch designers, won by Sandrine de Laage, Deputy Head of Design at Harry Winston.

Not only is this a spectacular as this Harry Winston timepiece and they know it because there is a minute amount of information available to the public. Not only is Diane is considered to be one of the most complicated and rarest watches on earth, the minute repeater uses hammers to chime the time.  The time is actually amplified by the case of the watch.

Diane was inspired by Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt.  Only 20 will be fashioned, carved from a single block of gold, only 5 will be set in diamonds and only five will be set with diamonds and rubies..  Other technical specifications include an oscillating weight in the case back, abstract forest motif, and swiveling bezel complication.

My favorite part of Harry Winston’s Diane Minute Repeater watch would have to be the placement of the jewels.  It almost seems as if a jeweled hand is gripping the case and spreading a color change from one part of the watch case to the next. The arrow hands are unique round shaped figures with elegant points telling the time.

By far, the Harry Winston Diane Minute Repeater watch is my favorite timepiece of the year.