Harry Winston

Part 3: Watches Assembly

 

We leave the Production Unit to visit now the watches assembly.

As I said in the introduction post, the watches assembly process is done by two teams. One builds the movements which are provided to the Manufacture in spare parts (we call all these parts which are required to build the movement or the module: a kit). This team (based into the movement workshop) is able to assemble 6 different kits including perpetual calendar or chronograph ones. At the end of this process, the movement is tested and controlled. Then, the job of the second team starts: it puts the whole movement into the case and assembles the whole watch with the dials and the hands. Again, at the end of the process, the movement is tested and controlled. The main interest for the watchmakers of these two teams is the broad range of movements available: Girard-Perregaux, Frédéric Piguet, Jaquet bases, Agenhor or exclusive modules...

But before reaching the workshops, the incoming parts and calibers are tested to check that everything is perfect and ready to be assembled. For example, this exclusive caliber used for the Z6 which was designed by Harry Winston in partnership with Jean-François Mojon:







This is not the final dial, it is a dial which is used only for tests:




The large words along the side of the corridor are typical of the American companies and remind us the demanding quality of the watchmakers' work:

The Lajoux-Perret handwind caliber with a 5 days power reserve. It is also used by the Opus V and by Urwerk for its 201 watches: 

This plate is ready to receive the parts from the Agenhor module:

Before/after:

This is how a kit looks like:

The watchmakers at work:

A Lady Zalium dial coming from Les Cadraniers de Genève:

All the parts needed to build the Lady Zalium. You will notice that the movement is already assembled:

We recognize the Frédéric Piguet base:

Silence and concentration:

At each step of the process, accuracy and quality are controlled:




At the other side of the corridor, we find the repair workshop:

This part is the last one of the report... the watches are about to leave the Manufacture, to be sent to the AD to meet their clients and future owners. I hope you enjoyed to browse these pictures and that you understood the huge energy and investment Harry Winston has put into this Manufacture. Again, I would like to thank a lot the whole staff at the Manufacture for the warm welcome and its availability. It was for me a true pleasure to spend this half-day at the Manufacture.

Fr.Xavier

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