Harry Winston

Harry Winston founded his company as Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. in New York City in 1932, renaming it to Harry Winston Inc. in 1936. The founder built a reputation acquiring and selling some of the world's most famous diamonds, including the Hope Diamond, which he donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. In 1943, Winston became the first jeweler to loan diamonds to an actress for the Academy Awards, establishing a lasting relationship with Hollywood. After Harry Winston's death in 1978, his sons Ronald and Bruce inherited the company, eventually leading to Ronald gaining full control in 2000. The company entered watchmaking in 1989 with the Premier Collection, and in 2001, under CEO Maximilian Büsser, launched the groundbreaking Opus series featuring collaborations with independent watchmakers. A dedicated watch manufacture opened in Geneva in 2007. In January 2013, the Swatch Group acquired Harry Winston for $750 million, with Nayla Hayek becoming CEO, bringing the brand's watchmaking under Swiss ownership while maintaining its New York headquarters.