I have a mind to head down to Washington, D.C., this weekend, where the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off on Saturday. Because peak-bloom cherry trees make the advent of spring official, although I adore the sight of the flowers at every phase. Even when the petals fall and scatter the sidewalks in front of my apartment, creating a sort of pointillist mélange of blush pink, white, and gray.

Alas, no cherry blossoms to speak of here in New York City yet—with one exception: the limited-edition Avenue Classic Cherry Blossom Timepiece from legendary luxury jeweler Harry Winston.

The house’s pre-Basel novelty debut is inspired by the blooming of the sakura in Japan. This spectacular event is celebrated with a weeks-long festival known as hanami, the Japanese cultural tradition of welcoming the arrival of spring and enjoying each moment of the cherry blossom season.

Available in May, the Avenue Classic Cherry Blossom Timepiece comes with a dial crafted in pale blue-green mother-of-pearl, which uses its natural iridescence to depict clouds on a blustery spring day. The flowers, captured in white diamonds and pink sapphires, sit on 18k white gold tree branches or appear to float in midair.

Designed to echo the stone facade and entryway of Harry Winston’s historic Fifth Avenue Flagship Salon, an 18k white gold case frames the botanical scene in 29 brilliant-cut diamonds. Presented on a blue-green alligator strap (to complement the color of the dial), the timepiece is finished with an 18k white gold buckle set with six brilliant-cut diamonds.

While I wait for my Brooklyn cherry blossoms, and the inevitable boost they’ll bring, there’s no getting around the fact that the blooms are a symbol of the ephemeral and transient nature of life. But the Avenue Classic Cherry Blossom Timepiece has permanence—an investment one can cherish for eternity, and a constant reminder that hope springs eternal.

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Amy Elliott

JCK Contributing Editor