Tiffany & Co. remains one of the most illustrious names in international luxury. Watchmaking has always been at its core, ever since the brand, acquired in 2021 by LVMH, was established in New York City in 1837. Its remarkable legacy taps into the collective imagining, from the signature blue box to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, along with many famed collaborations.
The American jewellery house has never turned its back on watchmaking. It was even an authorised retailer for Patek Philippe and had its own Manufacture in Geneva, not far from where the railway station now stands.
This no doubt explains the fabulous lineup of watches presented late January, at LVMH Watch Week, imagined as a dazzling tribute to the house’s history and affirmation of its authority in watchmaking, with pieces crafted at the Tiffany watch workshops, which recently relocated to Meyrin, in the canton of Geneva. This is certainly a strategic move and evidence that Tiffany & Co. intends to reinforce its commitment to the watch segment.
The new additions to the collections were an excellent surprise.
The Carat 128 Facet watches are inspired by the legendary Tiffany Diamond; a 128.54-carat, cushion-shaped fancy yellow stone whose form is echoed in the cushion-shaped cases. The Carat 128 Facet is proposed as two variations, in white gold or yellow gold, both with diamonds on the case and dial, paired with a leather strap. The Carat 128 High Jewelry is accompanied by a fully gem-set bracelet, while the Carat 128 Aquamarine High Jewelry is a unique piece whose white gold case and bracelet are embellished with 897 diamonds, totalling over 29 carats. A crystal protects the dial, snow-set with diamonds, which is none other than a 35.23-carat facetted aquamarine.
Part of the Tiffany Eternity collection, the Wisteria watch pays tribute to the namesake lamps produced by Tiffany Studios in the early twentieth century. A case in white gold, framed with diamonds around the bezel, complements the coloured plique-à-jour enamel dial. Twelve diamonds, each a different cut, represent the twelve hour markers.
Tiffany & Co.’s collaboration with Jean Schlumberger has prompted several of these new releases. Two are inspired by the Bird on a Rock brooch that Schlumberger designed in 1965. One is paved with diamonds and features a ring of tsavorites on its dial; the second is also carpeted with diamonds but this time the ring is in aquamarine. On both these treasures, the brooch’s whimsical bird has alighted on the dial, at 6 o’clock.
Another tribute to Jean Schlumberger takes the form of the Twenty-Four Stone watch in white gold. Its dial is covered with 707 diamonds for a total 6.5 carats. A rotating ring around the dial is decorated with 18k yellow gold cross stitches: a nod to the twisted motifs which the designer imagined for her Sixteen Stone wedding rings in 1959.
Tiffany & Co. has delivered a remarkable array of timepieces and, in doing so, reaffirmed watches as a central element in its numerous collections — for a long time to come, judging by the quality of these new pieces.
