Introducing the New Tiffany & Co. Timer Watch with Signature Blue

Tiffany & Co. is going sporty, but with a twist. In recent years, the house has been known primarily for turning out dress watches, many of which—on the higher end—come decked in diamonds and precious gems in keeping with its reputation as a top-tier jeweler. Today, however, it unveiled a handsome new limited-edition chronograph set in platinum with a Tiffany blue dial. If you think that sounds out of its wheelhouse, think again. The new Tiffany & Co. Timer, unveiled today at LVMH Watch Week in Milan, is a nod to its very first chronograph created 160 years ago. Charles Lewis Tiffany began selling watches in 1847, many of which were made by Swiss watchmakers. It was the first retailer for Patek Philippe in the U.S.—a partnership that has continued to be fruitful well into the 21st century, notably with the wildly popular Patek Philippe Ref. 5711 Nautilus in Tiffany Blue, which still commands jaw-dropping prices at auction. In 1866, Tiffany unveiled the Tiffany & Co. Timing Watch, a chronograph pocket watch designed for use in scientific endeavors and sporting events. Two years later, the company opened its first watch assembly workshop in Switzerland and renamed the piece simply, the “Timer.” By 1874, the brand had opened a full watchmaking manufacture in Geneva where it not only crafted chronographs, but also calendar watches with their own movements. Just six years later, it sold the manufacture to Patek Philippe. Today, LVMH-owned Tiffany & Co. uses movements manufactured by other brands under its parent company’s umbrella. The new Tiffany Timer comes equipped with an El Primero 400 chronograph movement made by Zenith. The caliber is a direct descendant of the famed first El Primero movement made by Zenith in 1969, which defined what a high-frequency automatic chronograph could be. This smoother, modern version beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour—faster than the usual 28,800 vph found in many luxury chronographs—and allows timing for up to 1/10th of a second. Still, this timekeeper is pure Tiffany. Take, for instance, its rich dial in the house’s signature color. The hue sent the above-mentioned Nautilus into the stratosphere, and the company clearly intends to capitalize on the moment with its own take in a sporty-ish timepiece. Although the company has been using the color in watches for quite some time, this particular version—executed in lacquer in a process that takes 50 hours and 15 layers—is sure to attract serious collectors. The dial comes accented, naturally, with baguette-cut diamonds for hour markers. The crown follows another hallmark: Its faceted form mimics the six-pronged trademarked Tiffany Setting from its diamond solitaire rings. Flip it over and you’ll see the house mascot, a version of Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock, perched on the open-worked winding rotor. The creature is hand-sculpted from a piece of solid 18-karat gold. Furthermore, it is also hand-polished using diamond abrasives and gentian wood, a material native to Switzerland used in all high-end watch finishing. The 40 mm platinum-cased timepiece, complete with a crown and pushers in white gold, is limited to just 60 pieces. These will likely go to established Tiffany VIPs. We got an early peek at one last month and can tell you, it has the look and feel of a haute horology timepiece. Catching a glimpse of one on someone’s wrist will be rare, but one thing is for sure: You won’t miss it.