One hundred and sixty years after producing its first stopwatch, Tiffany & Co. is returning to one of the lesser-known chapters of its history with the release of the Tiffany Timer Titanium, the second of two limited-edition chronographs created to mark the anniversary.
The house produced its first stopwatch in 1866, renaming it the Tiffany & Co. Timer two years later, the same year it established its first watch assembly workshop in Switzerland. That history has provided the starting point for the new anniversary editions, with the latest interpretation bringing a distinctly contemporary edge to the original Timer story.
The Tiffany Timer Titanium combines a satin-brushed titanium case with a platinum bezel and navy blue alligator strap, while the dial mixes dark blue with accents of Tiffany Blue, ensuring there is little ambiguity about where it comes from. Twelve baguette-cut diamonds mark the hours, complemented by white-gold hands, giving the chronograph the sort of jewellery-led detail Tiffany does particularly well without overwhelming its more technical character.
The house’s jewellery heritage becomes even more apparent on the reverse, where Jean Schlumberger’s celebrated Bird on a Rock motif has been incorporated into the automatic winding rotor of the El Primero 400 chronograph movement. First created by Schlumberger in 1965, Bird on a Rock became one of Tiffany’s most recognisable designs, combining precious stones with the designer’s particular talent for bringing wit and movement into high jewellery.
For the Timer Titanium, the bird has been hand-sculpted from 18k yellow gold and positioned within the movement, giving collectors an unexpected view of a Tiffany icon each time the watch is turned over.
While the first Tiffany Timer anniversary edition was limited to just 60 pieces, the new Titanium model will be produced in an edition of 100 and is set for release on September 27.
For collectors with an interest in both watchmaking and jewellery, it brings together two sides of Tiffany’s history that have long coexisted, even if one has spent rather more time in the spotlight.
