BY JOVAN K
Let’s be honest, Tiffany & Co. isn’t the first name that pops up when you’re talking to your watch nerd friends about high-end chronographs. Most people think of jewelry first, but the brand actually has some serious teeth in the game. They’ve been at this since the 1840s. In 1866, Tiffany introduced a timing watch that the brand later identified as America’s first stopwatch, eventually known as the Tiffany Timer. Now 160 years later, they’re bringing that name back with the new Tiffany Timer.
The case is made from platinum and measures 40mm with 100 metres of water resistance. That material choice could have tipped into excess, but the rounded case shape keeps things controlled and wearable. The chronograph pushers follow the case profile and give the crown a bit of protection. Speaking of the crown, it’s faceted to mirror the proportions of Tiffany’s six-prong setting from their jewelry side. Both crown and pushers are white gold, keeping the whole thing monochromatic and refined.
You can’t talk about this watch without mentioning the dial. Lo and behold it’s that famous Tiffany Blue, but the kicker is that the process is now more intense than a simple paint job. They spray eight layers of matte lacquer and then add fifteen layers of transparent lacquer on top. It takes about 50 hours of work just to get that specific depth.
Instead of standard lume or printed numbers, they used twelve baguette-cut diamonds for the hour markers. It’s a statement, sure but the dark grey printing for the subdials keeps it from looking too ostentatious.
Inside is a customized Zenith El Primero 400, an integrated automatic chronograph calibre running at 36,000vph with a 50 hour reserve and COSC certification. It’s a movement collectors know well, used in plenty of serious chronographs over the years, so Tiffany’s choice here adds credibility. The rotor carries a miniature Bird on a Rock motif in yellow gold, a nod to Jean Schlumberger’s design work, which is a neat crossover between jewelry and watchmaking.
The watch comes on a taupe crocodile leather strap secured by a triple folding white gold deployant clasp. It isn’t cheap at $55,000 and they are only making 60 of these, so don’t expect to see one sitting in a display case for long. It’s a specific watch for a specific type of buyer who wants the Tiffany name but wants the mechanics to back it up.
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