Alongside it, the new Tiffany Timer in platinum, produced in a limited edition of 60 pieces. On the opposite page, sketches show the work carried out on the crown and on the rotor of Zenith’s El Primero chronograph movement
B ack in the a ir
First created by Jean Schlumberger in 1965, the Bird on a Rock has found its way into the world of watchmaking, appearing on the oscillating weight of the Tiffany Timer. A creation that brings a chronograph back into the catalogue of the New York maison, 160 years after its debut
by Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Tiffany & Co.
Above, from left, a stage in the application of the markings on the lacquered dial using pad printing; the positioning of the miniature gold reproduction of Bird on a Rock on the movement’s oscillating weight; the Tiffany Timer by Tiffany & Co. seen from the case back. Below, the wristwatch celebrating the 160th anniversary of the maison’s first chronograph, produced in 1866, originally in a pocket version
One need only glance at the dial to see not just a demonstration of craftsmanship, but also a clear mark of identity. The colour speaks for itself: a turquoise so distinctive that Pantone has immortalised it in its colour palette with an unmistakable code, 1837 C, where the numerical reference is none other than the year Tiffany & Co. was founded in New York. Dyed eight times with a matte paint to give it depth and body, it is then coated with 15 layers of transparent lacquer, each alternating with oven curing, for a total of more than 50 hours of work. The hour markers feature 12 baguette-cut diamonds which, on closer inspection, seamlessly bridge watchmaking and jewellery. Just like the precious metal chosen to shape the 40 mm case: platinum, the same platinum with which the maison has long crafted its coveted engagement rings. For those doubtful of how a timepiece could fit within the offering of the New York jeweller, history – and the Blue Books, the small catalogues distributed to agents since the 19th century to promote the brand’s creations – has plenty to say. The first models appeared as early as 1847. Naturally, they were pocket watches: initially precious and refined, these later evolved in technical sophistication and complexity. In 1866, unsurprisingly, the first chronograph arrived. Today, 160 years later, Tiffany & Co. pays tribute to that history with the Tiffany Timer, a limited edition of 60 pieces. Inside it houses a masterpiece of short-time measurement mechanics: a high-frequency El Primero automatic calibre. Produced by Zenith and customised with satin-finished ruthenium on the bridges and mainplate, as well as the symbolic Bird on a Rock, hand-engraved in gold on the oscillating weight visible through the case back. tiffany.com