Archive • Beaumonde
27
Of the hour New collections from Tiffany & Co pay homage to the storied house’s New York state of mind
Words: Eleanor Pryor
Tiffany & Co’s association with jewellery – especially of the diamond persuasion – is so intrinsic, it’s all too easy to disregard its serious watchmaking pedigree, which stretches back to 1837. The most enduring symbol of this heritage is its statue of Atlas shouldering a clock. Now above the entrance to its flagship on New York’s Fifth Avenue, it had been installed at Charles Lewis Tiffany’s original store, on Union Square, and was one of the first public clocks in the city. The company’s latest timepiece collection, the CT60 (its title combines the initials of its founder with the number of seconds in a ‘New York Minute’ – a phrase Tiffany lays claim to having coined) serves as a worthy reminder of its unique watchmaking tradition. It has raided its archive for its return to the horological sphere, drawing inspiration from a watch that was given to Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a birthday gift in 1945, which the president went on to wear to the monumental Yalta conference. The vintage influence is immediate – from the classic shapes to the distinctive typography on the dial – yet additional stylistic touches stop the watches from being mere pastiche, helped by the fact simple and sophisticated designs such as these are currently in vogue. The leading light of the collection is undeniably the CT60 Calendar. Imbued with the understated elegance of midcentury timepieces, and the closest aesthetically to Roosevelt’s watch, the rose-gold model features a pared-back dial with month/date calendar. A special edition limited to 60 pieces, the covetable watch has the price tag to match, at £15,400. However, the CT60 collection also impresses with its diversity, not only in suiting different budgets, but different occasions too. A pleasingly uncomplicated three-hander starts at £3,450 for a 34mm-diameter women’s timepiece and £4,275 for the 40mm-diameter men’s with added date function. You could go all-out with a rose-gold version, but the stainless steel is just as handsome. A selection of carefully considered design options
Clockwise from top The back and front of the gold watch given to Franklin D Roosevelt in 1945; the CT60; the Atlas clock above Tiffany & Co’s first store
makes the decision between blue, grey, white or brown soleil dials with contrasting gold poudré numerals all the more difficult. An assortment of chronographs, meanwhile, opens up the options for a slightly more casual watch for everyday wear. Tiffany’s other new collection, Tiffany East West, also takes inspiration from a classic piece from the 1940s: the purse watch, a beautiful contraption carried by stylish women of the day that unfolds to reveal a secret dial. Unashamedly retro, with a playful air, these timepieces have a vertical dial shrouded by a chic and distinctive rectangular case that curves to follow the wrist. Their slim silhouette is unisex in its appeal. Unlike the CT60, the East West watches are currently available only in quartz, but they really shouldn’t be overlooked – they offer a whimsical take on Art Deco, Gatsby-esque style that is quintessentially New York. ● tiffany.co.uk