The Tiffany Timer, now in a Titanium and Platinum Combination

While Tiffany is mostly known for its emblematic blue colour and its high-end jewellery, the NYC-based brand has been involved in watchmaking for much longer than most would expect. For instance, Tiffany introduced its first chronograph, back then a pocket watch, of course, back in 1866. Earlier this year, to celebrate the 160th anniversary of this milestone and to show its growing dedication to watches, Tiffany released a first, bold limited edition of the Timer chronograph watch, a 60-piece release featuring a platinum case, a Tiffany Blue dial with diamond markers and a customised El Primero inside. The Tiffany Timer now comes back in a lighter, more traditional version pairing titanium and platinum with a classic navy blue dial – but the Tiffany Blue accents have not been forgotten. 

As explained by Xavier in its article covering the previous Tiffany Blue edition, since the New York-based jeweller was acquired by LVMH, there is a clear desire to up the game in terms of watchmaking. Led by Nicolas Beau, former Global Head of Horlogerie at Chanel, who now serves as Tiffany’s VP of Horlogerie, the division has worked on looking at a watchmaking past that’s far richer than many imagine, but also on infusing the brand’s jewellery expertise into a distinctive collection of watches. And if many of these creations are high-end, gemset models, the Tiffany Timer is something quite different: a sporty chronograph with high-frequency automatic movement.

The first edition paired a platinum case with a bold dial in signature Tiffany Blue, with the hour markers replaced by baguette diamonds. The second version of the Tiffany Timer is more conventional (in a good way), lighter and more accessible too. First and foremost, if the design remains the same, the materials and finishes have changed. The case is now made mostly of grade 5 titanium, with satin-brushed surfaces, resulting in a sportier look and better comfort on the wrist. But it has a bi-material construction, with a bezel made of polished 950 platinum. This 40mm chronograph, with a reasonable 13mm thickness, features several distinctive elements, such as a crown that recreates the form of the six-pronged Tiffany solitaire ring setting, elongated and curved oversized chronograph pushers that almost act as crown guards and thin curved lugs that give the watch a softer appeal. Water resistance is rated at 100m, pleasant for a chronograph.

The other evolution for this new limited edition of the Tiffany Timer is the dial. Instead of a full Tiffany Blue lacquered dial with diamonds, it brings a more restrained look, with a sunray-brushed navy blue base. As you’d expect, the brand’s emblematic colour has not been forgotten and can be found as accents on the chronograph sub-dial rings, the outer scale and the date disc. Finally, this titanium/platinum edition relies on classic polished applied markers and hands that are made of white gold.

No surprises inside that case, as Tiffany benefits from synergies within the LVMH Group, sourcing its movement from Zenith. Based on the iconic El Primero 400, the tri-compax and traditional version of this high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, it is made special by the use of an oscillating weight featuring a hand-sculpted yellow gold “bird on a rock”, a nod to one of the brand’s iconic design features created in the 1960’s by Jean Schlumberger. The specifications of the movement are known: 5Hz frequency, column wheel and horizontal clutch architecture, 50 hours of power reserve.

Worn on a navy blue alligator strap with a triple folding clasp in steel and titanium, the new bi-material version of the Tiffany Timer Chronograph is released as a limited edition of 100 pieces. It is priced at USD 28,000. For more details, please visit tiffany.com.