Inside Tiffany & Co.’s Grand Return to Luxury Watches

Though hearing the name Tiffany & Co. referenced in watch collecting circles has long held significant weight — as Tiffany-stamped Patek Philippe wristwatches command steep premiums when trading hands — the legacy luxury jeweller’s own in-house efforts have been somewhat limited over the last 30 or so years. We’ve known that this was destined to change before long, mind you. With the hiring of Nicholas Beau as Vice President of Horlogerie in 2021, who spent nearly 20 years leading watchmaking at Chanel, it was only a matter of time. Slowly but surely, the long-term plan for a triumphant return to the category has been coming together, culminating in the release of the Tiffany Timer and the Tiffany Enamel Watch earlier this year.

This journey won’t be without its challenges, and this isn’t lost on Beau. Despite its rich archives, having produced its first timepiece in 1847 and having been especially active in the industry up until the early ’80s, building up consumer awareness is an uphill battle, as Beau has noticed. “Even speaking with my own family, when I tell them I’m working with Tiffany on watches, they say ‘oh, Tiffany does watches?’ In North America it’s a bit more well known, but in the rest of the world, it’s basically 30 years of [Tiffany watchmaking] being asleep,” he tells us. “The biggest challenge isn’t the boutiques, the people, or the creativity. It’s getting people to come and discover what we’re doing today.”

Bumpy road or not, the immediate success of the Tiffany Timer hints that things are pointed in the right direction. Limited to only 60 pieces worldwide, and selling out within weeks, the exquisite enamel-dial chronograph commemorates the 160th anniversary of the brand’s first chronograph pocket watch, a timepiece that put Tiffany & Co. on the map in terms of watchmaking expertise. The Timer is cased in platinum and fitted with 12 baguette-cut diamonds that act as hour indices. Despite the gemsetting, its perfect Tiffany Blue lacquer dial is what captures one’s eye before anything else. 

That said, the Timer isn’t all show either. Being part of the LVMH group, a top-shelf automatic chronograph calibre from Zenith — suitably modified to suit Tiffany & Co.’s standards — provides the requisite power and timekeeping accuracy. Flipping the watch over, one will note another Tiffany & Co. hallmark: the emblematic Bird on a Rock is incorporated into its winding rotor, a faithful nod to Jean Schlumberger’s original design. The bird is hand-sculpted out of 18K yellow gold, and required some recalibration of the Zenith calibre’s winding mass, but this was an expected and non-negotiable complication.

Beau was especially insistent on this use of Schlumberger’s design, noting his historical impact on the brand’s direction. “When you’re looking at archives, whether it’s jewellery or watches, his influence has been major. He’s one of the greatest artists to ever work with Tiffany, and one who left a lasting imprint on the brand.” 

This mention of the influence of both jewelry and watches further speaks to the path that Beau is looking to carve. As we discussed the new releases in the Tiffany & Co. New York flagship, one of the items that stood out is what seems to be a balancing act between jewelry and watchmaking. Beau’s goal isn’t to produce Tiffany jewelry that tells time; his goal is to produce watches that strike the right balance between crafts. Speaking of the Timer, Beau’s words provided the most clarity, stating, “It’s the interpretation of a chronograph by a jeweller.” 

This vision is equally echoed in the Enamel Watch, though it leverages the brand’s jewelry expertise far more extensively. Once again leaning on past Schlumberger design, one might recognize the hour track on the dial from his iconic Croisillon bangles. The enamel work on the Tiffany Blue hour track is executed in paillonné enamel – a 19th-century technique that Schlumberger revived for the Croisillon bangle in 1962, which layers hand-cut gold or silver leaf beneath translucent enamel. 

With strong leadership, a talented team, and an incredible archive spanning 179 years, Tiffany & Co.’s watchmaking division enters a new dawn. The investment is there, the motivation is palpable, and there’s an infectious passion and excitement in Beau’s tone when speaking about the brand. Its evolution will continue to take time, but we’re eager to see what’s next.

FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFANY & CO.