Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer Watch Review
Recently launched at LVMH Watch Week 2026, the Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer is powered by a customised El Primero Calibre 400 movement. Housed in a 40 mm platinum case, it features a comely Tiffany Blue dial with a seemly smattering of baguette diamonds. Angus Davies explains why he is smitten with this latest offering from the historical firm founded in New York City.
Tiffany & Co – a name that evokes thoughts
Tiffany & Co, established in 1837, is a rare luxury marque that has a remarkable capacity to evoke thoughts. Perhaps it’s an age thing, but I recall repeatedly watching reruns of Audrey Hepburn starring as Holly Golightly in the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. The svelte actress played a socialite with a penchant for visiting the company’s flagship store.
However, this is not the only instance of the New York based firm’s name resonating with luxury buyers. Indeed, there are many pages to this brand’s story, including the ‘Blue Book’, the now legendary annual catalogue, first produced in 1845. Famed for its exquisite jewellery, including Jean Schlumberger’s iconic enamel rings, Tiffany & Co is a name that has aroused many covetous thoughts among the well heeled and aspiring starlets.
Image – Tiffany & Co Lapel Watch with diamonds and enamel (1887)
Tiffany & Co – Patek Philippe
Horophiles will undoubtedly be familiar with the words Tiffany & Co gracing a watch dial. A dual-branded Patek Philippe, also bearing the name of the New York firm, has caused many watch aficionados to salivate. In some cases, lots sold at the most prestigious auction houses have attracted eye-watering sums. ‘Tiffany’s partnership with Patek Philippe began in 1851, when Antoine Norbert de Patek, seeking the world’s finest retailers for his exquisite timepieces, met Charles Lewis Tiffany at his store in New York. With a simple handshake, the jeweller and watchmaker established a relationship based on integrity and a commitment to excellence that endures to this day.’ Moreover, in 2008, the Genevan Maison ‘opened its first US showroom at Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue Landmark store’.
Famously, in 2021, Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co chose to celebrate the 170th anniversary of their unique partnership by releasing 170 steel Nautilus 5711 watches featuring Tiffany Blue dials. At the time of their release, the retail price was set at $ 52,635. The first example of the watch was auctioned by Phillips in the same year with the ‘proceeds benefitting The Nature Conservancy’. It sold for a jaw-dropping $6,503,500.
Tiffany & Co – watches
With much talk of Patek Philippe, one could be excused for thinking that Tiffany & Co only sell the Geneva-based Maison’s watches; however, this is not the case. Tiffany & Co offers its own range of watches, designed to seduce discerning souls. Many references are overtly feminine and incorporate precious stones, but rest assured the esteemed firm doesn’t neglect male horophiles, offering several suitably handsome masculine models.
Image – Tiffany & Co Pocket Watch Chronograph (1872-1879)
To be honest, I’ve never really been drawn to Tiffany & Co watches; however, on seeing the recently launched Tiffany Timer, I was immediately struck by its appearance. Allow me to elaborate.
Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer – dial
Quite simply, the new Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer is gorgeous. The dial is dressed in the company’s iconic Tiffany Blue hue but this beauty is more than skin deep. The eye-catching shade is not achieved by employing a simple galvanic treatment but instead an intricate process that imbues the dialscape with a wondrous lustre. Its protracted creation involves the application of eight layers of coloured varnish, each layer ‘kiln dried for two hours at a precisely controlled temperature’. Then, 15 layers of transparent lacquer are applied, air-dried under controlled conditions with due consideration to humidity and temperature. By this stage, the company has expended a total of 45 hours merely to create this artistic canvas. Thereafter, transfer-printed dial markings are applied before a gem-setter expertly mounts 12 baguette diamonds, each succinctly denoting an hour, save for 6 o’clock. The luxury marque states that in total the dial requires ‘over 60 hours of high-precision work’.
Classical dauphine-style, white gold hour and minute hands efficiently impart meaning. They feature numerous facets and, similar to a precious gem, they bewitchingly toy with light. The central chronograph seconds hand enunciates elapsed seconds with its narrow tip, while the opposite end features a fletching-like counterweight. Three snailed counters punctuate the central area of the dial: a 30-minute chronograph counter (3 o’clock), a 12-hour chronograph counter (6 o’clock) and a small seconds display (9 o’clock). The dial eschews an index at 6 o’clock in favour of a date indication. As horological etiquette dictates, the date disc matches the dominant dial hue ie Tiffany Blue. Two tracks fringe the central dial area, a ⅕-second track, corresponding with the movement’s 5 Hz cadence, and a minuterie presented on an upper flange.
There is much information shown on the dial with numerous nuanced details and yet the overall composition does not overwhelm the wearer; ease of understanding is assured.
Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer – case
Measuring 40 mm in diameter, the dimensions of the Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer are tastefully restrained. Indeed, this watch does not fanfare its presence as it enters a room. Rather than talking loudly with bulk or gauche adornment, it converses in refined, measured tones. The Tiffany Timer is a purist’s watch and its size will suit the majority of wrists. The case is formed of platinum, a dense, lustrous noble metal that is eminently bright and reassuringly durable.
The polished execution of the case complements the Tiffany Blue dial. The curved chronograph pushers follow the arcing contours of the caseband, contributing to the overall sense of harmony. Interestingly, the pushers serve a secondary role by shielding the crown from harm and this crown deserves to be protected. Its beautiful form was inspired by the ‘six-pronged Tiffany Setting made famous by the House’s diamond solitaire rings’ and is yet another example of the watch’s considered design.
Inquisitive types will appreciate the glazing to the rear of the case, affording views of the movement within (see later). The Tiffany Timer is presented on a taupe alligator leather strap and secures to the wrist with a triple folding clasp in 18k white gold.
Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer – customised El Primero 400
Should you assemble a group of watch aficionados and ask them to name iconic watch movements, it is highly likely that the name ‘El Primero’ will be mentioned. There are very few movements that enjoy the same brand recognition as the Zenith El Primero.
During the late 1960s, several firms were engaged in a form of horological space race, each vying to be the first to create an automatic chronograph movement. Three groups sought chrono supremacy. Heuer, Breitling, Buren and Dubois Dépraz joined forces and worked on ‘Project 99’, a movement that would ultimately become known as the Heuer Calibre 11 and Breitling Chrono-Matic when it was unveiled in 1969. In that same year, Seiko launched the Speedtimer featuring the Calibre 6139, and Zenith unveiled the El Primero 3019 PHC Calibre. While each company claims to be the first to produce an automatic chronograph, there is no question that the El Primero was, technically speaking, the most impressive calibre.
From the outset, the El Primero has always been a high-frequency 5 Hz movement. In a landscape dominated by 2.5 Hz, 3 Hz and 4 Hz calibres, the El Primero was cutting-edge back in 1969 and its cadence still remains rare today.
The technical challenge with making a high-frequency movement primarily relates to three obstacles: wear, a notable thirst for lubricants and significant energy consumption. Zenith surmounted all such obstacles. Moreover, the resultant movement delivered extraordinary accuracy. Firstly, because the higher cadence means that after the movement has been subject to a minor shock, it will regain its rate more readily and, secondly, because the movement is less prone to positional influence.
The El Primero is a fully integrated chronograph featuring a column-wheel and horizontal coupling. This configuration confers a superb, buttery-smooth pushpiece action, free of the grauchiness you can sometimes experience with lesser chronographs. Furthermore, after actuating the chronograph there is no discernible stuttering or hesitation, again a drawback found with inferior movements. In 2009, Zenith celebrated the 40th anniversary of the El Primero by unveiling the El Primero Calibre 400, an evolution of the El Primero 3019 PHC Calibre. This newer movement featured improved materials and incorporated enhancements, including superior shock resistance. An obvious difference was the position of the date display, which relocated from 4:30 (3019 PHC Calibre) to 6:00 (Calibre 400). A ‘customised’ version of the El Primero Calibre 400 is employed within the Tiffany Timer.
When viewing the movement within this watch, courtesy of the exhibition caseback, the eyes are immediately drawn to the oscillating mass. It’s partially openworked and features a bird, measuring 1.4 cm in width, ‘sculpted by hand from a solid piece of 18k yellow gold’. This beautiful addition is a hat tip to Jean Schlumberger’s famous ‘Bird on a Rock” brooch, first introduced in 1965. The avian scene is handcrafted using a traditional burin, abrasive pastes and gentian wood, with nearby surfaces receiving a lightly grained finish. Traditionalists will also appreciate the classical appearance of the movement with various wheels and levers freely shown for the delectation of inquisitive eyes.
Closing remarks
When I began writing this article, I showed my hand at an early stage, revealing my appreciation for Tiffany Timer’s genteel character and sophisticated execution. The dial features 12 baguette cut diamond indexes, adding a quotient of sparkle without appearing gauche or shouty. The Tiffany Blue dial is the product of patience and skill, its depth and lustre proving most becoming.
At the heart of the watch sits a customised version of the El Primero, a movement beloved by the cognoscenti, appreciated for its impressive blend of talents. Tiffany & Co states this is the third collaboration with Zenith to date. Having joined the LVMH family in 2019, it is hoped that the two companies work together more in the future. But ultimately, this watch is first and foremost a Tiffany & Co timepiece, imbued with the brand’s distinctive DNA, incorporating delightful references to its past, such as Jean Schlumberger’s work. With the advent of the Tiffany Timer, my interest in Tiffany & Co has grown exponentially and I vow to be more attentive to the brand’s horological creations in the future.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Tiffany & Co Tiffany Timer
- Reference: SKU 75450125
- Case: 950 platinum with crown and push buttons in white gold, diameter 40 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to the front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: customized El Primero Calibre 400, automatic, frequency 36,000 vph (5 Hz), power reserve 50 hours
- Strap: taupe alligator strap with triple folding clasp in 18k white gold
- Price – $55,000 USD (RRP as of 22.1.2025)
- Limited Edition: 60 pieces