In the watch world, it seems like the concept of the jewellery watch no longer stands as a special category of its own. Design codes are breaking down and being rewritten as crossovers in culture and craftsmanship push silhouettes to morph and shape-shift, pushing these glamorous timepieces to appear more and more frequently in more casual settings. A popular method of such transformation seems to be reinventing the treasures that live on in the archives, and at Tiffany & Co., Jean Schlumberger’s indelible mark at the house is underlined yet again with a new creation — the Rope watch by Tiffany.
As one of the most important and influential jewellery and watch designers of the 20th century, it’s no surprise that his archival gems were just spotted on lapels at the Met Gala a few days ago; his three decades at Tiffany & Co. since 1956 have birthed multiple witty, whimsical and joyful creations that still to inspire wonderment today. But while his Bird on a Rock brooches are the first of this treasure trove to come to mind, the Rope watch takes inspiration from his Rope designs — mimicking tassels, braids and weaves that he saw growing up as part of a prominent textile-manufacturing family in Alsace, France. It boasts a distinct twisted gold motif thats not just pliable in concept, but to the touch and manufacturing process, and absolutely compatible to bracelet stack of your choice.
In this contemporary marriage of tradition and innovation, the Rope watch makes it known that both design and technology sit hand-in-hand at Tiffany’s artisanal studio. Defined by concentric circles, the watch is presented in 18k yellow gold with the option of a white mother-of-pearl dial (complemented by a Tiffany Blue® alligator strap) or glossy black dial (matched with a black alligator strap). The wide bezel surrounding the dial is highlighted by two circles of polished gold rope separated by a ring of round brilliant diamonds. The 27 mm watch is set with 38 diamonds of nearly 0.52 total carats, and the 33 mm size features 39 diamonds of 0.9 total carats. All this sparkle works to further bring out the delicate details in the rope motif; it appears on the minute hand and its polished gold is a textural complement that not only catches the light, but also creates extra depth and dimension in the exquisite timepiece.
The Rope watch also features Tiffany & Co.’s first ever solar-powered movement — a novelty for jewellery watches — designed in collaboration with and produced by the renowned Swiss movement manufacturer, La Joux-Perret. Combining high timekeeping precision with an exceptionally long power reserve (eight months without being exposed to sunlight). The watch’s solar cells are set beneath the semi-translucent dial, enabling the movement to charge. Outdoors on a sunny day, it takes just two minutes to charge the watch sufficiently to run for 24 hours. The case-back features an engraved sun logo and a diamond to represent this new collection.
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