First Look: Tiffany & Co. Unveils New Blue Book High-Jeweled Watches

In an exclusive preview today, we had the opportunity for an up-close and personal look at the watches in the new Tiffany & Co. 2016 Blue Book. Every year, Tiffany & Co. puts together special pieces that highlight the evolution of the brand’s legendary jewelry and watches. This year’s theme explores nature in the concept of The Art of Transformation. The storied Tiffany Blue Book is an annual presentation of one-of-a-kind creations for the brand’s special clients. This year, in addition to stunning sea creatures bedecked in shimmering diamonds and gemstones, Tiffany & Co is unveiling a host of specially made high-jewelry watches.

Easily one of the most romantic watches to be revealed this year, there are four Art-Deco inspired pieces — influenced by Tiffany & Co. designs from the Roaring Twenties — re-imagined with rectangular cases, mesh bracelets, diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. There is also a series of three different oval bejeweled cocktail watches that feature colored stones set into the top of the case and the dial in graduated colors from dark to light – to give a scintillating waterfall effect.

This year, too, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the highly successful CT60 line of watches, Tiffany & Co. is unveiling two one-of-a-kind diamond and sapphire CT60 watches that are bold designs that recall the brand’s tradition of horological craftsmanship.

One version is a 34mm three-hand watch created in 18-karat white gold with a white gold bracelet. A vision even from across a crowded room, the timepiece is meticulously set with 1,870 precious stones. It features a full pave’ diamond dial, surrounded by baguette-cut blue sapphires on the case that offers dramatic contrast. Not satisfied with the sea of 721 round-cut diamonds on the dial and the blue sapphires on the case, Tiffany & Co masters further enhanced the bracelet – with 1,092 round-cut diamonds spilling onto the center link and the outer links wrapping all the way around the wrist.  The mechanical watch, which retails for $150,000, consists of 3.63 carats of gemstones.

The second model is an alluring 40mm 18-karat white gold mechanical calendar watch with striking blue multi-level soleil-finished dial. A completely gem-set bezel – wit h40 baguette-cut sapphires – surrounds it. Even the crown is set with 19 baguette-cut sapphires – for entrancing appeal. In total there are 2.05 carats of sapphires on the timepiece. Retailing for $100,000, this CT60 Annual Calendar watch is powered by a Swiss-made self-winding mechanical movement and offers date, month, hours, minutes and seconds. The movement is meticulously finished with Cotes de Genève and perlage techniques.

The Swiss-made CT60 collection of watches was first unveiled to the world last year by the renowned brand. The inspiration for the line is derived from a watch originally made by Tiffany & Co and owned by American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The CT60 collection, named for Charles Tiffany and the 60-second minute, was three years in the making and includes three-hands, calendars and chronographs for men and women. This marks the first time high-jeweled versions are being unveiled, and the sapphire use underscores the brand’s attention to the creatures of the sea.

Of course, no story about the Tiffany Blue Book would be complete without at least a mention of the myriad of amazing jewelry creations included in it. Among the favorites this year are a trio of starfish ensconced in a cuff bracelet meticulously set with diamonds, sapphires and tsavorites. Other fish, and even an octopus with diamond tentacles, make elaborate presentations — almost coming to life thanks to the expert craftsmanship.

Tiffany & Co. master gem setters are among the best in the world at their art. For hours at a time, they toil away at the metal of a watch bracelet or a piece of jewelry, readying it for the stones that will be individually set one by one to achieve the maximum amount of play and light. Master stonecutters and setters work side by side to create flexible bracelets with streams of diamonds and gems that flow like silk and are magnificently matched in color and clarity.

In addition to the flawless, colorless diamonds Tiffany & Co uses for its masterpieces, it is also a king of colored diamonds, turning to Fancy Intense Yellow and other hues to achieve the perfect end result. Additional colors are achieved via the use of tanzanite, tourmaline, aquamarine and the big three: sapphires, emeralds and rubies.

Once each masterpiece is complete, it is photographed with the utmost care for inclusion in the famed Blue Book. In fact, the book has been created since 1845 when Tiffany & Co. founder Charles Lewis Tiffany conceived of and designed it as a personal service to his faithful clients. The robin’s-egg blue cover is a symbol of elegance and exquisite taste. With this year’s watch inclusions, it is also a new symbol of time at its finest.

Photo Credit: Donnelly Marks. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.