The original Tiffany & Co. watch gifted to Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Above the fifth avenue entrance of the Tiffany & Co. flagship store, a clock that keeps perfect time is held up by the titan Atlas, reminding New Yorkers that time is but fleeting in the Big Apple. It was founder Charles Lewis Tiffany who set up this memento of the New York minute—before the phrase was even coined—symbolising the eddy of energy and vibrancy that makes so much happen in any one instant that is so unique to the city. 

This American spirit has been injected in Tiffany’s newest line of watches, the CT60, its name taking the initials of the brand’s founder and the 60sec within the frantic “New York Minute”. 

The brand has returned to horology after a two-year hiatus, but time has not stayed still—in this period, it has set up an entity in Geneva for its quality control. Nicola Andreatta, vice president and general manager for watches at Tiffany, was Employee No. 1 at this facility. 

“Two years ago, we didn’t even have a company in Switzerland,” he says. “Now we have a professional team, all from watchmaking so everybody knows exactly what they are doing. We need to make sure that we have this watch culture inside the company. Selling watches is not the same thing as selling jewellery; you need expertise, to know exactly what watches are about.” 

Since its launch earlier this year, the CT60 has been well received by fans and critics alike. Inherently American, it is the direct descendant of a Tiffany watch worn by former US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). His stepson gave him the watch in January 1945, with the inscription on the caseback reading “Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with loyalty, respect and affection”. Unfortunately, he didn’t wear the watch for too long, as he passed away in April that year.

Of the watch’s provenance, Andreatta says, “John Reardon, a Patek Philippe watch specialist and international head of Christie’s watch department, had written a book about Patek Philippe in the US, and obviously there was a lot about Tiffany because the two brands have always been together. He came to us some two years ago, and said Christie’s had just found a Tiffany watch that was worn by FDR, and they were going to auction it. We bought it back. It was the perfect watch to take inspiration from; six American presidents throughout history wore Tiffany watches, but this was the most important one.” 

It reiterates Tiffany’s paramount role in the American story; much like how European royalty wore jewellery from French maisons like Cartier or Chaumet, in the US, too, the upper echelon of society perceived Tiffany & Co. as the ultimate arbiter of quality, taste and status. Hence, it stands to reason that its horological endeavours are steeped in a unique Americana that sets the brand apart. 

Andreatta elaborates, “There is an American way of designing watches, which is different from the Swiss way of designing watches. I am Swiss, so I am probably the worst one to talk about American design, but I have learnt a lot. I spent the beginning of my experience actively looking into the Tiffany archives to make sure I understood what Tiffany is about, and to transfer all the values of the brand to the watches. 

“There is the use of Arabic numerals, the open dial, the fact that the aesthetic can breathe, and that it’s a bold piece. The presence of this watch on the wrist is very much recognisable, and that in itself is very American,” he explains of the CT60, which has a Swiss-made Sellita automatic movement at its heart and has been finished to the exacting criteria of the Swiss watchmaking industry. 

“And then there are things that are typical to Tiffany: the attention to detail and the refinement in the finishing of the watch. High-end watchmaking is all about the details, and jewellery is the same thing. Tiffany is a legitimate player in the world of watchmaking just because of what we are. We have this attention to detail and attention to refinement that not everybody else can have.” 

Tiffany’s venture into horology began in the mid-19th century. Patek Philippe co-founder Antoine Norbert de Patek, seeing the need to develop a clientele beyond Europe, called on America in 1854. On his first night in the city, his collection got stolen, but he was back after a few months with a new collection, and met with Charles Lewis Tiffany. 

“It’s interesting, because at that time, the American watch industry was very developed and bigger than the Swiss industry. But back then, Americans were selling cheap watches that were not very qualitative,” explains Andreatta. 

“Charles Lewis Tiffany immediately understood that the way of manufacturing watches in Switzerland was different from America. So when he decided to start making watches, he sailed to Geneva and set up the first Tiffany factory there in 1874. We shared the Geneva workshop with Patek Philippe. Charles Lewis sold the factory to Patek in 1880, but the relationship has continued till today. 

“We have worked together for 160 years and we are the only brand that is allowed to stamp Tiffany & Co. on the dial together with Patek Philippe. At auction, the co-branded Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. watches are 50 per cent more expensive than normal Patek Philippe watches. That says something about the value of Tiffany on the dial.” 

Despite its validated history in horology, Tiffany is not complacent about its future—Andreatta concurs that achieving credibility and legitimacy in an industry so particular about legacy will take some years. But the CT60 is a formidable first step. 

The initial launch of the CT60 comprises four distinct watches: a 42mm chronograph; a 40mm three-handed watch with a date window; a 34mm ladies’ version that comes with or without diamonds; and the flagship, the Calendar watch that is limited to 60 pieces. 

The CT60 Calendar is the closest in appearance to the FDR timepiece—the original was a chronograph with day, date, month and small seconds. With its white dial, oversized Arabic numerals, gold case and gilded hands, it harks back to the past in more ways than one. The appeal is distinctly vintage, but the differences are significant. Tiffany & Co. has done away with the day and date apertures, and has replaced the chronograph counter at 6 o’clock with a month subdial. 

Says Andreatta, “I really think that design is about matching the needs of the world at a certain moment in time. The FDR watch was perfect in 1945; it was 34mm and much smaller than what we see today. We thought it was a quintessential American design for a watch, but evolved the design, of course, because the way of manufacturing watches has changed dramatically from 1945 to today. It’s not just about design and aesthetics, but also about ergonomics and functions. For example, the screw crown we have today was not available in 1945.” 

Another change is the addition of the words “New York” under the Tiffany & Co. logo—it is a subtle but important nod to the American provenance of the brand, one that is imbued in both its jewellery and watchmaking expertise.