Last month Tiffany & Co launched its new CT60 Collection, a stylish range of mens watches imbued with the spirit of company founder Charles Lewis Tiffany.
The CT60 Chronograph
Being that this is Tiffany & Co the CT60 Collection has quite a lot of depth to it, ranging from basic three-hand automatics all the way up the limited edition, 18 karat rose gold calendar watch modelled off an original Tiffany & Co. gold watch given to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945. It was this original watch in fact that inspired the aesthetic of the entire new collection, hence the distinct vintage vibe.
As broad as the collection is however, I quickly zoomed in on one particular model that really caught my eye; the CT60 Chronograph. Presented in a perfectly sized 42mm case in your choice of either 18k rose gold or stainless steel, the watch really makes an impression on the wrist. Personally I found myself more drawn to the 18k rose gold model – who doesn’t, right? – but I have to admit the blue-dial version, which is only available in stainless steel, was also pretty tempting.
Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably read this far and are now thinking this all sounds great but this is still Tiffany & Co we’re talking about right? They make gorgeous jewellery sure but they’re not exactly known for their watches, especially not mechanical ones for men. I admit that I too was somewhat skeptical when I first heard about the CT60 collection but after spending a couple of weeks with the CT60 Chronograph on my wrist my stance has somewhat softened.
That being said I don’t expect the watch snobs among us to suddenly embrace Tiffany & Co as a legitimate watchmaker. What I will say though, is that for someone who is looking to get just one nice watch to wear all the time and whose value others can readily appreciate at a glance, the CT60 Chronograph is definitely a viable option.
For a start you can’t beat the brand recognition factor. Everybody, and I mean everybody, knows that Tiffany & Co makes expensive, good quality products. Plus, unlike other, more fashion-oriented brands like Gucci and Burberry, the connection between jeweler and watchmaker is less of a stretch.
Brand name aside however, the CT60 Chronograph is also actually a very good looking watch with a solid mechanical movement doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes. The multi-layered dial is clean and easy to read, with subtle touches like the soleil finishing on the background and the contrasting printed outline around the hour numerals giving it a distinctive style all its own. The chronograph features a central seconds counter with red-tipped indicator, whilst elapsed minutes are recorded on a 30-minute counter on the sub-dial at 3 o’clock. Normal seconds meanwhile are tracked on the second sub-dial at 9 o’clock, with a large-ish date display at 6 o’clock finishing things off nicely.
Turn the CT60 Chronograph over and you get a glance of the TCO.0279 automatic movement, which is essentially a slightly modified La Joux-Perret Cal. 7771. If that name sounds familiar it’s because La Joux-Perret are also the master craftsmen behind high-end watch brand Arnold & Son, which gives you a pretty clear indication of the level of quality we are dealing with here. Although not excessively decorated the oscillating rotor does have the Tiffany & Co logo engraved into it and features Cote de Geneve and Colimacon decoration, which is a nice, if subtle, touch.
Available now from Tiffany & Co boutiques everywhere, the CT60 Chronograph retails for $15,000 in rose gold and $6,750 in steel with a leather strap (the price goes up to $7,250 if you want a matching steel bracelet). A number of dial and strap variations are also available depending on your personal preferences.
For more information please visit the official Tiffany & Co website.
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