Tiffany & Co. unveils the Sixteen Stone Mother-of-Pearl Ruby watch, a celebration of Jean Schlumberger’s design legacy. As a new expression of the House’s celebrated Sixteen Stone collection, the watch dial features a rotating ring set with 12 rubies and 12 diamonds and decorated with a cross-stitch motif in 18k yellow gold. The watch is presented in an 18k white gold case and set with a total of 421 diamonds of 3.4 total carats.
By incorporating rubies into the Sixteen Stone watch, Tiffany draws upon a legacy dating back to the nineteenth century, when the House’s designers incorporated rubies into timepieces preserved in The Tiffany Archives. These fine example of timepieces, including lapel watches, pocket watches, as well as early wristwatches reflect the House’s longstanding dialogue between exceptional gemstones and watchmaking.
Jean Schlumberger’s ring design now known as Sixteen Stone first appeared in Tiffany & Co.’s 1959 Blue Book. The Sixteen Stone collection was originally created by Tiffany & Co.’s legendary designer Jean Schlumberger in 1959. Its signature motif—18k yellow gold cross-stitches anchoring a row of diamonds—was inspired by his background as the scion of a prominent family of textile manufacturers in Alsace, France. The Sixteen Stone collection is an expression of love’s nurturing force, with the cross-stitch symbolising that which is held precious.
The dial is made in two sections: a fixed central disc in mother-of-pearl and an outer ring that features the Sixteen Stone collection’s signature cross-stitch motif in 18k yellow gold with 12 round brilliant diamonds and 12 rubies. Spinning freely with every gesture of the wearer’s wrist, the rotating ring creates the sense of movement that characterised so many of Jean Schlumberger’s designs.
The making of the rotating ring—a complex process requiring a total of 25 hours of work for the casting and mounting of the gold crosses and the setting of the diamonds and rubies—is testament to the skill of Tiffany & Co.’s goldsmiths and jewelry craftspeople. Casting the 18k gold cross-stitch motifs requires a deep understanding of materials and techniques to achieve the desired result. It begins with the making of a mold for each piece; shaped according to the design, the dimensions of the mold must be accurate within fractions of a millimeter. The molten gold is poured into the mold and left to cool. When completely solidified, the piece is removed from the mold and painstakingly hand-polished before being mounted onto the rotating ring, amid the diamonds.
Showcasing Tiffany & Co.’s legendary expertise in diamond setting, the watch case is snow-set with 366 round brilliant diamonds of 2.9 total carats.
Engraved with a sunburst pattern that takes inspiration from the Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Floral Arrows brooch, the case-back is highlighted by a sprinkling of diamonds. The red alligator strap is fastened with an 18k white gold T buckle set with 43 round brilliant diamonds.
Tiffany & Co. will produce limited quantities of the Sixteen Stone watch each year.
Photo credit
© Tiffany & Co.
