rawing inspiration from the celebrated Bird on a Rock brooch, created for Tiffany & Co. by Jean Schlumberger in 1965, the Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom watch harnesses the House’s exceptional design legacy, blending the arts of jewellery, enamelling and lacquer work with the technical expertise of high watchmaking to further expand Tiffany & Co.’s unique vision of jewellery watchmaking.

The flying tourbillon movement is a significant milestone in Tiffany & Co.’s evolution into high watchmaking. The House’s designers, artisans and technical partners dedicated more than two years to designing and developing the timepiece.

The multiple layers, floral motifs and rich colours of the Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom dial evoke the lush gardens so beloved by Jean Schlumberger at his homes in Paris and on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe: wonders of nature that inspired him to create some of the most original and memorable jewels of his time.

The bird reinterprets the golden cockatoo that inspired the original Bird on a Rock brooch, which is today celebrated as an icon of 20th-century jewellery design. Perched on the edge of the tourbillon aperture as if ready to take flight, it evokes the sense of freedom and whimsy that was central to Jean Schlumberger’s boundless imagination and made his design language so distinctive and delightful.

The dial brings together five different and highly specialised artistic crafts: champlevé enamelling, lacquer work, miniature gold sculpting, diamond setting and the hand-faceting of sapphire crystal. The craft of champlevé (French for “raised field”) enamel begins with the meticulous sculpting of indentations on the flat 18k gold dial disc, leaving only a raised pattern of metal that will separate the differently coloured enamels. Then, working with great precision, the artisan hand applies the enamel pigment - in this case, three different tones of blue - building the depth and intensity of colour one thin layer at a time until the colours glow like jewels and the enamel surface is perfectly flush with the raised metal outlines. After each layer, the work must be fired at more than 800° Celsius (almost 1,500°F) and carefully cooled before the next layer can be applied. Once the enameling has been completed, it is overlaid with fine filigree of 18k white gold, which must, with micron precision, follow the lace-like pattern of the metal separating the enamel colours. Next, the hand-painted lacquer flowers are artfully arranged in two layers and attached to the dial to add visual depth.

Alongside the enamelling work and lacquer painting, which required a total of 80 hours to complete, a goldsmith and gem-setter collaborate on creating the miniature bird that will be attached to the completed dial. Sculpted by hand from 18k white and yellow gold and set with a total of 70 diamonds, the bird requires a total of 40 hours of work.

Unique in watchmaking, a transparent dome of sapphire crystal, faceted to resemble a diamond, covers the flying tourbillon mechanism. Weighing a mere 0.309 grams, the ultra-thin sapphire is faceted using hand-operated diamond tools, highlighting the intricate craftsmanship essential for this timepiece.

Showcasing Tiffany & Co’s legendary expertise with diamonds, Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom is set with 771 diamonds of over 3.8 total carats. The process of setting the diamonds on Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom exceeds 100 total hours.

The 18k white gold case features 341 round brilliant diamonds of nearly 2.4 total carats. The sub-dial displaying the time is set with 168 diamonds of 0.48 total carats. Two decorative plates, seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, are set with 143 diamonds of 0.55 total carats.

The snow-setting technique was chosen for the decoration of the case and the hours-minutes sub-dial. Acknowledged to be the most challenging gem-setting technique, it requires that stones of different sizes be placed in such a way that almost no metal remains visible.

The winding crown, inspired by the emblematic Tiffany^® Setting, features a prong-set solitaire diamond of 0.42 carats. An alligator strap is fastened with an 18k white gold T buckle that is set with 49 round brilliant diamonds of 0.18 carats.

Under Tiffany & Co.’s creative direction, innovative Swiss haute horlogerie movement manufacture Artime developed the bespoke movement, Calibre AFT24T01, in its workshop in the Jura region of Switzerland. Comprising 205 components, the hand-wound movement offers a power reserve of 50 hours.

The tourbillon, a mechanism incorporated into some of the finest high watchmaking movements, was invented to improve timekeeping accuracy by compensating for the effect of gravity on a mechanical movement. It achieves this by containing the principal timekeeping components in a fine metal cage that rotates a full 360 degrees over a set period; in this case, 60 seconds. While a tourbillon is normally anchored from above by a fine bridge, a flying tourbillon has no bridge. Instead, the fixing point is concealed below the mechanism, thus leaving the mesmerising action of the spinning tourbillon fully open to view. On the Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom, this fascinating ballet is amplified by the faceted sapphire dome attached over the tourbillon. Rotating once every minute along with the tourbillon cage, its diamond-like facets catch the light, creating fascinating and constantly moving patterns on the dial.

The transparent sapphire crystal caseback displays the beauty of the flying tourbillon movement, which is hand-finished with a variety of high watchmaking techniques to add richness and contrast; finishes include beveling, sandblasting, straight graining, satin finishing and high polish. The gold-plated gear train contrasts with the cool, silvery tones of the other metals.

The eye is drawn immediately to two distinctive star-shaped bridges inspired by the emblematic six-pronged Tiffany^® Setting, one for the flying tourbillon and the other corresponding to the hours and minutes display. Each of the six prongs is highly polished, emphasizing their shape and more closely resembling the setting that inspired them. The diamond-set decorative plates create a visual anchor for the two bridges and underline the High Jewellery character of Bird on a Flying Tourbillon.

The new Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom perfectly embodies Tiffany & Co.’s philosophy of watchmaking: harnessing its extraordinary design legacy, expertise in diamonds, and mastery of the decorative crafts to create timepieces of great beauty that invite wearers to discover the fascination of mechanically complex and technically advanced timepieces.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference: SKU 75366078

• Case: 18k white gold
• Size: 39 mm
• Function: Hours and minutes, flying tourbillon
• Calibre: AFT24T01: manual-winding bespoke Artime Manufacture Swiss-made movement
• Power Reserve: 50 hours
• Frequency: 3HZ (21’600 A/H)
• Jewels: 20
• Water resistance: 3 ATM
• Diamonds: 771 diamonds of 3.8 total carats
• Case: Snow-set with 340 round brilliant diamonds of 1.98 carats
• Dial: Champlevé enamel and lacquer, bird in 18k white and yellow gold, and 70 set round brilliant diamonds
• Sub-dial: 18k white gold set with 168 diamonds
• Caseback: Exhibition. Decorative plate set with 143 round brilliant diamonds
• Faceted sapphire crystal dome: Cut and polished on both sides, weighing 0.309 grams
• Buckle: 18k white gold T pin set with 49 round brilliant diamonds
• Crown: Round brilliant diamond of 0.42 carats
• Strap: Alligator
• Limited edition of 10 pieces