Tiffany & Co. have today (July 1) unveiled an exciting relaunch of their iconic Atlas watch collection.
The Atlas watch was first created by Tiffany & Co. in 1983 and has remained a staple in their collection ever since. It was first made as a homage to the eponymous clock that founder Charles Lewis Tiffany installed above the entrance to their store at 550 Broadway in 1853.
As Tiffany & Co. share in a new press release, “this clock, supported by a statue of the mythological Greek titan Atlas, was one of the earliest clocks on public display in Manhattan and quickly became a landmark and a symbol of precise timekeeping in the city. When Tiffany & Co. moved its flagship store to The Landmark at 727 Fifth Avenue in 1940, both the clock and the Atlas statue were relocated and continue to mark New York’s time to this day.”
Now, Tiffany & Co. have given a fresh twist to the timeless design of the Atlas watch and have “equipped the watches with technically advanced movements,” according to a statement.
The new Atlas collection comes in three sizes: 29 mm, 34 mm and 38 mm, with a Tiffany Blue dial on the smallest size and a choice of white or Tiffany Blue on the larger sizes.
The statement adds: “The dial has bold Roman numerals and clean-lined indexes to mark the hours and faceted hands with brushed and polished finishes. With a wide circle defining the hours ring around its periphery, the new dial is an inspired reinterpretation of the classical sector dials of the mid-20th century.”
The Atlas watch comes in a steel case with an integrated bracelet or with a brown leather strap on the 38 mm version. The 29 mm and 34 mm cases also offer the option of a diamond-set bezel.
In a nod to the clock that inspired the watches, the caseback on the Atlas is inscribed with Roman numerals in the same font as on the classic clock face that still stands in Tiffany & Co’s store in New York.
Other features include an increased water resistance ten ATM, compared to five ATM for the previous model. Additionally, the 34mm and 38mm models are powered by self-winding mechanical calibres that provide a power reserve of 50 hours and display seconds, as well as hours and minutes.
The 29mm model, meanwhile, is fitted with a solar movement designed in collaboration with and produced by the renowned Swiss movement manufacturer, La Joux-Perret. It takes two minutes outdoors to charge the watch sufficiently for 24 hours; or four hours under standard indoor lighting.
Tiffany added: “With its quintessential allure and high technical functionality, the new Atlas® watch is a strong statement of Tiffany & Co.’s design ethos and its commitment to fine watchmaking, set to perpetuate the collection’s enduring appeal for decades to come.”
Earlier this year, Tiffany & Co unveiled their Blue Book 2005 with Sea of Wonder – a dreamlike new high jewellery collection that “celebrates the allure, motion and mystery of the oceans.”
The collection, which has been designed by Nathalie Verdeille – Tiffany and Co.’s Chief Artistic Officer of Jewellery and High Jewellery – is said to embark on “a surreal journey from the figurative to the abstract” and has been inspired by famed Tiffany designer Jean Schlumberger and his legendary aquatic designs.
Like this? Read about the story of the Tiffany & Co. Astronomical clock.
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