The love story between Tiffany and Patek Philippe : the history

Established in 1837, Tiffany & Co. began its relationship with watchmaking ten years later in 1847, with its first creations. It would not be until 1851 that the Tiffany and Patek houses signed a distribution agreement, making Tiffany & Co. the first distributor of Patek Philippe watches in the United States. This marked the beginning of a very long collaboration that still continues today, making Patek Philippe watches distributed by Tiffany a unique product, sought after by all collectors and investors.

Watches distributed through Tiffany stores indeed hold a particular interest for collectors, namely a "Tiffany & Co" stamp delicately applied to the dial by the jeweler. This operation is exclusively carried out in New York at Tiffany's house.

Illustration of a 1977 advertisement (© - @Patekworld_)

Some examples are particularly rare and sought after in the Patek Philippe collections such as the Nautilus or Aquanaut collection, having an example with a "Tiffany Dial" is then an absolute grail. The observation is unanimous, these rare copies soar at gold prices in auction rooms.

An Aquanaut 5167R from the New York boutique.

Launched ten years after the first Aquanaut, reference 5167 made its appearance in the Patek Philippe catalog in 2009. The model was then completely redesigned with a case widened to 40mm and a bracelet perfectly fitting the case. This rose gold version adds a lot of elegance to the model, while the weight is slightly higher than the steel version.

The model features the specificity of the "Double Signed" dial, that is, with Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co markings.

The jeweler's logo is delicately applied at six o'clock.

Depending on the year, it has been applied more or less far from the center of the dial. The latest versions display the Tiffany logo at 6 o'clock, at the level, in height at the bottom of the marking of the 4 and 8.

This marking operation is carried out directly by Tiffany & Co, and results from a process requiring meticulousness and perfection. The ink is first applied to a small plate, it must then be applied using a press and a silicone stamp to see the signature appear.

Illustration of the operation carried out by Tiffany & co. (Credit Hodinkee)

Unlike a "common" model, the Patek Philippe box is covered with a recognizable blue Tiffany over-box from the New York jeweler.

The certificate also has the precious marking, obligatory to formally identify the origin of the watch.

Normally neither Tiffany nor Patek officially communicate on the number of Tiffany stamped watches produced per year. Some whisper fewer than 2 to 3 copies of each sports model per year. Even though the legend is largely maintained by the two houses, and the secret very jealously guarded, it is obvious a very limited number of these copies are available even in auction rooms.

However, Patek Philippe announced in December 2021 a new example of the 5711 with a "Tiffany blue" dial. It will bear the reference 5711/1A-018 and will be produced in 170 copies, thus symbolizing the 170 years of the first distribution agreement between Tiffany and Patek Philippe. Beyond the classic double signature on the dial, the transparent case back will also bear the mentions "170th Anniversary - 1851-2021 - Tiffany & Co. - Patek Philippe".

The iconic Tiffany color on the dial ©Patek Philippe	The inscription on the case back ©Patek Philippe

One of these 170 copies will be available for sale, in collaboration with Philipps and Bacs & Russo, at auction, with the proceeds going to an environmental protection organization

In summary, owning a Tiffany stamped Patek Philippe is a rare privilege, of absolute discretion (the marking being so discreet), it is also a guarantee of a very good investment.