Brand Directory: Tiffany & Co.

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Tiffany & Co. (initially Tiffany, Young & Ellis) was founded in New York City in 1837 as a " fancy goods and stationery emporium". They started selling watches from there in 1847.

Charles Lewis Tiffany famously installed a clock above the entrance of his jewellery shop on Broadway, Manhattan. A mythological Atlas statue holding a clock can be seen above the 5th Avenue store’s entrance and became a popular landmark for setting your watch.

Tiffany signed an agreement with Patek Philippe in 1854 becoming the first retailer in America to sell these exclusive timepieces.

In 1868, Tiffany introduced what is usually considered America’s first chronograph, the split-seconds Tiffany Timer used for engineering and scientific purposes, as well as sporting events.

In 1874 the company built its efficient watchmaking factory in Geneva, Place Cornavin.

The building was later sold to Patek Philippe who continued to produce movements for Tiffany watches at this location.

In 1903 Tiffany's chief gemologist George Kunz patented a luminescent green paint based on some studies attributed to William J. Hammer a scientist who mixed radium with zinc sulfide.

Numerals and hands started to be painted with this new luminescence to make them readable in poor light conditions.

A watch that is a testament to Tiffany’s watchmaking history is their gold calendar watch presented to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945 as a birthday present.

In the 1980s Tiffany & Co. introduced the Atlas wristwatch as a tribute to the famous clock above their building featuring an hour track of polished Roman-numeral markers in high relief. A full Atlas collection, complete with the same Roman numeral motif, was created for both men and women.

2007 Swatch and Tiffany & Co. announced a partnership to develop and sell timepieces.

In 2011 Tiffany takes its watchmaking in-house.

On November 24, 2019, the LVMH group acquires Tiffany & Co.for a whopping $16.2 billion