As Tiffany & Co prepares to unveil the next chapter of its Singapore flagship, the house has introduced a timepiece that feels especially apt for the occasion: the new Sixteen Stone Ruby Watch, a dazzling jewel watch that draws together the legacy of Jean Schlumberger, Tiffany’s historic relationship with coloured gemstones, and a subtle tribute to Singapore itself.
The launch comes at a significant moment for Tiffany & Co in the city. While the jeweller’s flagship boutique at Ion Orchard has been undergoing an extensive transformation, clients have been welcomed through a temporary diamond-shaped boutique in the mall’s atrium. Earlier this year, Tiffany reopened the first floor of the renovated store, with the remaining levels set to debut in July. Once completed, the boutique will become Tiffany & Co’s first triplex location in Southeast Asia, inspired by the design language of the House’s famed New York Landmark.
To commemorate the reopening, Tiffany has chosen Singapore as the debut destination for a special interpretation of its Sixteen Stone watch. Distinguished by a rotating ring set with rubies and diamonds, the watch offers a contemporary expression of one of Jean Schlumberger’s most enduring creations.
Originally introduced in Tiffany’s 1959 Blue Book, the Sixteen Stone collection is among Schlumberger’s most recognisable designs. Its signature motif—cross-stitches rendered in yellow gold securing a row of diamonds—was inspired by the designer’s upbringing in Alsace, France, where his family owned a prominent textile business. Over the decades, the design has come to symbolise love’s nurturing and protective qualities, with each stitch representing something precious held close.
For this latest watch, Tiffany transforms that jewellery icon into a kinetic display. The dial is divided into two sections: a fixed central disc crafted from luminous mother-of-pearl and a freely rotating outer ring adorned with twelve round brilliant diamonds, twelve rubies and twelve yellow-gold cross-stitch motifs. As the wearer moves, the ring spins gently around the dial, creating a sense of animation that echoes Schlumberger’s fascination with movement and whimsy.
The choice of rubies is particularly meaningful. Beyond referencing Tiffany’s long history of incorporating coloured gemstones into its timepieces—a tradition documented in archival pocket watches, lapel watches and early wristwatches—the vivid red stones also serve as a subtle nod to Singapore’s affectionate moniker, the Little Red Dot.
Like many of Tiffany’s finest creations, the watch’s beauty lies as much in its craftsmanship as its design. The production of the rotating ring alone requires approximately 25 hours of work, involving the precise casting, polishing and mounting of each yellow gold cross-stitch motif before the diamonds and rubies are painstakingly set in place. Achieving the required tolerances demands extraordinary precision, with moulds engineered to fractions of a millimetre.
The jewel-like character of the watch extends throughout the piece. Its 36mm white gold case is snow-set with 366 round brilliant diamonds totalling 2.9 carats, while the overall watch features 421 diamonds weighing 3.4 carats. The caseback, engraved with a sunburst motif inspired by Schlumberger’s Floral Arrows brooch, is accented with additional diamonds, and the red alligator strap is secured by a white-gold T buckle set with 43 diamonds.
Beneath the decorative artistry lies a high-precision Swiss quartz movement, underscoring Tiffany’s current approach to watchmaking. Rather than competing directly in the increasingly crowded arena of technical horology, the house has been charting a different course—one that leverages its unique strengths in jewellery design, gemstones and craftsmanship. Recent watch launches have increasingly drawn upon the rich visual vocabulary of Jean Schlumberger, translating some of Tiffany’s most celebrated high jewellery motifs into expressive timepieces.
The Sixteen Stone Ruby Watch exemplifies that philosophy. It is less a conventional watch and more a wearable jewel animated by time itself—a fitting symbol for both Tiffany’s renewed watchmaking ambitions and a landmark new chapter for the brand in Singapore.
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