Low‑maintenance, sustainable and fuss‑free, solar‑powered watches are brilliant for everyday wear. But in luxury watchmaking, where romance, heritage and mechanical poetry still reign, light‑powered movements have not quite had their moment in the sun—until now.
First introduced in the 1970s as a response to the quartz crisis—when battery‑powered timepieces flooded the market—solar watches were initially prized more for practicality than beauty. The early versions were chunky, utilitarian and often reserved for outdoor adventurers or gadget geeks. But as technology evolved, so did design. Solar cells in wristwatches became more discreet and efficient; dials grew more translucent; aesthetics finally caught up.
Luxury watchmakers are no longer treating solar as a compromise, but as a creative frontier. Among them is Tiffany & Co, which is embracing this shift with its new Rope Watch: a bold challenge to the quartz‑mechanical binary that brings solar ingenuity into the realm of fine jewellery for the first time in the American house’s history.
At the heart of this fine jewellery watch crafted in yellow gold is a solar‑powered mechanism, developed in collaboration with Swiss movement specialist La Joux‑Perret, that has been discreetly placed beneath a semi‑translucent dial in iridescent white mother‑of‑pearl or high‑gloss black. The movement is powered by any source of light, be it natural or artificial. Just two minutes in the sun delivers 24 hours of energy, while a full charge of 14 hours offers an impressive eight‑month power reserve. There are no winding crowns to fuss over, no batteries to replace—just the luxury of effortless timekeeping, sustained by the world around you.
The Rope Watch, though, is more than just a clever mechanism; it is also a classic piece of visual storytelling from the brand. A tribute to legendary designer Jean Schlumberger, known for his whimsical, fantastical creations and whose celebrated partnership with Tiffany & Co spanned approximately three decades, the watch draws from his iconic Rope motif inspired by the tassels and braids of his childhood in a textile‑manufacturing family in Alsace, France.
His legacy of theatrical elegance at the brand lives on in the groundbreaking Rope Watch, where the namesake motif takes form as two concentric circles of twisted polished gold on a wide bezel, separated by a ring of round brilliant diamonds. A playful flourish awaits those who look closely: The minute hand, too, is shaped like a rope—an understated touch that speaks to Tiffany & Co’s enduring attention to detail.
Even the reverse tells a story: The caseback is engraved with a sun motif featuring a pattern that evokes a diamond—a homage to both the watch’s solar soul and Tiffany & Co’s affinity for light. In a world where sustainability and design are no longer mutually exclusive, the Rope Watch feels not just relevant, but quietly revolutionary.
Wearing both elegant and comfortable on the wrist, the Rope Watch comes with an alligator leather strap that is as luxurious as it is durable. The model with the mother‑of‑pearl dial nods to Tiffany & Co’s heritage with one in Tiffany Blue, the house colour, while the one on the version with the black dial is in a matching hue for a decidedly more dramatic look that reads so modern and chic.
While solar movements remain relatively rare in the luxury space—particularly in jewellery watches for women—the Rope Watch suggests that this may be changing. Solar technology has long belonged to the realm of the pragmatic and here, it meets artistry in a timepiece that is elegant, efficient and utterly of the moment.
PHOTOGRAPHY SHERMAN SEE-THO
ART DIRECTION MARISA XIN
READ MORE
Tiffany & Co Takes the Plunge with Blue Book 2025: Sea of Wonder
Pharrell’s Latest Jewellery Drop with Tiffany & Co Is Pure Innovation
Backstory: How Elsa Peretti’s Designs Continue to Inspire Tiffany & Co Today