Page 30 - BFM F/W 2024

Clicking into Place
The artisan jewellers of Tiffany & Co. worked for more than a year to create its new bracelet’s innovative closing mechanism
TIFFANY & CO. HAS ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGED THE IMPORTANCE OF
good movement. Historically, the American brand created calibres for its timepieces as far back as 1874, and it wound these micro-engineering efforts back up in 2017. Today, the jeweller continues to make movements for watches including its striking, archive-inspired Union Square design. But the Tiffany Lock bangle, complete with hand-set pavé diamonds and a handsome one-two punch of 18K yellow and white gold, concerns itself with a different type of movement.
It’s a sort of swivel, arguably an easier movement than those powering the brand’s watches — but only just. For the jeweller claims that this innovative mechanism, one that echoes the functionality of a padlock, took the Tiffany & Co. artisans more than a year to develop. The unique clasp is inspired by a gold padlock brooch from 1883, which also marks the origin of the brand’s enduring association with locks. Over the years, the motif has
gifted Tiffany & Co. some of its most successful collections, including the Return to Tiffany key ring launched in 1966. Each of these key rings was assigned its own serial number and, if lost, could be returned to the Tiffany flagship store on New York City’s Fifth Avenue to be reunited with its owner.
Recent years have seen the lock motif establish a presence in the brand’s men’s jewellery range, and this latest design reimagines the style once more, offering a sleeker, narrower take designed to hug the wrist and glide on more effortlessly than a traditional circular bracelet. With its pair of precious metals and arch of brilliant diamonds, the bracelet can only be opened by locating a small, indented notch on its side. Using a gentle pulling motion, the tension of your forearm, and a smooth swivel-and-click movement, it’s a remarkably ergonomic — yet totally secure — way to fasten the bangle to your wrist. But what else would you expect from the brand that perfected the padlock?
30 BFM / FW24 PORTFOLIO
CLICKING INTO PLACE: TEXT BY JONATHAN WELLS