Tiffany & Co’s iconic Bird on a Rock graces the wrist in a stunning new watch

If money were no object, many jewellery connoisseurs will tell you that their dream piece to add to their collection is one of Tiffany & Co’s iconic Bird on a Rock brooches.  

Conceived by Jean Schlumberger in 1965, the brooch features a diamond-set bird perched on a large coloured gemstone. It's a delightfully quirky design, blending high jewellery with a touch of whimsy.

Schlumberger is celebrated is one of the greatest jewellery designers of all time and spent more than three decades as a designer for Tiffany & Co, from 1956 to 1987. The story goes that Schlumberger was inspired by a yellow cockatoo that he encountered on his travels abroad to Asia and the Caribbean, including at his beloved home in Guadeloupe.  

The Bird on a Rock has now become an emblematic motif for Tiffany & Co. It is also a red-carpet staple, adorning countless celebrities and solidifying its place as a symbol of timeless elegance. 

Celebrities who have been spotted wearing a Bird on a Rock brooch include Michael B Jordan, Win Metawin, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Allen White and more. 

A miniature version of the Bird on a Rock now adorns a new watch by Tiffany & Co – and it's just as mesmerising. The Bird on a Rock Legacy watch features a gemstone held in place by a double-ended prong subtly textured to resemble the claws of a bird.  

The white mother-of-pearl dial is engraved with a delicate floral design inspired by the many floral patterns found in Schlumberger’s Caribbean home. On the caseback, artisans have carved a precise aperture, inset with a magnifying lens, to reveal the hidden beauty of the gemstone’s reverse. The flange encircling the dial is adorned with diamonds, enhancing the luster of the mother-of-pearl. 

The watch comes in three variations with three different gemstones – with an oval morganite of 1.45 carats, a cushion-cut tanzanite of 2.72 carats or an emerald-cut aquamarine of 2.1 carats.  

Each version showcases Tiffany & Co’s jewellery and gem-setting mastery. For one, the 18k gold bird is hand-sculpted by a jeweller, set with 119 diamonds along with a pink sapphire for the eye.  

A signature of all Bird on a Rock watches, the 36mm case features snow-set diamonds. Snow-setting is a technique where round brilliant diamonds of different sizes are set to create a glittering expanse of light and reflection, with minimal visible metal.  

In all, the Bird on a Rock Legacy watch is set with a total of 587 diamonds of 3.6 total carats. The 309 diamonds on the case are complemented by 116 diamonds on the bezel, dial and flange. A sprinkling of diamonds highlights the engraved sunburst pattern on the caseback and the signature T buckle fastening the alligator strap is set with 43 round brilliant diamonds. The watch is powered by a high-precision quartz movement.