The newest Tiffany & Co. CT60 watch for 2016 is the CT60 Dual Time, adding a GMT-style model to the collection that debuted with a three-hand automatic, annual calendar, as well as the two-register CT60 Chronograph (wrist-time review here). This fourth Tiffany & Co. CT60 model (well, fifth, if you include the smaller three-hand lady’s model) is the “traveler’s model,” and it’s a bit more than just the CT60 with a base GMT movement. Instead, Tiffany & Co. wanted to differentiate their dual-time watch a bit from the crowd, so let’s see how they did that.
At 40mm wide (water resistant to 100 meters), the Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time was intentionally produced as a mid-sized piece and is the same diameter as the three-hand model. The chronograph is a bit larger at 42mm wide. The Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time further debuts in two steel models, as well as an 18k rose gold version. The steel models are this reference 36813903 with a “soleil blue” dial and steel bracelet, as well as the reference 36813881 with a silver dial on a black alligator strap. The Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time reference 36813911 has an 18k rose gold dial and black alligator strap.
Inside the watches are the Tiffany & Co. caliber TCO.5959 automatic movements which have been exclusively developed for them by Swiss Dubois Depraz. The movement offers the time, date indicator dial, as well as GMT hand. As you can see, the case has pushers just like a chronograph, but these are instead used to move the local time hour hand forward or backward allowing for an easy adjustment of the time while you are traveling. The GMT hand is not adjusted and continues to indicate a second time zone or your home “reference” time. Moreover, there is a small inset pusher on the case which can be used to quick-set the date. So the value here is in offering a GMT watch with just a bit more added user-friendliness to make traveling with the Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time just that much easier to do.
Tiffany & Co. further designed the GMT indicator scale in two colors to serve as an AM/PM “day/night” indicator. At a glance, it might not even be clear that this is a new watch, as Tiffany & Co. appears to have put great effort into maintaining the core CT60 design, complete with legible lume-painted hands and gold “poudre” (powder) Arabic numeral hour markers. Over the dial is an AR-coated domed sapphire crystal which adds to the attractive, conservative look of the watch.
A quizzical design decision on the dial was how the “Dual Time” and then “Automatic” labels are used. Tiffany & Co. stacks the words over one another on the left of the dial, which makes the face look a bit asymmetric. I wonder why they didn’t just take these two terms (which are about the same visual size) and just put one on the left side of the dial and one on the right. Perhaps they experimented with that and it didn’t look best, but it seems to be something that would have enhanced visual symmetry.
The movement can be viewed through the sapphire crystal caseback window and is nicely decorated. I’ve opted not to take full images of this particular Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time watch as I am checking out a cosmetically inaccurate pre-production prototype. The blue dial is attractive and helps add character to this stately and conservative collection, but for maximum legibility when it comes to reading the time as well as the dual-time-indicating GMT hand, it might be worth looking at the “white soleil” silver dial versions which are very handsome as well. On this watch, the GMT hand’s arrow is blue, which tends to blend in a bit with the also blue face.
Travelers looking for an attractive and versatile timepiece to go with formal to business casual clothing will respect the Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time, as Tiffany & Co. has seemingly worked hard to attract this demographic, and the less common ability to easily adjust the time zones is a welcome differentiating factor that makes this GMT watch a bit more special. Otherwise, the Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time fits in nicely to the larger CT60 collection featuring the same case, strap, and bracelet designs. Prices for the Tiffany & Co. CT60 Dual Time watches are $6,300 in steel on the alligator strap, $6,800 in steel on the matching steel bracelet, and $14,500 in 18k rose gold on the alligator strap. tiffanyandco.com
