The Tiffany Oyster Perpetual Doesnt Exist

October 31, 2017

To start, let me make one thing perfectly clear: the Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesnt exist. When something is turquoise blue, its not automatically Tiffany Blue. In s current lineup you will find three references with that soft shimmering color that reminds me of a tropical sea, not a New York jeweler. The first reference is the Oyster Perpetual 31 and the models that follow measure 36, and 41mm. But good luck buying any of them, because Tiffany Blue is the watch color of 2021. Dealers dont have em, and on the secondary market, prices are soaring. The watch world has lost its marbles. Once again.The hype is real. Since Patek Philippe dropped the Nautilus 5711 signed Tiffany & Co. in the characteristic color of the jeweler, that tropical shade of blue became the most coveted shade in the (watch) world. And it became even hotter when not long after the drop, one of the 170-piece series that retails for $52,635 was auctioned for no less than $6,503,000 (including buyers premium). The fire had gotten out of control apparently, and all of a sudden there was a run on watches with dials in more or less the same blue Tiffany & Co. has been using since 1845 and trademarked in 1998. One brand that does a similar color is . Unfortunately, Im inclined to say, because steel watches are already hyped.Picture courtesy of XupesThe Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesnt exist - and yet it does somehowMore hype is not what we need. On the contrary, I presume a lot of people have a secret wish for 2022 that the watch market - read, - will calm the hell down. The release of the Nautilus with its dial in Tiffany Blue - its light robin egg blue, to be precise - caused the perfect storm. One brand that cant meet demand by far incidentally promotes another brand that cant satisfy its customers through its desperate dealers, and the secondary market explodes.Have a look at secondary watch dealers and places like Chrono24, and you will see what I mean. There are a couple of 41mm Oyster Perpetual models with a Tiffany Blue Dial for five-digit prices. There s even one with an asking price of $89K! On the official website, this watch - the reference 124300 - has a price of $5,600.Up go the pricesThe website also shows that theres a turquoise blue reference 277200 that measures 31mm with a price of $4,900. And if thats too small, the 36mm reference 126000 that, in an ideal world, costs $5,300 is a medium-sized alternative. A 39mm Oyster Perpetual - reference 114300 - existed just a few years ago. You can find those customized with the current turquoise blue dials, but then you re really dealing with a model that does exist!Do you think going smaller is the smart way of getting your hands on a legit Tiffany blue OP?The 39mm model was axed in 2020 and replaced by the larger 41mm Oyster Perpetual. Do you think going smaller is the smart way of getting your hands on a legit Tiffany Blue OP? Think again. The 31mm version goes for $22K, and the 36mm model reaches up to $31K. And there are plenty around. The 39mm (the best size, in my opinion) customized versions are a bit less common. Again, it s because they are merely frankenwatches. The ones I found have a price of around $9K, although that may change very soon.Picture courtesy of Millenary WatchesKeeping it realBut we have to keep things real, people. Lets get our facts straight and ignore the hype because technically, the Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesnt exist - in any size! The Oyster Perpetual is the entry-level . This model grants you access to the world of , but doesnt come with VIP perks, like a Cyclops or a ceramic bezel, for instance. But hey, what did you expect for roughly $5K? What you get is a solid watch, with a great movement and bracelet. It s a timeless watch thats not too flashy. Well, thats not entirely true. In 2020, decided it was time to brighten up the Oyster Perpetual collection. is often seen as a conservative company, but it did bring us the wild Milgauss with its green crystal once. And with a wild and crazy selection of dial colors for the OP, the brand surprised us all once again.Picture courtesy of Bulang and SonsThe magic color of 2021As things go with , these brightly colored dials quickly got a nickname. The new dials were referred to as Stella dials after the original Stella dials that once produced for the Day-Date and very rare examples of the Datejust. The orange and the yellow stood out most when I saw them. I liked them, but they didnt hit me as hard as the 39mm OP in purple once did. Anyway, the light blue version looked a bit pale between the more vivid yellow and orange iterations. And I certainly cant remember anyone screaming Tiffany! in ecstasy. But the times, they are a-changing, and now Tiffany is the magic word. Tiffany Blue is the magic color of 2021. Explorer 1016 signed Tiffany & Co. Picture courtesy of Amsterdam Vintage WatchesNo sign of Tiffany & Co.It s good to know that the turquoise blue uses is not identical to the blue used by Tiffany & Co. The two brands had a close relationship that started in the late 1950s. There were of course Tiffany & Co. signed watches in the past, but that ended along with the partnership in the early 1990s.Since theres no partnership between and Tiffany & Co., the almost similar dial color is purely coincidental.I wont go over the whys and whens right now, but its an interesting story to dive into. Since theres no partnership between and Tiffany & Co., the almost similar dial color is purely coincidental. If the Oyster Perpetual everyone is lusting over now would have been a collaboration between the two brands, the dial color would have been that of the co-signed Patek Philippe Nautilus. But theres literally no sign of Tiffany & Co. on the dial of the Oyster Perpetual.Picture courtesy of Millenary WatchesThe it watchThe current light blue Oyster Perpetual has no connection with Tiffany & Co. In other words, its just a light blue watch; theres no deeper meaning behind the dial color. But meaning is something that is under threat in the world of watches nowadays. Its all about status, trends, and hyped-up prices. More people than ever want to up their status, mimic the omnipresent influencers, and buy watches like they buy the right designer sneakers, for instance. Right now, the Tiffany Oyster Perpetual is the it watch. What model will be next? We will probably find out soon enough because the frenzy regarding watches in particular doesnt show any signs of settling down.If you still want to torture yourself after reading this, you can visit the official website and configure your ideal Oyster Perpetual. But if you choose the turquoise blue-dialed version, please beware that the color is not the same as Tiffany & Co.s light robin egg blue and that you cant buy the watch at your local dealer. Its like I said - the Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesnt exist. Not in the real world, anyway.Please find and follow me at?Lex Stolk ? Instagram