Tiffany & Co. brings its archive to Dubai in a rare exhibition of high jewellery and horology

Tiffany & Co. has transported a significant portion of its two-century design legacy to Dubai, unveiling an archival high jewellery and watch exhibition that represents the brand’s most substantial cultural presentation in the Middle East to date. The invitation-only showcase, which started on the 17th and will end on the 20th of November at Marsa Al Arab, brings together the house’s historic creations and its latest developments in Swiss horology.

The exhibition positions Tiffany’s long-established design language - vivid colour, sculptural gemstones and meticulous craftsmanship - within a new regional setting. It includes pieces seldom displayed outside the brand’s New York archive, among them the Apollo Fancy Intense Yellow diamond necklace and bracelet, Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock and Bird on a Pearl creations, and natural saltwater pearl jewellery that aligns with the Gulf’s historic pearl traditions.

Tiffany’s renewed focus on watchmaking also forms a major strand of the presentation. Since returning to horology in 2023, the house has framed its timepieces as extensions of its jewellery heritage rather than standalone mechanical products. This is evident in the Bird on a Rock watch, where a diamond-set bird is poised above a rotating gemstone ring, and in the Bird on a Flying Tourbillon introduced in 2024, which incorporates Tiffany’s first flying tourbillon movement within a structure of gemstone marquetry and sculpted gold.

The debut of the Bird on a Rock Legacy collection extends this narrative further, combining engraved mother-of-pearl dials with gemstones Tiffany helped bring to international prominence, such as morganite and tanzanite. The collection ties the brand’s historical identity directly to its contemporary watchmaking ambitions.

Within Dubai, the exhibition highlights the ongoing dialogue between Tiffany & Co. and the Middle East - a relationship shaped by craftsmanship, material expertise and a shared appreciation for design heritage. The location at Marsa Al Arab places the brand within a landscape defined by architectural innovation and cultural investment, aligning Tiffany’s global history with the region’s evolving relationship with luxury as a form of creative expression.

Rather than a retrospective alone, the exhibition operates as a statement of intent: a consolidation of Tiffany’s craft, its archives and its horological capabilities. The combination of New York’s jewellery culture, Geneva’s mechanical precision and the Middle East’s design lineage forms the basis of this message - a convergence of traditions expressed through objects rather than personalities.

As Tiffany strengthens its presence across the region through store architecture and curated brand experiences, the exhibition reflects a longer-term strategy centred on heritage-led storytelling. It is neither nostalgia nor trend-chasing, but a clear assertion of identity through the materials and techniques that define the house: gemstones, metals, mechanisms and the craft processes behind them.