Tissot

Tissot – Luxury Made Easy

Tissot watches are an anomaly – a statement meant in the best possible way, of course. The great Swiss manufactures often consider themselves luxury by their very origin, and with that prestige comes the usual luxury price tag. Not Tissot. Despite being as Swiss as a box of Toblerone hand-delivered by Roger Federer himself, Tissot is actually within grasp. As in, you don’t need to drop a month’s rent to enjoy a sterling, Swiss-made watch on the wrist.

And that’s what makes Tissot special: a focus upon affordability. The sentiment began way back in 1853, when a certain Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Émile, kick started the family business in the Swiss town of Le Locle – a town Tissot can still call home today. The manufacture crafted the first mass-produced pocket watch with two timezones in 1853, and the first anti-magnetic option in 1929 – two achievements that sowed the seeds of innovation early. Over the years, Tissot has championed its heritage while remaining unafraid of experimentalism. Wooden cases, solar power and even digital – three words almost as frightening as ‘made in China’ to the old school – have managed to find a way into Tissot’s offering, resulting in a brand that pushes quality without the pretense and the associated price tag.

Tissot Collections

Tissot T-Touch and T-Touch II

T doesn’t just stand for Tissot. The T-Touch – shorthand for ‘tactile’ – is a high precision instrument that combines an analogue dial with full digital functionality. Plus, a wealth of features makes this particular model perfect for the outdoors, be it skiing, mountaineering or anything else that requires a big watch (and even bigger gall).

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Tissot T-Sport

It’s all in the name. Tissot T-Sport watches infuse sporting capabilities with the manufacture’s signature touch, ensuring maximum durability for even the most robust of activities. What’s more, a variety of chronographs sit alongside more classic choices, resulting in a line that’ll clinch the cost-per-wear ratio for the perfect gym-to-office timepiece.

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Tissot T-Classic

Tissot has become a far-reaching watch brand, but the Tissot T-Classic takes things back to basics. Harking back to the label’s Swiss made traditional background, the line boasts the label’s finest craftsmanship with a precision rivalled only be the horological greats. Probably the closest your wrist will get to Le Locle without visiting Switzerland yourself.

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Tissot Heritage

You don’t need to spend millions to get some heritage on the wrist. Like the Tissot Heritage line proves, prestige can be bought from one of the worlds biggest brands without compromising style, quality or your bank balance. Not that anyone who saw a Tissot Heritage would know that.

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Tissot Luxury

Sure, Tissot might not scream ‘luxury’, but the Luxury line certainly does. A wealth of exquisite features and craftsmanship can hold its own with even the most expensive price tags on the market, and the Tissot Luxury collection proves the manufacture as a solid, well-respected all-rounder.

Tissot Couturier

Style isn’t limited to the runway. The Tissot Couturier line takes the best aspects of Milan, New York and Paris, and pulls them into a sharp, contemporary watch collection. What’s more, Tissot’s brand recognition maintains a level of prestige despite your choice within the Couturier collection, leaving you to simply select a watch that’ll happily sit with anything in the wardrobe.

Tissot Carson

As a choice for both discerning gents and ladies, Tissot Carson watches channel a unisex appeal that makes for a universally attractive watch. Simplistic dials are left relatively untouched, with mere date apertures and date windows the only thing to detract from the Carson – and even then, they’re more complementary if anything.

Tissot Le Locle

Named after Tissot’s birthplace – Le Locle, a town in northwestern Switzerland – the eponymous collection is a distinctly classic choice that marries refined sensibility with technical excellence. Each watch is available on either a traditional bracelet or leather strap, with dials that sit firmly on the elegant end of the spectrum. New may be bold, but old is most certainly gold.

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Why Should I Get a Tissot Watch?

When luxury names dominate the market, why exactly should you buy a Tissot? Well, there’s magnificent value for money. Tissot watches bear all the hallmarks of a good watch, with several models proud to boast chronometer certification or say, a world timer function. Plus, there’s brand recognition. Which may sound obvious, but many luxury elite manufactures are hardly household names. Tissot is, and what’s more, it’s a byword for Swiss manufacturing. Sure, not everyone will buy a watch for bragging rights (spoiler: really don’t do that), but a watch that commands both respect and brand recognition isn’t a timepiece to be trifled with.

Tissot in Numbers

160: 160 Countries Worldwide

Unlike many watch brands, Tissot has a commanding presence the world over. From sleepy Le Locle, to world domination, the label can be in standalone boutiques in addition to the globe’s leading retailers – sound evidence of a brand done good, and a brand that remains desirable.

2: It Takes 2 To Tango

Two is most certainly company. In their first on-screen appearance as a couple, both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were seen sporting Tissot watches in the spy hit Mr & Mrs Smith. While Ms Jolie opted for a T-Touch during a botched sniper mission (naturally), her former husband settled for the men’s counterpart.

25: 25 Functions For The T-Touch Expert Solar

We’d say it doesn’t get any more Swiss than the namesake army knife, but turns out it definitely does. The latest T-Touch Expert Solar boasts over 25 separate functions as an update of the world’s first solar-powered watch, including, but not limited to: a touch screen dial, altimeter, second timezone, weather forecasting and a compass – all of which leaves the average smartphone firmly in-pocket.

1983: Bigger Things

It was in the year 1983 that Tissot became a fully-fledged member of the Swatch family, joining The Swatch Group Inc. alongside the likes of Breguet, Hamilton, Omega and Calvin Klein. The organisation currently employs around 36,000 people from over 50 countries, with sales reaching over 7.5 billion in 2016.

6: The 6 Nations Rugby

Tissot has long sponsored sporting events as official timekeepers, but the RBS 6 Nations rugby event is the jewel in the crown. Beginning the partnership in 2013, the brand released the Tissot PRC 200 RBS 6 Nations to celebrate – a sports-led watch complete with blue rubber strap and field-ready precision.

Tissot: a Chronology

1853: Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Émile, launched Tissot in Le Locle, Switzerland.

1858: Charles-Émile left Switzerland for Russia, and sold Tissot’s signature ‘Savonnette’ pocket watch to much acclaim across the Tsar’s empire.

1900: Tissot won a Grand Prix award in Paris, the same year that the city hosted the 2nd Olympic Games.

1917: Tissot becomes part of of the limited company Chs. Tissot & Fils SA, widening the distribution net and recruiting actress Sarah Bernhardt as one of its first ambassadors.

1930: Tissot merges with Omega to form the first watchmaking association – the SSIH, or the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogére.

1983: The SSIH melds with ASUAG, the company steered by Swatch that kept the Swiss industry buoyant throughout the Quartz Crisis of the seventies.

1998: This partnership becomes known as the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor.

1999: Tissot introduces its first ‘tactile’ watch – the T-Touch. Such pieces contain touch-sensitive sapphire crystals to activate various functions including, but not limited to a compass, barometer, thermometer and altimeter.

Tissot Aficionados

Like most big watch brands, Tissot has an esteemed roster of ambassadors and supporters. Unlike other labels however, there’s a huge breadth of talent at play that isn’t solely reserved to the golf course.

As NASCAR’s official timekeeper, it made perfect sense for Tissot to pluck someone from within the industry: Danica Patrick. The most successful woman of American auto racing is a foil to the testosterone-laden race track, and a champion for Tissot’s unisex watches.

That’s not to say the boys are neglected, though. Nicky Hayden – the Moto GP champion that sadly passed away this year – was a longtime ambassador of Tissot thanks to his prowess on the motorcycling track. Then there’s Virat Kohli, the Indian cricketer from Bangalore that was the longtime face of the Tissot PRS 516.

And, while the likes of Elvis Presley, Nelson Mandela and Grace Kelly weren’t on Tissot’s payroll, all three were said to be longtime fans of the brand.