The History of Tissot Watches
Tissot was founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile Tissot, and as such is one of the oldest watch legacy brands still available today. The father-son duo started Tissot out of their home in Le Locle, Switzerland, with a big section of the house converted into a watch making factory. Charles-Émile showed interest and considerable skill in watchmaking at an early age, and by 1858 the first signs of the success to come became tangible with his trip to Russia; he was able to sell the savonnette pocket watches all across the Russian Empire.
In 1938, Tissot earned the official timekeeper title timing a series of ski races, and since then (now as part of the Swatch Group) is the official timekeeper for several world championships, including cycling, motorcycling, fencing, ice hockey and others.
Watchmaking Innovation
Tissot is well known for innovating the industry in many ways, which reflects in their motto “Innovators by Tradition”. To name just a few examples, Tissot brought us the first mass produced pocket watch, as well as the first pocket watch with two time zones. Tissot was also one of the first companies to manufacture an antimagnetic wristwatch in the early 1930s. They were also pioneering the use of unusual materials, such as the first watch made out of plastic, stone (the Alpine granite RockWatch in 1985), mother of pearl, and wood.
Tissot Watch Movement and Materials
Aside from the excellent quality mechanical movement (containing an average of 100 finely manufactured parts), Tissot uses two types of automatic movements in their watches, as well as a cutting edge self-winding chronograph movement. The two automatic movements are the ‘Powermatic 80’ and the ‘Swissmatic’, with an impressive power reserve of 80 and 72 hours respectively. The ‘Valjoux’ chronograph movement was developed in the 1970s and is considered to be classic due to its reliability and performance.
Tissot watches are manufactured using the highest quality materials, utilizing sapphire crystal technology for high resistance to impact, ceramic, known for being one of the hardest substances and well suited for the external parts of the watch, and precious materials such as 18k gold, diamonds, and mother of pearl.
Are Tissot Watches Good Quality?
The answer, in short, is YES. Closing in on a 170 year old track record, Tissot has earned its rightful spot among the greatest legacy brands available on our market today. Considered to be ‘mid-range’ in the world of Swiss-made watches, Tissot is an excellent value for the money.
Honoring their long-standing title of ‘Innovators’, Tissot was one of the first brands to introduce silicium as a way to shield the fine watch mechanism from magnetic interference that was an emerging hazard due to developing technology in the 1930s. Today, they use a trademarked titanium-based alloy (Nivachron) to preserve the precision of their watches in the face of strong magnetic fields generated by our cell phones, computers, magnetic closures, etc.)
Tissot markets COSC-certified watches, which means they are approved stopwatches. This certificate is issued by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute), which spends 15 days conducting a battery of extremely stringent tests on the movements to check their accuracy, anti-magnetism and resistance to impact.
Takeaway: Is Tissot Worth the Money?
Due to its long standing track record of high quality production, as well as their well established reputation of industry innovators, Tissot bears a stamp of outstanding quality on their timepieces. Considering the mid-range price for Swiss-made legacy brands, Tissot is one of the best values on the market available today.
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Tissot Collections:
Tissot Seastar Collection
The Seastar Collection is a dynamic collection that exudes confidence and flair.
It’s both masculine and stylish. A diver’s watch that is ISO 6425 (2018) certified and that you may wear every day.
Tissot PRX Collection
The PRX is an essential collection with integrated case and band that pays homage to a classic design from 1970s. This is a perfect watch for people with a passion for design and an eye for innovation, thanks to its thin, timeless design.
The bezel is as thin, curved, and meticulously polished as the case and bracelet. It produces a prominent, perfect circle at the core of an oval watch.
Tissot has created dials with intricate textures, such as sun-brushing or vertical-brushing, within it. They match the case and bracelet’s finishes.
Watches from this collection are available with both quartz movement and Tissot’s Powermatic 80 automatic movement.
Tissot PRX with Quartz Movement:
Tissot PRX with Automatic Movement
Tissot Le Locle Collection
The name Le Locle appears to be a surefire recipe for success. Tissot is the name of a tremendously successful automatic watch family, as well as the name of Tissot’s home and heritage, situated in the Swiss Jura Mountains.
Tissot Gentleman Collection
Inspired by a Tissot timepiece from the 1960s, today’s timepieces in the Gentleman collection are tailored to today’s dynamic and contemporary man. This watch is perfect for any occasion thanks to its traditional and beautiful design.
Both quartz movement and Tissot’s Powermatic 80 automatic movement are available in Tissot’s Gentleman collection.
