A Closer Look At: is a new Click Tempus series that profiles brands that don’t always enjoy their full share of the limelight. This week we look at Swiss mid-level brand Tissot.
Le Locle brand Tissot is never going to be a grail watch, it’s not the first name that spills from anyone’s lips in the pub when the topic turns to Swiss made watches, it’s not the type of watch you proudly flash around the office and people exclaim ‘Wow, is that a Tissot!’ but the brand has always been there, (at least since 1853), and it’s a solid mid-priced player with more than its fair share of good looking, tasteful watches. The Watch Snob would denounce them partly for being a member of the House of Swatch, but mainly for being priced well under his personal starting point of £3000, but most of us have to live in the real world.
Heritage PR516
Heritage PR 516, is a timepiece presented by Tissot at Baselworld earlier this year and inspired by a popular Tissot watch from the 1960s. I’m old enough to remember the punched holes in the strap from the first time around.
The case is 40 mm in diameter and is available in stainless steel case or yellow gold PVD coated steel. Sapphire crystal and transparent case back. Self-winding mechanical movement. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, day and date. Dial is available in either blue, black or silver. Stainless steel bracelet with cut-out circles (shown) or leather clasp with butterfly clasp. Water-resistance is 100 metres.
Tissot Heritage Visodate Automatic
In fact everything in the Heritage range is pretty tasty, including this 1950s hark back. In the 1950s, Tissot celebrated its centenary with a series of innovations – one of which was the integration of a date function to the automatic mechanism in a watch called Visodate. The Tissot Heritage Visodate features gently curved dial mirrors and a domed sapphire glass, both geared to showcasing a clearly visible day and date.
Tissot Brand Ambassadors
Tissot Brand Ambassadors are a curious collection of celebrities, some of whom you may never have heard, including Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, Taiwanese Actress and Singer Barbie Xu, the 2005 World Moto 125cc World Champion, Thomas Luthi, and for the UK, the choice is former England footballer Michael Owen. A global strategy to be sure.
Sensibly, Michael signed for Stoke City on the cusp of the 2012/13 Premier League football season, no doubt realising that his limited edition 420 piece Michael Owen Couturier watch would not have to undergo a change of colours, as Stoke City also play in red and white. Michael has nothing but good things to say about his association with Tissot:
“Tissot has supported me through the good times and the not so good times. Fortunately, I’ve had more good times! I can genuinely say that I enjoy their watches, I like working with the team of people there and you’ll regularly see me wearing any number of Tissot timepieces. Wearing a Tissot watch has become a habit for me now and it’s probably one of the first things I put on before I go to work.”
Take a closer look at Tissot.
