Tissot Is The Premium Swiss Watch Brand That Won't Murder Your Wallet

Dreamers look to Rolexes, Pateks, Vacherons, and all the other luxury watch brands with chewy-sounding names when thinking about a ticker, but on the way to the tippy-top, they should really consider Tissot, the Swiss watch brand that offers premium, capable, and handsome pieces at a sticker price that won’t sink the ship. 

Photo by courtesy of Wizer.

What is the origin story of Tissot?

Tissot’s story began with Charles-Felicién and Charles-Emile Tissot, the father-and-son team who set up shop in the watch haven of Le Locle, Switzerland, over a hundred years ago in July 1853. 

It would be Charles-Emile, the younger Tissot, who would grow and innovate the brand, promoting it in Europe and the U.S., leading the way for the integration of its manufacturing process (instead of outsourcing parts), and tapping into the power of electricity to produce the world’s first mass-produced anti-magnetic watch. 

Photo by courtesy of Wizer.

Photo by courtesy of Wizer.

Speaking of firsts, Tissot has quite a number under its belt. Apart from the anti-magnetic watch, it was reportedly the first to mass-produce pocket watches and also the first to create a tactile watch, the T-Touch, whose functions are activated by the finger. The Swiss brand also pioneered the use of novel materials in timepieces, creating the Rock Watch and the Wood Watch made, respectively, with stone and wood. 

What are the Tissot watches to get right now? 

Tissot catalog is deep, with watches for every day, dressed-up affairs, active pursuits, and even throwbacks (it still produces pocket watches today), but the best place to start would be the Gentleman, whose name says it all: elegant, easy (as in ergonomic), and ready for anything. 

The Best Bet: Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium 

Photo by Tissot.

Much like a gentleman, the Powermatic works hard but never appears labored. The automatic watch boasts a power reserve of up to 80 hours and a water resistance of up to 100 meters, all of which is wrapped in a stainless steel case punched up with a blue dial. It looks good on the wrist and will play well with a suit or a T-shirt.

Also Consider: Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80

 

Photo by Tissot.

If you require a piece that can keep up with the thrills of life, the Swiss company also has the Seastar, a water-ready watch that can withstand depths of up to 300 meters. Details reflect exploration: luminescent hands and markings, a unidirectional bezel, and a diver’s buckle and extension. Matching performance with good looks, the ocean blue dial is striking.

 

If You Can Find It: Tissot Heritage 1973

Photo by Tissot.

The Heritage 1973 combines two things you should be crazy about: the heady-sexy days of the ’70s and the masculine energy of car racing. The overstitched black calfskin strap, which recalls a steering wheel, is a reproduction of a Tissot band produced in the ’60s. Under the hood is the powerful ETA Valjoux 7753 self-winding movement. Only 1973 pieces have been made.

 

Something Unexpected: Tissot Savonnette Mechanical

Photo by Tissot.

Well, why not? A big dose of nostalgia and exquisite craftsmanship may just be the antidote to this strange year. Inside the palladium-plated brass case is a Swiss mechanical movement with a power reserve of 46 hours. It may not be as practical as a watch strapped on the wrist, but you can’t deny the elegance of checking the time via a pocket watch.

 

Where can you buy Tissot watches?

You don’t have to venture too far to get your hands on a Tissot timepiece as the Swiss watch brand has established several boutiques in the country (see below) and can also be found in the multi-brand watch concept store Tempus.  

Photo by Tissot.

Actually, you don’t even have to leave your room. Making things even easier, Tissot is now online at Zalora and Lazada, where more people have been snatching up its watches lately. Why? According to Rainier Jacinto of Wizer Industries, the distributor of Tissot, with the pandemic thwarting vacations and the opportunity to stock up on premium goods, people are releasing their pent-up buying energy by buying watches online. Are you one of them?

Tissot is at SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Lanang Premier, and zalora.com.ph. The brand is also available at Tempus stores nationwide and lazada.com.ph.