MADE FOR RACING

The V8 collection has been expanded with a new model and as ever with a sports feel. Its strengths: precision to 1/10^th of a second and an attractive look on the wrist.

Any mention of the V8 inevitably brings to mind the roar of the powerful motor in sports or luxury cars. At Tissot, V8 is the name for a collection of chronographs designed to compete. They all feature a 42.5mm-wide steel case and a reliable and precise quartz chronograph movement. Among the many models, one in particular stands out for its time-reading clarity. On the white dial of the V8 Quartz Chronograph (ref. T106.417.11.031.00), three counters display the shorter time measurements, making them easy to read.

Whereas on many chronographs, a press on the piston-shaped monopusher at 2 o’clock activates the hands of the complication and a second press stops them, the V8 Quartz Chronograph can also measure additional and intermediary time. The measurements are displayed in three subdials placed in the standard position on the dial and with a central hand for the seconds. And to guarantee a high level of precision, the watch is accurate to 1/10^th of a second.

The tachymetric scale here is not only aesthetic, but also has a practical purpose. It can be used to measure the average speed in kilometres per hour over a distance of 1,000 metres. You just need to start the chronograph at the beginning of the distance and stop it at the end to see the result with the help of a second hand on a scale on the attractive blue bezel.

Price: €440 www.tissotwatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

100% SWISS

Tissot takes pride in its Swiss identity and has unveiled a pair of steel timepieces emblazoned with powerful Swiss symbols on the front and back.

Tissot may have been founded by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Emile in 1853 in Le Locle in Neuchâtel but it wasn’t until 1907 that it opened its factory on Chemin des Tourelles where it still stands today. The address is so deeply rooted in the Swiss watchmaker’s identity that a classic watch collection has been named after it. A new model with a choice of two timepieces has joined the well-known range: Chemin des Tourelles Swiss Special Edition.

Tissot also likes to showcase its Swiss roots and patriotism exudes from the front and back of both Chemin des Tourelles Swiss Special Editions. The case back bears the design of a Swiss Franc with Helvetia surrounded by 23 stars representing the confederation’s states. Helvetia is the allegorical personification of the Swiss Confederation. She’s wearing laurel leaves on her head and holding a spear and shield emblazoned with a cross on the back of the Chemin des Tourelles Swiss Special Edition.

The 44mm model has a sunburst silver dial whilst the 32mm watch has a white mother-of-pearl dial with the gold hour, minute and seconds hands. The ring bearing the gold hour markers and Roman numerals has a mosaic of small Swiss crosses. The black-on-white date display lies at 6.

The famous self-winding Powermatic 80 fuels the 80-hour power reserve from inside the steel case with a rose gold PVD bezel and crown.

Price 995 CHF www.tissotwatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

A WATCH IS A MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Affectionately nicknamed “the Swiss army knife of watchmaking“, the famous multi-purpose watch with its solar dial by Tissot has been reinvented with two colours to better attract the adventurers of the 21st century.

Both a precursor and a born adventurer, Tissot was one of the first brands to develop a watch that was specifically adapted to explorers of new lands, to individuals seeking to surpass themselves and sportsmen. The Swiss brand has introduced a new model, the T-Touch Expert Solar II, in two versions: one is emerald green, to be worn “on land”, and the other petrol blue, for plunging into the blue waters of the ocean to a depth of 100 metres.

Indispensable for travelling the world, the T-Touch Expert Solar II is a tactile, solar-powered watch, running on a quartz movement developed by ETA. The mechanism is powered by a battery that will run for one year without charging, and is housed in a large (45mm) titanium case. The case is crowned with a fixed bezel made of technical ceramics and coloured green or blue.

On the emerald green version, the upper part of the dial of this Tissot is sandblasted and features a compass rose, while the petrol blue version is adorned by a grid pattern around the hour marker and vertical lines at the centre. The lower part of the dial, meanwhile, contains a solar panel with a digital and tactile display. This recharges the battery with natural or artificial light.

The T-Touch Expert Solar II model has some 20 functions, most of which can be selected by a touch of the finger: a compass, altimeter, pressure gauge, regatta timer, day and week display, back-lighting, complete chronograph, azimuth, log, double alarm, double time zone, perpetual calendar and stopwatch.

This new watch by Tissot comes with a rubber strap joined to the case and in a colour matching the ceramic bezel.

Price: 995 CHF www.tissotwatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

In the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918), people in Europe and America lived through the interwar period from 1919 until 1939 when the Second World War broke out. Despite the stock market crash in 1929, tangible tension in international business and the laborious post-war reconstruction, this transitional period was a hotbed for creativity. Different sectors were bursting with innovations, especially in personal transport with the boom of the automobile and development of aviation.

Roaring inspiration

An artistic and popular movement arose in France which was heavily influenced by American culture : “ Les Années Folles ” (the Roaring Twenties). They began in 1920 and ended in 1929 after the Wall Street Crash. The decade stood out for major economic growth and a flourishing art scene. It saw the appearance of Art Deco whose geometric lines made way for curvaceous Art Nouveau then the Surrealist movement that delved into literature, poetry, sculpture, art, cinema and music such as jazz, dance (Charleston and the tango) in the music halls and dance clubs imported from the US and adapted to suit European taste. People could start really living again after a long period of international conflict.

The prosperous and productive Roaring Twenties have inspired the watch brand Tissot to design a new collection focused entirely on ladies.

Roaring appeal

The new collection has five models in rose or yellow gold fuelled by a quartz movement. The rectangular case has two straight strips that curve around the lugs. They are 34.5mm long, 20 wide and 5.3 deep and wrap around the wrist with a black or brown smooth and shiny leather strap and deployment clasp. An extra dash of style comes from the white or black ceramic cabochon adorned with a notched crown.

There are two dial options: classic silver or black sunburst ideal for daywear or elegant white mother-of-pearl and diamond for the evening.

The classic version’s central rectangle is decorated with wavy engine-turned engravings and slender black or white markers and Roman numerals. The blue small seconds counter is rimmed in gold.

The glamorous version has a low-key black minute track in the centre giving pride of place to four diamond markers. The subtle small seconds have a dash of daring blue on the counter.

A pair of dauphine-shape rose or yellow gold hands in the middle of the dial track the hours and minutes.

Now it’s up to you to decide when it’s time to roar.

www.tissotwatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

POWERMATIC & SILICON: A DYNAMIC DUO

The Locle-located brand has integrated a definite ‘must’ into its Powermatic 80: silicon, an element that boasts cardinal qualities and that now features in Tissot’s T-Classic Ballade collection.

The silicon balance-spring, which Breguet introduced into its watch collections in 2006 and led other Swatch Group Prestige range brands to follow suit (Blancpain, Omega and Jaquet Droz), has now become indispensable. This element brings clear advantages to watchmaking through its lightness, its lifespan and its great resistance to shock, corrosion, magnetic fields and warping. Tissot, the Swatch Group’s high-volume brand, now benefits from this major technological breakthrough and incorporates a silicon balance-spring in its Powermatic 80 calibre which drives the Ballade collection.

Ballade – a name that adds a touch of romanticism and conjures up lyrical poems from the Middle Ages – proposes timepieces for both ladies and gents. The 32 or 41 mm-diameter “bare” steel cases or including PVD-coated yellow or rose gold bezels host the Powermatic 80 calibre that now embraces a silicon balance-spring. This self-winding mechanical movement, developed several years ago hand-in-hand with ETA and chronometer-certified by the COSC (the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute), powers the time functions and the calendar. But, it’s this engine’s autonomy that stands out and wows: 80 hours!

The Ballade model’s black dial alternates the different textures concentrically. The centre is decorated with a disc carved with a motif that is a mix between the Clous de Paris and a honeycomb structure and is reproduced on the bezel. The disc is encircled by a grained-finished ring that features the chapter ring embellished with silvered applique indexes and Arabic numerals; then, a black ring, close to the flange, hosts the minute tracker printed in white. This dial’s heart clasps two Dauphine hands indicating the hours and minutes and a direct-drive ticking away the seconds. The date is displayed in a silver-bevelled aperture at 3 o’clock.

Tissot’s small Ballade model embraces the same set-up and decoration but is proposed with a white mother-of-pearl dial centre.

Price not indicated

By Sharmila Bertin

A fresh tribute to racing

Tissot has had a strong bond with motor sports since the 60s. With this in mind, the Swiss brand has once again joined forces with Alpine to design a watch in tribute to motor racing. The collaboration has produced 460 of the Tissot V8 Alpine A460 limited edition.

Long-standing partners Tissot and Alpine teamed up for the Alpine victory at the Monte-Carlo Rally and World Rally Championship in 1973. The brands got back together in 1978 for Alpine’s scratch victory at Les 24 Heures du Mans. Following these milestones, Tissot and Alpine have joined forces again to bring out an original timepiece with a nod to motor racing: V8 Alpine A460. It’s packed with features such as pushers that look like engine valves, a carbon dial and unique carbon-look leather strap that brings to mind vintage car materials.

The 42mm steel case is waterproof to depths of 100m. The tricompax (with three counters) dial is shielded by anti-glare sapphire crystal and displays the small seconds at 6, 30-minute counter at 10 and 1/10^th of a second counter at 2. The watch is true to Alpine’s colours: blue markers and central seconds hand and orange counter hands with a luminescent coating to glow in the dark. Tissot and Alpine are in the driving seats!

Price: 460 euros tissot.com

By Inès Aloui

It’s time for glamorous Tissot family gathering 

Tissot welcomes its Lady Ambassadors on the Tour de France

As Official Timekeeper, Tissot was delighted to welcome its ambassadors Deepika Padukone and Liu Yi Fei on the Tour de France to celebrate the final stage in Paris. They were able to bear witness to one of the most important moments of the Tour as the riders went passed the mythical Arc de Triomphe and passed on Les Champs-Elysées to finally reach the last finish line.

This magnificent and idyllic venue presented the perfect setting to receive such personalities. Tissot and its ambassadors shared a wonderful time while witnessing the charm of the Tour de France, which is the amazing scenery it presents to the world along the way. It is a time that they will remember, as it goes down in history with the crowning of the 2016 Tour de France Champion following 21 rough stages timed by Tissot.

tissot.com

Introducing the Tissot Quickster Heat Special Edition

Tissot has always had sporting partnerships. For example, the brand is now the official timekeeper for the Tour de France, UCI track world championships, 6 Nations and the hockey world championships. But Tissot’s biggest ever contract came in 2015: the NBA.

The NBA is an American sports organisation that broadcasts in 47 languages in 215 countries with over 875 million fans and subscribers worldwide on a variety of platforms devoted to the league, teams and players. While they were at it, Tissot also signed agreements with a dozen legendary NBA teams including the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

This Quickster Heat Special Edition is devoted to Miami Heat. The stainless steel watch has a printed glass back, a quartz chronograph movement and NATO strap.

Price: 395 CHF tissot.com

By Fabrice Eschmann

Tissot – T-Touch Expert Solar NBA Special Edition

You’d be wrong to think that the king of slam dunk is a big orange ball that bounces away on the maple hardwood court; instead it’s a racy watch with an athletic core that encapsulates the partnership between Le Locle watchmaker Tissot and North American basketball giant, the NBA.

Its 45mm solid titanium case is coated in rose gold PVD, houses a quartz movement and is brought to life by the light filtering through the dial. The digital display at the bottom of the black carbon dial features the different functions (20 in total) that you can preselect by pressing the touchscreen glass. Back-lighting, double time zone, complete perpetual calendar, altimeter, chronograph (with additional and split times), compass, dual alarm and more.

The T-Touch Expert Solar NBA Special Edition is an undeniably versatile piece of kit both on the court and in the city at your fingertips.

Price: 1,125 CHF

Par Sharmila Bertin

tissot.com

Tissot, a member of the Swatch Group, has distinguished itself once again in the world of cycling by becoming Official Timekeeper of the Tour de France and all cycling time trials run by Amaury Sport Organisation. The Swiss brand will provide its innovative timekeeping systems at all A.S.O. time trials for the next five years.
Cycling is one of the sports that Tissot has been most involved in, as it has been associated with various cycling events for the past 50 years. The brand had already been Official Timekeeper of the Tour de France from 1988 to 1992. Proud of its Swiss roots, Tissot got further involved in 1995 by joining forces with the UCI International Cycling Union. Since then, Tissot has been the official Timekeeper of road, trail, mountain-bike and BMX cycling world championships, world cup cycling time trials and the Mountain Bike World Championship.
tissot.com