Famous Swiss Watch Brand Launches the Tissot NBA Watch Collection with Special Edition Timepieces featuring the Colors and Logos of Five NBA Team Partners

November 4, 2015, New York, NY – Swiss Watchmaker Tissot today broadened its commitment as Official Timekeeper of the NBA by announcing partnership deals with five NBA teams: the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. This marks the beginning of Tissot’s global partnership with the NBA, which will provide a new precision timekeeping system for all 29 NBA arenas beginning in the 2016-17 NBA season.

NBA team and league executives and former NBA players joined Tissot President François Thiébaud in New York to formally announce the new partnership deals and unveil the Tissot NBA Watch Collection. The collection is composed of six watches that showcase Tissot’s multiple watch segments, from sporty to classic to trendy. Models included in the new collection launch are the Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar, Tissot PRC 200 and Tissot PR100.
Additionally, each team partner will launch a special edition team collection of the Tissot Quickster, which will feature their team colors and logo on the caseback. The NBA Collection will launch at the end of the year and will be available for sale in Tissot boutiques, Tissot’s online store and key retail partners around the country.

“Tissot is a legendary Swiss watch brand, known for performance and precision, much like the NBA teams we will be partnering with for the 2015-2016 season,” said François Thiébaud, President of TISSOT. “This is just the first step in Tissot’s involvement in the NBA, and we are proud to present beautiful new timepieces that can help grow passion and fandom for the league.”

For more information on Tissot’s role as Official Timekeeper of the NBA, visit www.tissot.ch.

So-called classic watches have a card up their sleeve: they transcend time so they’re never out of fashion. They match anything and everything and are loyal lifelong friends. A case in point is the Vintage model from Le Locle-based brand Tissot. Its subtle retro chic style glows from the 40mm rose gold case housing a self-Powermatic 80 mechanical movement. As the name suggests, this powerful calibre brings to life an 80-hour power reserve and the time and date functions on the pure white dial (or midnight black depending on model). Dauphine-shape hour and minute hands and central seconds burst from the dial’s extensive guillochage engraving to track the gold hour indices and Roman numerals. A slim black (or white) minute track rims the chapter ring whilst the white date display lies at 3 o’ clock. Price: 2,395 CHF

The Alpine A450b number 36 – of the SIGNATECH ALPINE team, double European Champion of Endurance, driven by Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire – bears the official Tissot colours since the official trials at the circuit Paul Ricard on march 27 and 28.

Tissot, first traditional Swiss watchmaker in terms of volume, renews its trust in Alpine. The two brands were already partners in the sixties when Alpine obtained a number of titles such as World Rally Champion in 1973, with the Alpine A110, at the Rally of Monte Carlo and the scratch victory at the 24h of Le Mans in 1978 with the Alpine A442b.

For the 2015 Endurance World Championship, which includes the 24 hours of Le Mans, Tissot renews its sport partnership with the legendary French car manufacturer, Alpine. The brand owes its name to Jean Rédélé, its founder, who experienced numerous victories on Alpine roads. Those successes inspired him to call the brand “Alpine” from 1955.

François Thiébaud, President of Tissot, and Bernard Ollivier, CEO of Alpine, gathered in Basel to seal the deal. The commitment of Tissot to these prestigious international events reflects the dynamic nature of the brand and its products, the precision of its movement and its quest for performance. Founded in 1853, Tissot remains faithful to its motto “Innovators by Tradition”.

The brand founded by Charles-Emile Tissot in 1853 moved to its Le Locle headquarters 14 years later in 1907. Tissot has been so deeply rooted in Le Locle that it’s named a watch collection after its address, Chemin des Tourelles. As a high volume brand, Tissot isn’t satisfied with presenting just a few models but instead has unveiled an extensive collection with different dial patterns and colours (silver or gold, sunburst or Clou de Paris), coatings (steel, rose or yellow gold PVD) and case sizes (32, 42 or 44mm). Its wide range of male and female clients will find something they like and that will keep their wallets happy. Chemin des Tourelles comes in a three-hand version with the date at 6 o’ clock brought to life by the famous Powermatic 80 calibre (self-winding movement which provides an 80-hour power reserve) or an automatic chronograph model (small seconds at 9, minute and hours counters at 6 and 12 and date at 3 o’ clock). Price 725 – 1,125 CHF

The Swiss watch brand sets its watches to Alpine time by announcing a partnership with Switzerland’s largest Alpine sports association from 1^st January 2015.

They have decided to team up to conquer the highest summits! Tissot and the Swiss Alpine Club SAC are partners from 1^st January 2015. “It is an honour for Tissot to become the official watch of the Swiss Alpine Club,” notes with enthusiasm François Thiébaud, President of the Swiss watch manufacturer. Their association follows a certain logic, a fact underlined by François Thiébaud: “The watch preferred by Swiss people is purchased from generation to generation, it’s almost like a tradition. And when the phrase Swiss tradition is mentioned, mountains spring inevitably to mind. Hence the many partnerships we have developed with great names of Swiss Alpine tourism, for example with Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn; with the 100^th anniversary of the Jungfrau cog railway; with the Tissot Glacier 3000 Peak Walk in Les Diablerets and the first suspension bridge in the world linking two summits; or with festivities celebrating the 150^th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn. The Alpine dimension is without doubt part of our DNA and our image.”

The T-Touch Solar in mountain refuges

A marketing trajectory which logically follows the high-altitude paths taken by mountain lovers. “This environment conveys our brand values: the quest for precision and performance, but without being overly competitive,” notes François Thiébaud. “In mountain sports, the further you stray from base camp the closer you get to others, and to yourself – a humbling experience.”

This partnership, which will run for several years, is also of course welcomed by the Swiss Alpine Club: “We’ve been thinking of teaming up with a watch brand for a long time, but have waited for the right candidate who shares our values. Today the search is over,” says Pit Meyer, head of marketing at SAC. Tissot thus joins outdoor equipment supplier Salewa, and energy producer Axpo in the very select circle of SAC’s main partners. “Tissot and SAC were made for each other, particularly since the new T-Touch Solar watch is very popular with our members,” continues Pit Meyer. “What’s more, it’s a model which will be displayed in all the mountain refuges of the Swiss Alpine Club in a giant version. But over and above the gain in visibility benefiting both parties, this partnership marks a similar vision of the world, focusing our gaze once and for all on the highest summits!”

About Tissot

It’s the Swissness at the very heart of Tissot that makes the brand such a distinguished one. The + in the Tissot logo is the same as the Swiss flag, symbolising the quality and the reliability that watchmakers have proudly demonstrated since 1853. The innovative brand remains in its home in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura Mountains, keeping its Swiss identity at its core. Tissot watches are authentic and accessible, using special materials, advanced functionality and meticulous design detail to create pieces that are both precise and stylish. The high calibre of the brand has been repeatedly recognised, as in its illustrious history Tissot has been named Official Timekeeper and Partner of MotoGP^TM, FIM World Superbike, FIBA, AFL, RBS 6 Nations Rugby and the World Championships of cycling, fencing and ice hockey. Tissot, which sells its timepieces in more than 160 countries round the world, is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor of Swiss watches. As it continues to create pioneering creations, Tissot stands by its signature, “Innovators by Tradition.”

www.tissot.ch

About the Swiss Alpine Club SAC

With more than 145,000 members, the Swiss Alpine Club SAC, founded in 1863, is the fourth largest sports association in Switzerland. The SAC works to promote mountain sports such as traditional mountaineering, but also more modern disciplines such as ice climbing and bouldering. Its 152 mountain refuges situated in the Swiss Alps are the jewel in the crown of the SAC. Moreover, the club is involved in mountain rescue activities in conjunction with Secours Alpin and Rega, and now works to protect the environment by actively supporting preservation of the Alpine space, while at the same time defending free access to climbers to these areas.

In terms of figures, the SAC also represents 350,000 overnight stays a year, 50,000 books sold each year, as well as 9,500 accommodation options and 200 training courses per year.

www.sac-cas.ch

Swiss Watchmaker Tissot opened its first ever UK boutique this weekend on London’s Oxford Street. The flagship boutique is located on one of the most famous shopping streets in Europe conveniently located next door to Bond Street Underground Station. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the full men’s and ladies’ Tissot collections, including the newly introduced Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar, the world’s first solar multi-function tactile watch.

President of Tissot François Thiébaud said, “Oxford Street is one of the world’s most famous shopping destinations. It offers an unrivalled experience with a rich selection of premium brands. Today, we are very proud to be among them, with the new Tissot boutique, London’s first. We look forward to offering Londoners and visitors alike, a large range of our Swiss quality products at affordable prices.”

The boutique features a historical timeline presenting the brand’s most iconic pieces since its creation in 1853. It will also incorporate the latest Tissot design concept including the famous Tissot “Safe”, a key part of the brand’s retail identity.

The store, located at 373 Oxford Street, offers guests an informative and enjoyable experience with a broad watch selection from Tissot’s many collections including Touch Collection, T-Sport, T-Trend, T-Classic, Heritage, T-Gold, T-Pocket and Special Collection.(More information on Tissot watches can be found at www.tissotshop.com).

It’s the Swissness at the very heart of Tissot that makes the brand such a distinguished one. The + in the Tissot logo is the same as the Swiss flag, symbolising the quality and the reliability that watchmakers have proudly demonstrated since 1853. The innovative brand remains in its home in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura Mountains, keeping its Swiss identity at its core. Tissot watches are authentic and accessible, using special materials, advanced functionality and meticulous design detail to create pieces that are both precise and stylish. The high calibre of the brand has been repeatedly recognised, as in its illustrious history Tissot has been named Official Timekeeper and Partner of MotoGP^TM, FIM World Superbike, FIBA, AFL, RBS 6 Nations Rugby and the World Championships of cycling, fencing and ice hockey. Tissot, which sells its timepieces in more then 160 countries round the world, is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor of Swiss watches. As it continues to create pioneering creations, Tissot stands by its signature, “Innovators by Tradition.” www.tissot.ch

What’s the difference between a chronograph and chronometer? The former has counters to measure and display time intervals whilst the latter describes a high precision watch which has been tested and approved by an official report provided by organisations such as the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). The chronometer describes the T-Complication model whose 43mm steel case houses a manual-wind mechanical movement certified by the COSC. The aforementioned calibre provides a power reserve of up to 53 hours and brings to life the hour and minute functions in the middle and the small seconds in a sub-dial at 6 o’ clock. The smooth black dial is adorned with silver-tone indices and a minute track plus a guilloché centre with two dauphine silver-tone hour and minute hands. Price: 1,625 CHF

The whistle has blown, the 22 players are poised on the football pitch and you’re ready to shout “Goaaal!” at your TV screen. If you’re among the supporters who want to get even more involved in a match, the Quickster Chrono Football watch is perfect for you. The watch enables you to time the match (half time, extra time and stoppage time) using its many counters. Just push the button at 2 o’ clock on the side of the 42mm steel case at the first whistle to start timing the first half, second half and restart in case of extra time. The counter at 2 o’ clock on the silver-tone dial states the match time whilst the seconds are in another counter at 10 o’ clock and the large minute hand lies in the middle. In addition to this function, the quartz movement brings to life the central hours and minutes, the seconds at 6 o’ clock and the date display at 4 o’ clock. Price: 385 CHF

Tissot is switching to solar time. A hybrid between the traditional watch and smartwatch, the new T-Touch Expert Solar’s dial is covered in solar cells which charge up the battery. Tissot launched its first tactile watches with the Locle model in 1999. Things haven’t certainly changed with the T-Touch since it first launched with six functions (including the compass, altimeter and barometer). The Navigator featured no fewer than 150 time zones in 2004 and the 2009 Sea-Touch has a depth sensor and tells wearers the speed of the dive. The Expert Solar is in the same vein: the nonmagnetic titanium case houses a perpetual calendar with the date and week, two alarms, a dual time zone, weather forecast with relative pressure, an altimeter with a difference in altitude sensor, chronograph, compass, countdown timer, azimuth, sailing function and illuminator. Price: 995 – 1150 CHF

Two in one The Tissot T-Race MotoGP Limited Edition 2014 shows all the signs of the great synergy between Tissot and MotoGP. Black and red, it bears the colours of MotoGP^TM and of Tissot, showing their dynamism and the fiery passion that they both carry. Furthermore, it has the precision that the Official Timekeeper provides during the exhilarating races, as motorbikes are separated by only thousandths of a second at the finish line, and the one that the racers themselves demonstrate on the track. The watch is the outcome of an amazing and long-lasting alliance between two like-minded partners and represents them both to perfection. Price: 825 CHF