FeatureTour de France 2018 Special: Mapping Tissot’s Ride On The Saddle

Tissot’s reputation as a pioneer in the field of watchmaking stems from humble beginnings as the ‘Charles-Félicien Tissot & Son’ assembly shop in Le Locle, Switzerland. Formed by Charles-Félicien Tissot, a gold case-fitter, and his son Charles-Émile, a watchmaker in 1853, the Tissot catalogue impressed one and all with the inclusion of a vast collection of pocket watches and pendant watches, mostly in gold, richly decorated or with complications. They gained popularity at national and international exhibitions as well as at chronometry competitions. In fact, iconic French actress Sarah Bernhardt is famously known to have purchased an 18-carat gold pendant watch at the 1900 World’s Fair.

The Swiss watchmaker attained several accomplishments to its credit, starting from introducing the first mass-produced pocket watch to launching the first pocket watch that showed two time zones – both within a year of its establishment. It was quite a feat for a brand that was so new to the world of watchmaking. In 1929-30, fuelled by greater challenges and aspirations, Tissot presented the world’s first anti-magnetic watch – a timepiece that would function smoothly despite any magnetic disturbances around it. Tissot’s innovative repertoire also includes the production of the first watches made of plastic, stone, mother of pearl and wood.

The Brand’s Sports Lineage

Tissot has a long-standing history with sports. The company’s first association with a sporting event was in 1938 when the brand acted as official timekeeper for a ski racing event in Villar, Switzerland. Tissot has been a key sponsor for the Formula One teams of Lotus, Renault and Sauber and the official timekeeper and partner of FIBA, AFL, MotoGP, FIM Superbike and the World Championships of cycling, fencing and ice hockey.

Over the years, several key international figures, including Carmen Miranda, Elvis Presley, Grace Kelly and Nelson Mandela, have graced Tissot watches on their wrists. The brand also boasts of an impressive line-up of official ambassadors that include MotoGP riders Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Thomas Lüthi; basketball player Tony Parker; Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and actors Deepika Padukone, Liu Yifei and Huang Xiaoming.

Familiar Terrains

The brand’s association with sports has been so close and extensive that it has inspired the watchmaker on a number of occasions to produce timepieces specifically designed for the major races on the calendar, from Paris-Nice to Paris-Tours, including La Flèche Wallonne, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. The Swiss bigwig served as the official timekeeper of the Tour de France from 1988 to 1992, and in 1995, Tissot affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale, becoming the official timekeeper of road, trail, mountain-bike and UCI BMX Cycling World Championships and world cup cycling time trials.

A Model For Every Track

Reflecting a bike in itself in a sleek ergonomic form is the diverse Tissot T-Race cycling collection, which is available in yellow, blue, dark blue, orange, red, steel and black PVD, in combinations with silicone or NATO straps. Synchronising with every pedal, these Swiss-made watches are powered by quartz movements. The sturdy silicone strap of each T-Race watch beautifully captures the intrinsic elements of a racing bike, such as the head tube and fork. The chronograph pushers on the 316L stainless steel round case, measuring 44.5mm, resemble brake levers, while the asphalt-effect dial references a wheel and its spokes.

Across the neatly designed dial are two large luminous hands, a colour-coordinated ‘T’-tipped chronograph seconds hand, with counters at three, six and nine o’clock and a date window at four – all pivotal features for biking enthusiasts. The timepieces have been deftly endowed with a number of thrilling bike-related characteristics, with the tachymeter bezel echoing the look of a wheel, the clustered-sprocket cassette motif on the solid caseback as well as the crown, and, lastly, the bicycle chain-like indented pattern on the inside of the silicone strap. A PVD coating – with carbon composite in some models – has been incorporated in the case in colours that harmonise well with the silicone strap.

Committed To Inspire

As the producer of a niche of reasonably affordable watches for the hardcore speed-bike fans, Tissot is setting new standards as well as strengthening its core values of performance and precision. From its foundation in the small Swiss Jura town of Le Locle to earning a presence in more than 150 countries, the brand has acquired a relentless pioneering spirit that is committed to inspire.

From its first pocket watch with two time-zones in 1853 to its revolutionary touch-screen technology T-Touch watch, Tissot has presented a series of firsts in terms of technology, materials and design. With a versatile range of high-quality timepieces at attractive prices, more so than most other Swiss watch brands, Tissot also expresses its commitment to making excellence accessible.

Hit the pedal and find your cycling companion from Tissot here!