Tissot: history, models and value

Founded

1853

Founder(s)

Charles-Félicien Tissot, Charles-Émile Tissot

Headquarters

Le Locle

Owner / group

Swatch Group

Tissot: origins and founding

Tissot was founded in 1853 in Le Locle, in the Swiss Jura, by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile. The company began with pocket watches and is credited with an early mass-produced pocket watch and a pocket watch showing two time zones.

Founders and family

Charles-Émile Tissot traveled to Russia in 1858 and sold pocket watches across the Russian Empire, which became Tissot's largest market. In 1885 his son Charles moved to Moscow to run the branch there. In 1930 Paul Tissot-Daguette led the alliance with Omega and became Omega's CEO.

Tissot history and milestones

• 1853: founding in Le Locle.
• 1916: the curved "Banana" watch, popular in Russia at the time.
• 1930: the Tissot Antimagnétique, described as the first anti-magnetic watch.
• 1930: Tissot and Omega join forces and form SSIH.
• 1953: the Navigator, an early mass-produced watch with a 24-time-zone display.
• 1971: Idea 2001, Tissot's first plastic watch.
• 1978: the original PRX.
• 1983: SSIH and ASUAG merge into SMH, renamed The Swatch Group in 1998.
• 1985: the RockWatch, with a case made of Alpine granite.
• 1999: the first T-Touch, with a touch-sensitive crystal.
• 2021: the PRX returns and becomes a best seller.

Famous Tissot models

• Pocket watches: many old Tissot pocket watches survive, often sold in the Russian Empire.
• Antimagnétique and Navigator: historically important vintage models.
• PR 516: a sporty vintage line, popular with vintage buyers.
• RockWatch and Idea 2001: unusual 1970s and 1980s experiments with stone and plastic.
• T-Touch: touch-screen multifunction watches.
• PRX, Seastar, Gentleman and Le Locle: modern collections many owners have today.

Movements and technique

Tissot uses movements from ETA, the movement maker of The Swatch Group. Many models are quartz. The best-known automatic is the Powermatic 80, introduced in 2013. It is based on the ETA 2824-2 and offers about 80 hours of power reserve. Some versions use a silicon balance spring, which resists magnetism.

Tissot today

Tissot is based in Le Locle and belongs to The Swatch Group, which classifies it as a mid-range brand. It is sold in about 160 countries and is a timekeeping partner for sports such as basketball, cycling, ice hockey and MotoGP. New watches are in the entry-to-mid price segment of Swiss watches.

Tissot prices on the pre-owned market

Modern Tissot watches are made in large numbers, so they usually sell well below their new price. Popular automatic models like the PRX Powermatic 80 tend to sell more easily than older quartz models. Watches with box, papers and a working movement are worth more.

Vintage is a different story. Older mechanical Tissot watches, including the Navigator, PR 516 and chronographs, attract collectors when the dial is original and the case has not been heavily polished. Gold pocket watches and gold wristwatches often have a value floor set by the weight of the gold. Watches with redone dials, replaced crowns or non-original hands sell poorly.

How to recognise a genuine Tissot

Modern Tissot watches have a reference number that starts with "T" on the caseback, plus the model name and "Swiss Made" on the dial. The reference should match the case size, dial color and movement. On vintage Tissot, look for the Tissot name inside the caseback and on the movement, and check whether dial and hands are original. Cheap copies of popular modern models exist. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch explains the basic checks.

What is your Tissot worth?

Whether you have a grandfather's pocket watch or a modern PRX, you can get a first idea with our free watch value estimate: just upload a few photos. If you need a signed document for an estate or insurance, a written watch appraisal is available.

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