As a watch connoisseur, a Tissot simply had to be part of my collection. This was especially after my older Tissot ran out of style with its spin bezel. There were a lot of choices to make among the company’s legendary catalogue, but few caught my eye as swiftly or as effectively as the Classic.
It is an unassuming piece with some impressive fitting and bold crocodile leather. Its stitch runs along the perimeter of its leather strap ending in a steel buckle with neatly folded stitches securing its lug ends.
The dial is set in a rich black, contrasting its sapphire and steel encasing and steel crown which together impart it 3 bar water resistance.
Made after the 60s, this watch carries Tissot’s new style emblazoning on the top, with a clean serif type and with the leading T carrying an increased x-height. The company’s founding year, 1853, seems to be plastered all over their presentation and the dial is no exception.
At 7.5mm in thickness and 38mm diametrically, the dial maintains dimensional elegance, and at 41g is on the lighter side, but is not so light that you forget you are wearing it. For costly watches, that is a good thing: you do not want to carry one around with a scratch on the glass.
It appears the very tip of the strap frays over use, but that is hardly inexcusable. And, in spite of its lean figure, the watch holds its own elegantly next to Seiko’s famous metal bracelet limited edition F.C. Barcelona collection watch, the Sportura Chronograph.
When worn, the Tissot — once again, surprisingly — refuses to be diminished by large hands. My hands are slightly larger than the average, so my initial fear was that the watch would seem dwarfed. (This is why I often stick to large dials.)
But the Tissot’s steel outlines embolden the watch, so it fits in like goldilocks between the carpus and the shirt cuff — just right. This makes the watch a pleasure to wear.
Carrying a roman dial powered by an 805.112 calibre Quartz movement, this is truly a keeper of time. Tissot says it best: “These timepieces were born to become icons.”
Indeed they play the part. The leather looks like it is doubly wrapped before stitching (but I cannot say for sure) because it provides a lot more support against tugging once the tongue has been fastened, when compared with other leather watches I (have) own(ed). It carries two free rings that keep the strap fittingly in place over an entire day’s usage.
The piece comes packed in a large, rich box in red and black, reminiscent of the Tissot T logo and the Swiss flag.
The inside of the box is lined with what I think is a satin and velvet type finish. (I cannot say: I love watches, not cloth textures.) As usual, the watch rests around a fluffy white pillow.
Cards and contents are all packed into the spine of the box rather than inside, which is a refreshing change from the way manufacturers often throw in all papers in compartments around the watch itself.
What the watch does come with are two thick books: a catalogue and a history book. The typeface and old ads in the one and the watches in the other are gorgeous. These guys are Swiss after all, and such a long history will surely have something impressive to show.
This Tissot is of a different league. It is not a watch you would shine is people’s face, but one you would wear, treasure and cherish because it is beautiful to look at. And not everybody will enjoy this: especially not the Fossil and Diesel crowd, who (at this point anyway) are not watch connoisseurs, merely people who wear watches.
And — while I would not necessarily tell a prospective buyer of these watches not to buy one — I am not the only one who thinks this way (as I found out only recently). Fossil’s low quality, over-priced watches are easily recognisable for all the wrong reasons; if that appeals to you, I doubt this will. On the other hand, if this appeals to you, you have been wearing the wrong watches all your life.
So if you like Fossil’s jarring looks and cheap, china-made movement, go for it. I must say without sounding condescending (or, in all politeness,) that if you want to gain a watch lover’s respect (or be called one yourself) wait till Diesel and Fossil and that other brand really prove their worth. (A high price is not a sign of standard.)
So that should clarify any doubts as to who this watch is for. The community of watch collectors agrees.
Update: A reader brought this to my attention — for instance, here is what the Watch Snob says:
… it gets no knobbier than asking me about Fossil watches. Save yourself before it’s too late and buy something like a Timex or Orient, both of which command some respect from us horologically-gifted.
Wise words. More advice: get rid of your superiority complex and ask a friendly watch cognoscenti which timepiece to pick within your budget next time.
Let me leave you with one last photograph of this lovely Tissot. True to its name, it really is a classic, a dream and a gent.
(All photographs except the fourth and fifth ones were made with the GALAXY Note 3; those were made with the Nikon D600.)
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