Tissot: The Democratic Swiss

Founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile, Tissot has spent 170 years on a single mission: bring Swiss watchmaking to people who don't want to remortgage their flat.

A series of firsts

• 1853 — first to industrialise dual-time pocket watches.
• 1930 — Tissot Antimagnetique, the first non-magnetic wristwatch.
• 1971 — Astrolon, the world's first plastic-movement watch.
• 1999 — T-Touch, the first tactile-glass watch.

The PRX moment

The 2021 PRX Powermatic 80 reissued a 1978 design with an integrated bracelet and an 80-hour automatic. At ~₹70K it gave the world a "Royal Oak alternative" that actually shipped.

What else to look at

• Seastar 1000 — proper 300m diver under ₹50K.
• Le Locle Powermatic 80 — classic dress with COSC option.
• PR 100 — clean three-hander, the everyday Swiss workhorse.