The 15 Best Tissot Watches for Men (The Most Underrated Swiss Brand)

by Karlton Miko Tyack  |  in Watches

Out of all the long-established Swiss watchmakers out there, Tissot is one of the most commercially underrated. Today, we’re going to shine a rarely shone spotlight with our picks for 15 of the best (in our opinion) Tissot watches for men.

James Stewart famously wore a handsome Tissot in Hitchcock’s stylish thriller Rear Window (he starred alongside Princess Grace of Monaco, also a fan of the brand).

Just as Sean Connery’s glamour reflects that of Rolex’s, Stewart and Tissot are quietly esteemed in their fields. They produced widely recognized classics, yet never sought a high profile.

Basically, Tissot just wants to make good watches.

Which begs the question…

 

Is Tissot a Good Watch?

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Exceptional design and sound engineering make a good watch manufacturer. History and innovations make a great watch brand. Tissot has all of these.

On the design and engineering front, they employ many high-quality movements. Two examples include: The Powermatic 80, an automatic that stays accurate even after three days of not wearing it.

The other? The Swissmatic, an automatic that’s surprisingly affordable because it’s built using an innovative automated production chain.

Tissot often uses movements built by ETA. However, since they’re both part of the Swatch Group, they often work hand-in-hand to develop precise, state-of-the-art movements.

This definitely isn’t in-house, but not totally outsourced either.

Tissot Isn’t Just Good, It’s Important

The brand boasts several unique innovations.

Historically, one of the most important of these is the world’s first non-magnetic wristwatch. In the 1920s, electricity became commonplace in households. Unfortunately, electricity also magnetizes wristwatches, which affects their accuracy.

The Tissot Antimagnetique came out in 1929, long predating the antimagnetic watch boom of the 1950s.

An important contemporary innovation is the world’s first tactile watch. In 1999, Tissot introduced touch-sensitive sapphire crystals to control functions such as a barometer, altimeter, and thermometer.

Despite their focus on innovation, this brand always has one foot in history. They’ve been around since 1853, soon after Omega arrived and long before Rolex. Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Émile Tissot founded the company in the Swiss Jura mountains.

A lot of Swiss watch engineering wouldn’t be around today if not for Tissot. Charles-Émile promoted watch-making schools focused on Swiss precision and was even appointed the Swiss national watch inspector.

And as any relevant watch brand, they’ve partnered with several sports institutions. Currently, they’re the official timekeeper of the NBA.

Is Tissot a High-end / Luxury Watch?

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Tissot is in a category that I call “affordable luxury.” Movado is another good example of this, though Movado leans more into fashion while Tissot leans into traditional horology.

To consider a watch luxury or high-end, it must go beyond simply telling time. It has to have history (we already know Tissot checks this box), it needs to represent a lifestyle, and it needs to tell a story.

As you’ll see with our roundup, it checks the latter boxes as well.

Moreover, watch specialists recognize Tissot’s specialities: Well-balanced design and a talent for dress watches. You know it’s a high-end brand when it has a trademark in the expert community.

Are These Watches Good Quality?

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Tissot fashions high-quality watches in every price range.

Even their $100 T-Classic quartz watch features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a beautifully complex stainless steel bracelet paired with a simple face, and 100m of water resistance.

All their watches are subjected to tests for resistance to impact, pressure, and water.

Many of their lines are COSC-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. This means they’ve undergone 15 days of testing for accuracy and resilience in several challenging temperature and pressure conditions.

How Much Are Tissot Watches?

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The most affordable lines, their Small Prices Collection for example, are in the $100 range.

Their most expensive watch is a Limited Edition Gold Case Heritage. At $8,250, it’s definitely an outlier (yet still around the price of an entry-level Rolex).

The average price is in the $550-600 range.

What is the Best Tissot Watch?

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It depends what you’re looking for!

Tissot is one of the most wide-ranging luxury brands out there. The Excellence is an elegant evening watch perfect for a black-tie event or a dinner with your partner, while the T-Touch will serve you well on an off-grid adventure.

Tissot Watches for Men: Our Picks and Personal Faves

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Each timepiece we’ve picked is available on Amazon. Take a look and decide which watches are the best for you!

Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic

From Tissot’s Dream Collection which focuses on modernizing classic designs, this Swissmatic is quintessential Tissot. It combines dressy features like the silky brushed dial and gem-like crown with harder elements like the sharp lugs.

Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic
$450.00 $364.45

"The Tissot Classic Dream Automatic has an everlasting appeal and suites every wrist regardless of the individual style."

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Moreover, it runs on one of Tissot’s innovations, the bang-for-buck Swissmatic automatic movement, which you can admire via the exhibition caseback.

This Swiss Made watch is an effective choice for an everyday watch, or even as a one-collection timepiece. The balanced look pairs well with the croco-embossed leather strap it usually comes with or a stainless steel bracelet.

Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size42mm
Water Resistance50m
Band MaterialEmbossed leather

Tissot Quickster T-Race

The Tissot Quickster T-Race is a staunch sport watch, with a multi-layered, multi-textured athletic construction.

Tissot Quickster T-Race
$209.99

The Tissot Quickster T-Race features bike racing-inspired design details and dynamic style with a hint of look-at-me colors.

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The PVD version gives it a commanding look as well as a stronger build, while the matte granular inner dial in all versions add visual intrigue and legibility. Even the diamond-plating on the crown makes it easier to grip, while leaning hard into its automotive stylings.

Basically, all of the cool aesthetic qualities are also practical.

Overall, it’s a tough-wearing racer watch at a more than reasonable price point.

Tissot Quickster T-Race features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size44.5mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialRubber strap

Tissot Chrono XL, Black PVD

I definitely get Timex-like cool vibes from this Chrono XL. 

Tissot Chrono XL PVD
$395.00 $375.00

The Tissot Chrono XL is characterised by its big case that has a diameter of 45mm. The size of the dial makes time easily readable, with contemporary Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. The chronograph function adds to its urban style.

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02/17/2023 01:56 pm GMT

The brown leather strap is of decent quality, but is elevated by the texture and side stitching. Meanwhile, the black PVD coating makes the stainless steel case nigh impossible to scratch— it also makes it really cool looking!

Touches like that aren’t typically found in field-style watches in this price range. This is why the Chrono XL is one of the best, despite Tissot not being known for field watches.

TISSOT CHRONO XL, BLACK PVD features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size45mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialLeather strap
Band ColorBlack PVD

Tissot T-Classic Everytime, Rose Gold

I know all of that rose gold won’t be everyone’s style (even the hands are rose gold!), but this is truly a unique piece.

Tissot T-Classic Everytime, Rose Gold
$295.00

Silver dial enhanced by rose gold-tone hands. Rose Gold PVD stainless steel case with a rose gold pvd stainless steel band. Quartz movement. 30 meters / 100 feet water resistance. Fixed bezel. Scratch Resistant Sapphire crystal. Solid caseback.

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Yes, you get the beauty of gold at a fraction of the price. And yes, the band has the complexity of any high-end evening watch.

But the band and case are actually made out of stainless steel. It’s rose gold ion plated. Meaning this gorgeous dress watch can actually take quite the beating! Tissot certainly loves surprises.

TISSOT T-CLASSIC EVERYTIME ROSE GOLD features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size38mm
Water Resistance30m
Band MaterialStainless steel
Band ColorRose Gold PVD

Tissot PR 100 Chronograph

This watch is one of Tissot’s traditional chronographs, and one of the most versatile options on the list.

Tissot PR 100 Chronograph
$425.00 $329.99

Blue dial enhanced by luminous silver-tone hands. Silver-tone stainless steel case with a silver-tone stainless steel mesh band. Quartz movement. 100 meters / 330 feet water resistance. Fixed bezel. Scratch Resistant Sapphire crystal. Solid caseback. Fold Over Slip Through clasp.

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The PR 100 perfectly balances dressy and sporty features. The busy chronograph, long rectangular indices, and T-second hand are bold and masculine, but the royal blue dial and the multi-link bracelet add a touch of class.

This is the kind of watch I imagine a king would wear when he’s playing polo with a sheikh.

TISSOT PR 100 CHRONOGRAPH features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size41mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialStainless steel

Tissot T-Race MotoGP

This Tissot T-Race MotoGP is so generously-sized and seriously-spec’d, it’s as if a G-Shock got the Tissot treatment.

Tissot T-Race MotoGP
$488.40

This T-Race model features a brake disc bezel and brake caliper above the crown, making it an iconic feature of the T-race family. The see-through case back is inspired by the shape of a motorcycle wheel.

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It’s an undeniably dynamic tank of a watch, but with refined details, like the flawless brushing on the bottom-most layer of the dial. Even its main strap has that multi-textured, multi-material build. Plus, its in-house chronograph automatic movement fully cinches the Swiss Made moniker on its dial face.

If you’re looking for a tough sport watch, this T-Race levels up the beater category both in style and operation.

Tissot T-Race MotoGP features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size48.8mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialLeather, nylon, rubber strap

Tissot Visodate Automatic

Our first automatic on the list is also one of Tissot’s most quintessential timepieces. The Visodate is a bit like an automatic Tissot Tradition, with its vintage Rear Window-esque case.

Tissot Visodate Automatic
$695.00 $399.78

The Tissot Heritage Visodate translates nostalgia into contemporary timepieces dedicated to detail.

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It’s popularly worn with a croc-embossed leather strap too. On top of it being an automatic, I also like it better because of the day-date feature.

Overall, this is a versatile everyday watch, regardless of what strap you pair it with.

Tissot Visodate Automatic features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size40mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialStainless steel bracelet

Tissot T-Sport PRC200

The PRC 200 is a universal, masculine Chronograph. 

Tissot T-Sport PRC200
$595.00 $399.00

The Tissot PRC 200 is a popular range of the T-Sport watch collection that is built for performance. It features Swiss quality and craftsmanship at an affordable price.

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The face is about as busy as a chronograph can get with each dial barely touching the hour indices. The pops of yellow add personality though, a similar effect as the iconic orange hand on the Rolex Explorer II.

It also features a robust five-link bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links. Since it’s also suitable for recreational diving, the PRC 200 is the perfect example of a luxury sport watch.

Tissot T-Sport PRC200 features:

MovementQuartz Case
Case Size42mm
Water Resistance200m
Band MaterialStainless steel

Tissot T-Classic Automatic, Two-tone

This elegant T-Classic literally shines. 

Tissot T-Classic Automatic, Two-tone
$615.00

Silver dial enhanced by rose gold-tone leaf-style hands. Rose Gold PVD stainless steel case with a two-tone (silver and rose gold pvd) stainless steel band. Automatic movement. 30 meters / 100 feet water resistance. Fixed bezel. Scratch Resistant Sapphire crystal

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It features a silver dial enhanced by rose gold leaf hands and very noble Roman numeral indices. The stainless steel case has a rose gold PVD coating, and the band is a complex multi-link stainless steel with alternating silver and rose gold links.

The front of the case is a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and the caseback is transparent so you can see the automatic movement at work!

TISSOT T-CLASSIC AUTOMATIC features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size39.3mm
Water Resistance100m
Band Material Stainless steel
CasebackTransparent

Tissot Tradition Dress Watch

This Tradition Dress Watch is another time-honored evening timepiece, but is more monochromatic than the T-Classic Two-tone. If you like the idea of the T-Classic, but wish it was more toned down, this watch is for you.

Tissot Tradition Dress Watch
$382.66

The Tissot tradition small second combines the traditional and contemporary design of the Tissot tradition collection with vintage accents. The watch Is perfected With a beautiful and high-performing automatic movement. A touch of retro and some vintage details, All served up in a curved 1950s-style case, combine to create the Tissot tradition.

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It also features a complex multi-link band, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and a transparent caseback so you can see the automatic movement. It features a single silver-tone throughout, a white face, and simple indices for every hour marker except for the Roman 12 at the top.

TISSOT TRADITION DRESS WATCH features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size40mm
Water Resistance30m
Band MaterialStainless steel
CasebackTransparent

Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80

The Tissot Seastar is in the OG Club along with the Tradition and the Visodate, filling the role of classic dive. Compared to other automatic dives in the industry, the Seastar is one of the most reasonably priced.

Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80
$750.00 $599.00

The Tissot Seastar 1000 is the ultimate watersport watch, with its high water-resistance up to a pressure of 30 bar (300 m/1000 ft), screw-down crown and caseback as well as its unidirectional ceramic bezel.

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It’s made of a durable 316L stainless steel and features a folding clasp with a safety and diver extension closure.

For a bit of a premium, you can also get it in blue, which I think looks more nautical.

TISSOT SEASTAR POWERMATIC 80 features:

MovementAutomatic, 80-hour power reserve
Case Size43mm
Water Resistance300m
Band MaterialStainless Steel
CasebackTransparent
Bezel FunctionUnidirectional

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80

If the T-Classic Two-tone was too much, and the Tradition Dress was not enough, the Le Locle Silver-tone falls right in the middle.

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80
$650.00 $456.51

"...The models display exquisite elegance with details such as Roman numerals and a traditional Le Locle signature which complete the picture of classical chic."

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I really do think that Tissot is one of the best dress watch makers out there. This timepiece is elegant and classic, and features Roman numerals for every hour and a checker plate pattern on the face like the T-Classic, but is one tone throughout like the Tradition Dress.

It’s also powered by Tissot’s Powermatic 80, which has an 80-hour power reserve, viewable through the caseback.

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 features:

MovementAutomatic, 80 hour power reserve
Case Size39mm
Water Resistance30m
Band MaterialStainless steel

Tissot T-Touch II Titanium

The second T-Touch on the list is a lot like our first, so why has it doubled in price? 

Tissot T-Touch II Titanium
$1,175.00

For the ultimate in high-quality materials paired with high-technology performance, the Tissot Men's T Touch Expert Watch is designed for a man who wants a watch that can do more than just tell time. The case and bracelet are made from titanium, with a smooth satin finish--it's lightweight and hypoallergenic. The textured black displays everything you'd want in an advanced, modern watch, and more.

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This guy is made out of titanium. Read all about what makes titanium special in our Effortless Guide to Watch Metals.

Titanium is three times stronger than steel and much lighter, so it really levels up this T-Touch. Style-wise it’s much sleeker and more futuristic. 

TISSOT T-TOUCH II TITANIUM features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size44mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialTitanium
Dial Window TypeTactile sapphire crystal

Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar

This watch is the top stage of T-Touch evolution (for now!).

Just like the II Titanium, it features a titanium band and case. And just like all T-Touch watches, it features the tactile sapphire.  

Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar
$1,250.00

PVD coated titanium case with a PVD coated titanium bracelet. Fixed PVD coated titanium bezel. Black dial with luminous hands and index hour markers. Luminescent hands and markers. Digital sub-dial. Solar quartz movement.

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Additions to this watch include PVD black coating on the bezel which gives it a slightly more matte look than the II Titanium, and a plethora of features that the other two watches don’t have. These include an accumulator change indicator, an altitude difference meter, a countdown timer, and a regatta function.

The T-Touch II Titanium and the T-Touch Expert Solar are similar in price. If the extra features aren’t that important to you, you can at least choose based solely on which style suits you better!

TISSOT T-TOUCH EXPERT SOLAR features:

MovementQuartz
Case Size45mm
Water Resistance100m
Band MaterialTitanium
Dial Window TypeTactile sapphire crystal

Tissot Telemeter 1938

The Telemeter 1938 is unique for the brand, in that it beautifully achieves that retro cool look we usually see in Timexes or Bulovas.

Tissot Telemeter 1938
$2,025

This beautiful, vintage-inspired timepiece has two railroad sub-dials and a telemeter scale for measuring the distance between an event. 

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The exquisite silver dial features vintage sporty elements, like the railroad subdials and several tracks on the outer dial. It’s a combination of racer aesthetics with sciencey aesthetics, lending it to a range of personal styles. Plus, the primary colored accents fully cinch the old-school stylishness.

Function-wise the Swiss automatic chronograph is equipped with a Nivachron, providing a level of strength that keeps servicing needs at bay, and a Tissot-branded rotor seen through the caseback.

Tissot Telemeter 1938 features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size42mm
Water Resistance30m
Band MaterialLeather strap

Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT

Tissot’s answer to a Sea Dweller or a Planet Ocean, the brand new Seastar 1000 GMT boasts tons of specs and super cool looks.

Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT
$1,225

Currently available for pre-order, the Seastar 1000 GMT is Tissot's answer to a Rolex Sea Dweller or Omega Planet Ocean.

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GMT capabilities and a whopping 1000 meters of water resistance aside, this tool watch is based on a standard diver design with unique details that make it classic, yet distinguished. The forest hue on the green-and-black bezel is sophisticated, as is the swanky wood paneling texturing on the dial.

The movement is exquisitely complex, with a wave-embossed rotor. And of course, it wears large and athletically on any wrist.

Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT Features:

MovementAutomatic
Case Size46mm
Water Resistance1000m
Band MaterialStainless steel

The Right Tissot Watch For You?

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We hope you found this roundup helpful and fun! 

Tissot truly makes some of the most creative and high-quality timepieces at reasonable prices. They deserve more of the spotlight, and I know watch specialists agree! Which one are you going to get?

If you have any questions or comments, DM me on Instagram!

What’s changed?
02/08/2023Added recommendations and updated links and text
01/16/2021Updated text, added / updated links
12/10/2020Original publish date