Tissot Unearths the RockWatch
Tissot reissues the iconic RockWatch of 1985, now in a larger case but once again made of granite sourced from the Swiss Alps. Although Tissot took a few liberties to suit modern tastes, such upsizing the case to 38 mm and adding monochromatic hands, the new RockWatch is impressive for its fidelity to the original, and retains all of the important details including its one-piece case and dial. Limited to 999 pieces, the RockWatch extends Tissot’s run of mining gems from its back catalogue. Initial thoughts Tissot has been digging through its archives for over a decade now. After excavating the enormously successful PRX in 2021, the colourful Sideral in 2023, and long-dormant Stylist last year, Tissot has finally hit bedrock. Watch cases carved from stone predate even the balance spring, but remained extremely niche and were often quite expensive until Tissot’s original 1985 RockWatch. While originally launched in Alpine marble, the line expanded to include numerous other materials. Historical RockWatches were produced in a variety of materials and featured red and yellow hands inspired by Alpine trail markers. As with most modern reissues, the 38 mm RockWatch is significantly larger than the originals, which were offered in 23 mm, 30 mm, and 33 mm sizes. In addition, modern AR-coated sapphire stands in for the tempered glass crystal of the original. Though larger, the construction is consistent with that of the original with its monobloc case and dial, which are milled...