Product Features
- Swiss-Quartz movement
- Black dial
- Stainless steel case and leather band
- Scratch sapphire resistant
- Water-resistant to 330 feet (100 M)
I love this watch. As subtle as it appears it does seem to grab attention and I enjoy the dressy-casual paradox it creates. While not pretentious it is definitely bold as one reviewer put it and you should be prepared for strangers asking you what kind of watch it is. I'm not that familiar with Tissot watches so in the way of metrics I would say that it is nicer than a Bulova Marine Star (a solid watch in its own right) but a good step below a TAG Heuer Carrera (but the TAG has an automatic movement).
The strap and chronograph imply "working man's watch." No frou-frou here. But the massiveness precision design and elegant finish tell you it's a little nicer than a simple workhorse timepiece.
One quirk is the layout of the hands and dials. The large yellow "seconds" hand in the central dial location is not the real-time seconds hand but rather that of the chrono; this hand remains perpetually at 12 o'clock (until you start the chronograph). All chrono functions are color-coded with yellow hands which is a thoughtful touch. The real-time seconds are actually marked by a secondary (white) dial at the 6 o'clock position. The casual observer seeing the large stopped hand might think your watch battery has stopped. I have a Lucien Piccard with this setup so I guess I will just get used to it.
The reviewer who complained about the buckle-clasp makes a valid point. In theory these buckle-clasps should work fine. However on my wrist the strap is tight enough to nearly take off skin when I slide it on yet when I clasp it shut it is still too loose to stay in place. I will also look into after-market straps with conventional buckles. There's no good excuse for spending more than ten seconds to put on a wristwatch no matter how nice it looks. But straps come and go so this isn't a huge deal.
Pro:
- Very elegant for a casual watch
- Size mass and depth (the depth of the watch is thicker than a Sharpie-brand marker)
- Good overall design; looks like it could have been designed by an architect
- Internal tachymeter on a beveled ring; allows for a larger crystal and a cleaner look
Con:
- The chronograph "seconds" hand at the home position is slightly off-center against the 12 o'clock tick mark on the watch face indicating a quality control issue at the factory. You would have to look very closely to notice this however.
- The fancy clasp is over-designed and should be replaced with a more effective buckle design.
As a side note I noticed today that Amazon shows the MSRP as $425 however the retail tag attached to the watch I received through Amazon states $395. As of February 2008 the online price is still $273 with free UPS shipping (signature required).
