Tissot vs Seiko

Tissot vs Seiko: The battle between the two watch brands

Tissot and Seiko have been close competitors in the affordable watches space. They do not only compete against each other on the basis of watch designs and dial colors but also on the movement. While Tissot uses a Swiss movement, Seiko takes advantage of the Japanese movements. Both brands have their own fanbase and they both have been delivering quite a lot of new watches for the fans.

While Tissot focuses more on sporty watches and chronographs, Seiko is always seen as a brand that produces watches to go well with your suits. Nevertheless, both brands have been doing great and they continue to innovate in the watch industry.

Tissot: The more mature Swiss watch manufacturer

Tissot has been around since 1853, which makes it older than Seiko. This gives the company an edge when it comes to time-honored heritage. The watch manufacturer has been known for offering some of the best watches in the budget category. Interestingly, the brand has even conducted some innovations that are being used in modern-day watches.

Innovations & contributions to the watch world

While Tissot does not have a long list of innovations like Rolex or other brands, it does have a very important one. Tissot was the first watch manufacturer to launch a non-magnetic wristwatch in 1929. This fact is even more interesting because it was 20 years before we saw a rise in anti-magnetic watches.

Furthermore, they promoted Swiss watch-making schools. The Founder, Charles-Émile Tissot, made sure that people who were interested in learning the art of watchmaking got the education.

Affordable Swiss watches

Tissot is a brand that manages both being affordable and being called Swiss-made. For those who are unaware, the term Swiss-made is protected by the watch federation in Switzerland. To use that term, you have to adhere to some strict guidelines. This means that the watch needs to meet quality standards set by Swiss law.

Not just that, the whole process has to be met with Swiss watchmaking standards. The process includes prototyping, technical development, and final inspections. Lastly, about 60% of the manufacturing costs must be generated in the country.

There is no doubt that Tissot follows all the guidelines and proudly earns the “Swiss-made” badge for all its watches. In addition to that, most of the mechanical Tissot watches even get COSC-certified.

Seiko: A highly diversified lineup of Swiss watches

Seiko is a Japanese watchmaker that was founded in 1881, almost 28 years after Tissot was founded. During World War II, they became the official watchmaker for the Japanese soldiers. This helped them come into the limelight. Over the years, the brand has shown a lot of improvement. They even introduced the brand Grand Seiko. Under that, they aimed to target the audience looking for a more premium lineup of watches.

Marketing through official events

Seiko built its brand recognition based on popular events. In 1964, the company became the official timekeeper of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. This was followed by the 1972 Winter Olympics and a few more Olympics that came after. If that was not enough, Seiko even became the official timekeeper for FIFA events. They started that journey with the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Besides that, Seiko also became the official timekeeper for some IAAF World Championships, Tennis tournaments, and more. The name Seiko was seen everywhere. It was even in the Gran Turismo racing game series. The series was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and made available for all PlayStation devices.

Grand Seiko

In 1960, Seiko decided to bring a whole new segment of watches and brand them as Grand Seiko. The first Grand Seiko watch featured the caliber 3180 movements. It was a 25-jewel manual-winding movement. To make it more enticing, the company decided to limit the production of that watch to just 36,000 units.

While the first Grand Seiko does play a major role in shaping the future of the brand, it was the Grand Seiko 44GS that decided the future of all GS watches. Some of the features that can be found in the Grand Seiko lineup include; a highly polished bezel, planes, and a two-dimensional surface. Furthermore, these features included a double-width index at 12 o’clock.

All of these features helped the Grand Seiko to offer more legible dials along with a premium look and feel.

Best Tissot watches to buy

1. Tissot Seastar Chronograph
2. Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
3. Tissot Supersport Chrono
4. Tissot Le Locle

Tissot Seastar Chronograph

The Seastar series is Tissot’s dive watch lineup that offers incredible designs. The Seastar Chronograph, as the name suggests, is a dive watch with a chronograph feature. Moreover, these watches offer a sportier look, making them perfect for casual wear.

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is one of the nicest-looking dress watches offered under the Tissot catalog. The timepiece is powered by the Powermatic 80 caliber and offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve. It just offers a pure class at an affordable price.

Tissot Supersport Chrono

While Tissot does have a few dress watches on offer, they are mainly known for their sports lineup. One of the sportiest-looking watches they have on offer is the Tissot Supersport Chrono. The watch is made available in 13 different color combinations giving users multiple options to choose from.

Tissot Le Locle

If you are in the market for a dress watch, you should look at the Tissot Le Locle. The watch showcases a nice dial with roman hour markers. Its 9.75mm thin case sits on a leather strap, making it perfect for formal attire.

Best Seiko watches to buy

1. Seiko 5 700 series
2. Seiko 5 Sports
3. Seiko SRPF41

Seiko 5 SNK700 series

When shopping for an affordable watch that also looks nice, one tends to lean toward Seiko 5 series. Under the Seiko 5, the best option one can pick is the Seiko 5 SNK700 series. The watch is available in different dial colors and offers a classy and elegant look. It uses the Auto Seiko 7S26 movement that offers a power reserve of up to 40 hours.

Seiko 5 Sports

If you are looking for a sports timepiece, the Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51 should be on your radar. The watch features a rotating bezel it is powered by the Auto Seiko 4R36 movement. It features a 42mm case and comes with a water resistance rating of up to 100 meters.

Seiko SRPF41

In the dress watch lineup of Seiko, the SRP41 is the one that stands out the most. It features an elegant-looking Matcha Tea green dial. This is a perfect timepiece for someone who admires true craftsmanship.

Tissot or Seiko: Which one should you pick?

It all boils down to what type of watches you prefer. If you like to have a sportier look with a chronograph, then you should go in for one of the Tissot watches. On the other hand, if you like your watches to have nice-looking dials, you can’t go wrong with Seiko. Besides that, it also depends on what you prefer, Swiss or Japanese watches. Overall, both brands have great options to choose from.