Affordable Luxury

HERITAGE AND LUXURY figure largely in the price of a luxury timepiece. The longer the watch brand has been around, the richer its heritage and history - and the higher its price.

But this rule doesn't apply to Tissot, one of the longest surviving brands in the stable of Swatch, the Swiss watch group that also owns brands such as Omega and Longines. While it boasts a strong tradition in craftsmanship and innovation going back 166 years to 1853, Tissot "is defined by creating qualitative and affordable products for everyone", says its president Francois Thiebaud who's been with the company since 1996.

Two years ago, Tissot launched the Ballade Powermatic 80 watch fitted with a hairspring made of silicon that sells for under US$1000. A hairspring is a key component of a mechanical watch and silicon - a material that vastly improves time-keeping accuracy - usually lifts a watch's price to US$5000 or more.