“Reaching New Heights with the Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar”
The Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar is a watch of superlatives. Although it has been on the market for several years now, it still sets the benchmark, both in terms of its range of functions and its exceptionally efficient power supply concept. We introduce our readers to a watch with a compass and altimeter that doubles as a chronograph and also provides its wearer with a host of other important information.
Tissot’s T-Touch Concept – A Revolution in the Luxury Watch Market
Tissot is one of those Swiss watch brands that offer high-quality luxury watches at genuinely affordable prices, relying less on exclusive materials than on technical innovation.
While the brand does carry mechanical watches and a few gold watches in its lineup, it is probably far better known to the public for high-tech products such as its T-Touch line. These watches with an altimeter, compass and other measuring instruments combine a range of functions that impresses not only with its variety but also offers very real benefits during sports and all kinds of outdoor activities. Where a whole array of different instruments was once required, the owner of one of these luxury compass watches with an altimeter now needs only a glance at the wrist to know not just the time and altitude but also the temperature and direction, or to time intervals.
The flagship of the T-Touch collection is still the Expert Solar series, which pairs this enormous range of functions with an eco-friendly and efficient solar drive. The name T-Touch refers to the innovative operating concept of these watches. As so-called tactile watches, they can be controlled by tapping specific areas of the crystal. This makes the various functions far more convenient to use than if you had to rely solely on the crown and pushers.
On the Way to the First Tactile Watch with Compass and Altimeter: Intensive Development Since the 1990s
It took several years of intensive development before the concept of a tactile watch was ready for market. At Tissot – a company that promotes itself as an innovator by tradition – work on new display concepts for wristwatches was already in full swing in the 1990s, alongside the search for innovative ways to operate them. One especially promising concept was so-called tactile control, meaning control by simple touch. This principle, on which every tablet, every smartphone and a large share of bank ATMs operate today, was a groundbreaking innovation at the time. Tissot’s development team, however, saw great potential in it for the future, and that assessment would prove correct in the years that followed.
Finally, in 1999, the world’s first tactile watch was ready to be launched. Even this model, the T-Touch Classic, featured a chronograph function as well as a compass and altimeter. The model could also be used as a thermometer, barometer and alarm.
Thanks to the tactile crystal, these functions could be selected easily and conveniently with a tap of the fingertip. This watch already featured the dial design that all of Tissot’s tactile models retain to this day, combining an analog display for hours and minutes with a digital LCD display showing the remaining information. In 2008, the Expert version was launched, expanding the feature set to 15 functions and increasing water resistance to 100 meters, or ten bar.
The Expert Solar: Rugged and Lightweight Thanks to Its Titanium Case
In 2014, the Expert Solar was added to the line. With a 45-millimeter case diameter, this multifunction watch is rugged enough to take along on every sporting or outdoor adventure.
Compared to a stainless steel watch, however, it is considerably lighter thanks to its titanium case. Especially when mountaineering, backpacking or on long bike tours, where every gram of gear counts, this seemingly minor detail proves to be an advantage – all the more so because this Tissot watch with compass and altimeter combines several instruments in one. The bracelet is also made of titanium, but black or orange rubber straps are available as alternatives. On the version with the orange strap, the luminous material on the indices and hands is also orange, while on the other versions it is white.
The generous Super-LumiNova coating and the broad hands ensure the time is easy to read even in the dark.
Watch with Compass and Altimeter Offers Efficient Solar Power and Useful Navigation Functions
Compared to other watches with a compass and altimeter, the modern Expert Solar has the advantage that it neither needs a battery nor has to be wound. Instead, it features an exceptionally efficient solar drive. Once fully charged, it has enough energy to keep the movement running for an entire year, even in complete darkness. Charging time depends on the intensity of the light. Indoors, Tissot estimates around two hours for a full charge. With daily wear, just 16 minutes of direct sunlight is enough to supply the watch with sufficient energy.
The newer Expert Solar II makes do with as little as seven minutes of sunshine. There are other watches on the market with an altimeter and additional functions for navigation and outdoor activities, but the Expert still sets the benchmark with the efficiency of its solar drive. The tactile crystal makes operation considerably simpler.
If you want to use the watch as a compass, for example, simply tap the button for that function with your finger. The minute hand then takes over as the compass needle and points to magnetic north.
If you need to hold a specific course while hiking or sailing, the programmable azimuth comes in handy. First, you enter the planned bearing in degrees. The watch then continuously shows whether you are still on the chosen course or have strayed from it.
