FAQ
Standard FAQ's
Where can I obtain a TISSOT catalogue?
Every official TISSOT representative will be glad to hand you a catalogue if you ask for one at a point of sale, otherwise please request it by email and it will be sent to you.Where can I obtain an instruction manual?
You can download it on this site from your watch reference number or contact any of our official representatives in you country.Where can I get my TISSOT watch repaired?
Please refer to the list of Worldwide Customer Service Centres.You should contact directly the Service Centre in your country.
Are TISSOT watches sold over the Internet?
TISSOT merchandises its watches exclusively through our worldwide network of authorized wholesale and retail distributors.Only watches offered on the websites of wholesale and retail distributors authorized to sell TISSOT watches on the internet or on the e-commerce site of The Swatch Group U.S. Inc, Division Tissot, come with a TISSOT warranty and a TISSOT pocket book in 14 languages.
Therefore, any purported TISSOT watches offered for sale, particularly on the Internet, by a seller who is not authorized by TISSOT, could be counterfeits or of dubious origin and thus not guaranteed by TISSOT.
In case you may have doubts if your seller is an authorized Tissot wholesale or retail distributor, please do not hesitate to contact us.
How can I be sure I am buying a genuine TISSOT watch?
You can be sure you are buying a genuine TISSOT watch if you follow these steps:- buy a TISSOT watch only from authorised TISSOT retailers
- ask for the credit-card size guarantee, duly completed with the serial number, the watch reference and the retailer's full name and address
Is my TISSOT watch repairable?
In the past, TISSOT produced some watches that cannot be repaired - such as the Two-Timer (second generation) and the Woodwatch.In the event that a replacement is required we will always propose a replacement model, but please bear in mind that we cannot necessarily ensure the replacement with exactly the same model.
The same is true for accidentally damaged watches, which are not repairable. In any event the non-repairable watch or any for which the repair cost estimate has been refused will be returned to the customer.
Do you have spare parts for my old TISSOT watch?
TISSOT guarantees repairs and the delivery of spare parts for at least 10 years for standard watches and up to 20 years for gold watches from the date production is discontinued.Beyond this time, TISSOT will do its utmost to ensure collectors' items and vintage watches can be repaired.
How long is the lifetime of a watch battery?
A battery life varies usually from two to five years depending on the type of the watch, its dimensions and the quantity of energy requested by the different functions. For instance, a chronograph will have a higher energy consumption than a watch indicating the hours and minutes only.Most TISSOT watches feature a power reserve indicator: When the seconds hand starts jumping every four seconds, it is time to have the battery replaced by a TISSOT qualified watchmaker.
How frequently should a watch be serviced?
Like any high-precision instrument, a watch needs to be services regularly in order for it to work perfectly.Obviously, we cannot indicate the intervals for such servicing, given that it depends entirely on the model, climate and the care taken by the watch's owner.
As a general rule, it is between 3 and 4 years, depending on the use of the watch.
Why does TISSOT not deliver spare parts directly to its customers?
For technical and quality reasons, we do not deliver individual spare parts directly to our customers.The TISSOT World Customer Service Centres are available to all customers and offer a professional service, carried out in accordance with TISSOT's high quality standards.
To what depth are TISSOT watches water resistant?
TISSOT watches are water resistant to 30, 50, 100, 150 or 200 metres which is indicated on the case back. TISSOT watches are tested according to ISO2281 or ISO6425 for diving watches, depending on the type of watch.Water resistance of watches is rated based on laboratory pressure tests comparable to a swimmer or diver sitting still at that pressure level. However, many water-based activities involve a lot of movement and other environmental changes. These exceptions to how the watch was rated may undermine the water protection features of a water resistant watch.
In particular, the water resistance rating of a watch does not take in to account the ability of the watch to STAY water resistant as it ages. Therefore, the water resistance of a watch cannot permanently be guaranteed. It may be affected by ageing of gaskets or by accidental shock to the crown or pusher. As stipulated in our service instructions we recommend you to have checked the water resistance of your watch once a year by an approved TISSOT service agent. Do not under any circumstances open the watch yourself.
Make sure not to activate the time-setting crown and/or the pushers while the watch is under water and make sure that the crown has been pushed in or screwed down.
What should I do to ensure that my watch continues to provide excellent service for many years?
- Magnetic fields: Do not expose your watch to intense magnetic fields such as loudspeakers or refrigerators and other electromagnetic appliances.
- Bathing in the sea: always rinse your watch with fresh warm water afterwards.
- Shocks: Whether thermal or other shocks, avoid them. In the event of violent shocks, please have your watch checked by a TISSOT approved Service Center.
- Crown: depending on model, push or screw it in carefully to ensure that no water enters the mechanism.
- Cleaning: for metal bracelets and for all water-resistant cases use a toothbrush with soapy water and a soft cloth for drying.
- Chemical products: avoid direct contact with solvents, detergents, perfumes, cosmetic products etc., since they may damage the bracelet, the case or the gaskets.
- Temperatures: Do not expose your watch to sudden temperature changes (exposure to sunlight followed by immersion in cold water) or extreme temperatures over 60°C (140°F) or under than 0°C (32°F).
What are the precision tolerances for other TISSOT mechanical watches?
The accuracy of the watch depends on the movement and on the individual habits of the wearer and can therefore vary. A qualified TISSOT watchmaker can adjust the precision of a watch to within the TISSOT tolerances.The majority of watches that do not have a chronometer certificate have average precision tolerances of between -10/+30 seconds per day. To earn the title of chronometer, the mechanical movement's average daily variation in rate must be between -4/+6 seconds per day.
What is the difference between a self-winding and a manual-winding movement?
The difference between these two movements is the way in which the watch is wound.Manual-winding watches must be wound every day by hand using the crown, whereas self-winding watches are wound by an internal rotor which responds to wrist movements.
How much is the power reserve for a self-winding mechanical TISSOT watch and how does it work?
The functioning of a self-winding mechanical TISSOT movement depends on the wrist movements of the wearer.When fully wound, the watch have a power reserve of minimum 40 hours. Since the watch's self-winding mechanism is directly linked to the wearer's activity, 10 to 12 hours' wear should be sufficient to generate a power reserve of 20 hours or more, which ensures that the watch will continue to run throughout the night.
However, if a watch has not been worn for several days and its power reserve has thus run low, we recommend you wind the watch manually for around 15 rotations of the crown (clockwise) to ensure the best possible rate from the outset.
What are the precision tolerances for TISSOT quartz watches?
All TISSOT quartz movements are produced in accordance with TISSOT's highly renowned procedures and quality standards.Ambient temperature may affect the precision of quartz movements, which can lead to variations of between -0.5 and +0.7 seconds per day.
What is an Autoquartz watch?
It is a watch which combines the advantages of both, the QUARTZ and AUTOMATIC (self-winding) watch.The movement reaches, if worn for 60 to 80 days, a maximum power reserve of 100 days, is accurate as a quartz watch and has no battery; instead an accumulator is self-generated in energy by the movement of the wrist.
The swinging movements of your wrist cause an oscillating weight to rotate. Each of its rotation activates a micro-generator which in turn charges an accumulator in electrical energy.
What is the difference between a chronograph and a chronometer?
A chronograph is a watch with hands that display hours, minutes and seconds, together with a mechanism for measuring elapsed time by means of a central chronograph hand, which records seconds, and 30-minute and 12-hour counter.A chronometer is a watch that has obtained an official rate certificate from the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) after having passed precision tests in different positions and at different temperatures, as well as water-resistance tests. These tests are conducted over a 15-day period.
Can I wear a TISSOT stainless steel watch if I am allergic to nickel?
The materials used by TISSOT are subjected to severe tests in order to avoid allergies.The stainless steel (316L) used by TISSOT does contain a small amount of nickel, but does not release it and is therefore safe for allergy sufferers.
The only exception is for those who are hyper-sensitive to stainless steel. In this case, we recommend you to buy a watch which is made of titanium, gold or which is PVD coated.
What does PVD mean?
PVD are the initials for Physical Vapour Deposition.It is a sophisticated process, performed under vacuum which deposits microscopic particles on the products by ion bombing or sputtering, to form a protecting coating on their surface.
Very thin layers (1 to 3 µm) of impurity-free components can be made which possess high levels of hardness (nitride, carbides, etc...) and it is hypoallergenic.
What is titanium?
Titanium is a metallic element found in the earth's crust. The element occurs as a bright, lustrous metal or a silver-grey or dark-grey powder.Its compounds are found in practically all igneous rocks and their sand deposits. Hardened titanium is 30% stronger than steel and nearly 50% lighter but more expensive.
Titanium resists corrosion; when exposed to the atmosphere, titanium forms a tenacious oxide film that resists salt water corrosion.
Titanium is hypoallergenic: it is nickel-free.
What is a tachymeter?
A tachymeter is an instrument for measuring speed.It is a chronograph with a graduated dial on which speed can be read off in kilometres per hour based on a 1000 metre distance.
How to read the tachymeter: Only the central chronograph second-hand is used. For longer durations, the indications of the timers (minutes and hours) also count.
Example for calculating the speed of a car: The chronograph indicates that the distance of one kilometre has been covered in 30 seconds.
The corresponding point on the tachymeter scale indicates 120. The speed is therefore 120 km per hour.
Does the dial and hand of my watch contain Radium or Tritium?
Radium has been abandoned by TISSOT a long time ago, followed by tritium some years ago. Tritium has been replaced by a new luminescent material called Super-LumiNova that is used in the manufacturing of our dials and hands. Super-LumiNova is phosphorescent only and consequently has no radioactivity whatsoever.The Super-LumiNova material takes its luminescence from daylight or any artificial source of light. The watch should therefore be exposed to bright light in order to ensure the luminescence of the dial and hands in the dark, i.e. during the night.
The luminescence decreases with hours but it is restored as soon as the watch is exposed to bright light.
How can I know whether my old watch contains tritium?
The indication "T Swiss made T" (usually printed on the dial face at 6 o'clock) means that the watch is Swiss and contains a certain quantity of tritium that emits less than 227 MBq (7,5mCi).It is important to specify that this radionuclide emits a radiation of low energy, perfectly confined by the watch case and glass; they will under no circumstances threaten the health of the watch user.
What is a unidirectional bezel?
Often the bezel (top ring on the case), serves to record additional data, and can rotate in both directions to provide a number of functions. A unidirectional bezel only turns one way to prevent any danger of false manoeuvre.This is especially important when being used to measure diving times as even if the bezel is knocked and moved it will simply indicate the diver has less air or decompression time rather than more.
What does the Flyback function mean?
A "Flyback" or "Retour a vol" is a function which allows the chronograph to be reset to zero without having to stop the chronograph first (remember that a normal chrono requires you to stop the timing before resetting).This is useful for aviation, where several segments or legs of a route are flown for specific periods of time in sequence; the act of stopping, resetting, and restarting leads to a short delay at the beginning of timing the next leg.
This delay, reportedly, can be an important factor in some precision military operations, for example.
What is a Pulsometer?
The pulsometer is a doctor's and nurse's watch whose dial gives direct reading of the number of heart pulsations per minute, usually based on a count of 15 or 30 pulsations which is marked on the dial.The counting of the pulsations is started when the center second hand passes the 0 second marker and stopped at the 15th or 30th pulsation, not counting the pulsation during which the chronograph was started.
The reading on the pulsometer is the number of pulsations per minute.
What is the difference between a Lépine and Savonnette pocket watches?
The case of a Lépine watch does not have an additional cover but simply a glass which protects the dial and the hands.The winding-stem is at 12 o'clock, the centre of the movement and the small seconds are all on the same axis.
The case of a Savonnette pocket watch has an additional cover on top which protects the glass, dial and the hands. The winding-stem is located at 3 o'clock, at 90° to the line going through the centre of the movement and the small second hand.
Why is the 4 o'clock roman number of my watch represented with 4 sticks (IIII) when the correct number is IV?
The correct roman number is IV, but the IIII is also applicable and accepted.Several explanations are possible as to the reason for this interpretation of the roman figure.
One thing is sure: it has been like this for more than 4 centuries. One reason is because half of the numbers are upside down, since they follow the edge of the clock face round.
You can get IV and VI muddled up when they are the right way up. It is even worse when they are upside down.
Another, historical reason, is that in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, most of the population could not read their own language let alone a foreign one. Time was displayed mainly on public monuments like churches, temples and towers. It was then easier for people to count four sticks rather than make mistakes reading a strange figure.
Finally, it could also be seen simply to come from a decorative point of view as the IIII balances well with the VIII opposite.
What does the guarantee cover?
TISSOT customers receive additional benefits with an extended guarantee period.The TISSOT management decided to introduce a 24 months' guarantee period for all TISSOT watches sold worldwide, starting from January 1st, 2002.
All terms and conditions of this extended 24 months' guarantee remain unchanged as in the past for the one year guarantee.
For repairs, the guarantee remains at one year on the work performed.
Related document: Guarantee (except for the USA)
Related document: Limited Two-Year Guarantee (only for the USA)