Tissot question - movements

[kimo]

Hi everyone. I have a couple of old watches I have used for many years. Two years ago I decided to get a new watch a purchased a Tissot model PRS 200 from my local authorized Tissot dealer. I liked the look of the PRS 200 and was impressed that it said it was made in Switzerland. Well the battery died and I took it to my local watchmaker/jeweler to be replaced. When he opened it up he said the movement was not high quality and typical of the many Swiss name watches these days that are assembled in China from parts from various places around the world. He showed me the inside of the case back that was stamped Hong Kong for example. He said the watch case and dial and the sapphire crystal were nicely made but that Tissot was making their money by putting $25 movements in fancy cases.

I know this is a real Tissot since I purchased it from my local Tissot dealer and not off the internet or such so I was rather surprised as I would have thought the movement would have been of good quality.

Is this fancy case and dial with inexpensive movement combination typical of most Swiss named watches in the under $500 price range these days? Are there any makers that actually produce nice Swiss watches with well made movements in Switzerland anymore - ones where the movement actually looks like a watch movement or is that concept limited to the multi-thousand dollar watches and I am just naive? In thinking back to when I was shopping around and looking at the many makes and models out there I do not remember any of them showing the movements in their brochures - it was all just the cases and dials.

[Archer]

Hi - welcome to the forum.

There are specific rules that need to be followed in order for a watch to be called "Swiss" or "Swiss made" but they are fairly loose, and relate to the value of the components in the watch, and the percentage that is Swiss. There are some other conditions but that is the one that applies in this case.

Run of the mill quartz movements are not very expensive to be honest. I can obtain Asian quartz movement for watches for $10 or $15 each, and that is me buying from a supply house (i.e. middle man) so I can only imagine how much a major watch house would pay.....

So although a certain percentage of the watch must be Swiss in origin, the movements are so inexpensie that making the case, dial, and hands would easily put the percentage over the top and they could be called Swiss made.

There are high end quartz movements, but you aren't likely to find any in the below $500 range unfortunately. If I have time I'll dig up some photos of the quartz movement that was in my wife's Cartier. It was nicely finished and looked like a propoer watch movement instead of some wires and plastic - but then again the retail on that was $2,200 Canadian, so quite a bit more than the price range you are talking about.

Any reason you don't get a mechanical watch instead of quartz? There are plenty of nice watches ou there in the $500 range that have quite decent Swiss mechanical movements.

Cheers, Al

[kimo]

Thanks Al - for both the welcome and the interesting information.

I think the reason that I went for this particular watch was a combination of my not knowing very much about watches combined with name recognition of the Tissot brand, great look, sapphire crystal, and nice bracelet. I had not thought about what was or was not actually inside the watch other than expecting it to be of similar quality of the rest of it rather than an inexpensive Chinese made? Swiss made? Somewhere made? mass produced movement. I had not thought that a watch that would cost me $400 would be anything otherwise but I guess I was living in the past to think that a watch of this cost would not have had some serious cost savings somewhere in it.

What companies make nice quality mechanical movements in their their watches $500 watches? My Tissot is still keeping good time with its new battery but when it breaks I will need to start my looking again for a new watch and this time I will pay more attention to what is 'under the hood'.

[wasatch]

kimo said:

What companies make nice quality mechanical movements in their their watches $500 watches?

You'll find that a lot of Seiko watches provide an incredible bang for your buck. Granted, they aren't "high-end" Swiss watches, but you can get a heck of a watch for $150-$200.

[Archer]

Certainly Seiko is a great value - probably the best bang for your buck out there. Hamilton is another you should check out. They use ETA movements (Swiss) in their mechanicals, and there are several models under $500.

Other options....well Tissot makes some - like the Seastar with an auto movement. Also Stowa and Archemide are worth looking at.

Certainly if your price range is up to $1,000, then there are a lot more options, especially if you consider used watches as well.

And just so you know, some of the non-Swiss movements are pretty nice. Not all are, but they are out there and provide very good quality for the money.

Cheers, Al

[kimo]

Thanks for the information and recommendations!

Does anyone know who mades the quartz movement in my Tissot PRS 200? Was it made by Tissot in Switzerland or was it made by some other company in Switzerland or was it made by some other company in some other country?

[Archer]

kimo said:

Thanks for the information and recommendations!

Does anyone know who mades the quartz movement in my Tissot PRS 200? Was it made by Tissot in Switzerland or was it made by some other company in Switzerland or was it made by some other company in some other country?

Can't answer that without seeing the movement unfortunately. Have you asked Tissot?

[Archer]

By the way, here is my wife's Cartier quartz. Certainly what I would call a high end movement for quartz.....shot these during a battery change. Now she wears an auto so this is long gone.