What goes into making a fully Swiss solar watch?
Russell SheldrakeSolar technology in watchmaking holds an interesting place in the market. You have an entire spectrum of watches that can run off light alone, from multi-functional digital watches to classical-looking dress watches and a whole heap of sports/everyday/utility watches in between. However, when you boil all of the options currently available on the market down, they are running off of the same or incredibly similar technology with solar cells either on or below the dial, capturing that precious solar energy and transferring it to a battery.
However, Tissot thought they could approach it a little differently when they released the PRC 100 Solar 39mm, which flipped the script on how solar energy can be captured by integrating the solar cell into the watch crystal. And last week, I was fortunate enough to visit the Nivarox (a company owned by Swatch) facility, where they are now producing these mesh-like solar cells.
The amount of technology that goes into them is astonishing. You could easily think you were in a building where components to go into space, rather than on your wrist, are being made. And now they are taking the next step with this model by introducing it in a smaller 34mm size.
After my tour of Nivarox, I got to sit down for a chat with Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla, where he gave me some interesting insights into how his brand’s solar watches have performed since their March release. “Looking over our sales data in a lot of stores, the PRC 100 is coming in 3rd or 4th behind the PRX.” While this could just be a novelty effect, it seems like this model is gaining real traction with the ability to have some longevity in the catalogue.
Of course, Tissot has had a long history of producing solar-powered watches, with the first T-Touch solar about 10 years old now at this point. But according to Dolla, the idea to bring this new version of solar charging to a Tissot started years ago. Thanks to the support of the Swatch Group with $20 million of investment funds and its various component makers, they were able to make it a reality, and now shrink it down to an even smaller size.
“We think we could have somewhere between 20 to 30% of our sales come from solar watches,” Dolla tells me – a bold claim when you consider that the popular PRX is only 21% of Tissot’s current sales. It’s clear that Dolla and Tissot are ready to lean into this technology and believe in its appeal to younger collectors as time moves on. So I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this fine honeycomb structure appearing on more models across the catalogue very soon.
“We thought about putting the solar [tech] into the PRX to begin with, because we see anything we put out with the PRX name on goes boom,” said Dolla, as he gestured to the ceiling, “but that would have been too easy.” Dolla is incredibly proud of how evenly spread Tissot’s revenue streams are across the catalogue and markets. So while we may see this solar technology on that popular integrated bracelet, don’t expect it right away.
It was enlightening to see how these next-gen solar watches are produced and what might be on the horizon for the Swiss generalist brand. While my conversation with Dolla was far-ranging and went well beyond the topic of solar watches, maybe I’ll be able to publish more of it at a later date. For now, you can find the new 34mm PRC 100 Solar models at Tissot retailers and online.
Enjoy the weekend – hopefully it comes with enough sun to charge these watches!
Russell and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: One Big Beautiful Watch
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It’s been on the front page of every news site for the past week, so much so I got in a taxi last Thursday and it was the first words out of the cab driver’s mouth, and when you see our precious watch meme accounts jumping on to it, you know the news is big.
Wrist shot of the week: the future is now
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Kollokium is one of the few brands producing an exciting product with a real sense of difference right now. And with this new purple lume version released this week, we see how this young brand continues to differentiate itself.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Norqain Wild One Skeleton 39mm
Norqain’s flagship watch, the celebrity-favoured Wild One Skeleton, has been adjusted for modern tastes and shrunk down to a tasteful 39mm in diameter. Not only is that more appealing to buyers who prioritise comfort, but it also ensures its longevity as a gender-neutral watch. Four summery colours are available: Hyper Pink, Sky Blue, Purple Ice Blue and Mint Green, with the latter three available for purchase now and Hyper Pink open to pre-orders. Price: from A$8,600 (Hyper Pink, Sky Blue, Purple Ice Blue), from A$8,800 (Mint Green)
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
What will the revived Urban Jürgensen’s place in the watch market be?
We recently saw the revival of a real collector favourite brand, Urban Jürgensen, with three astonishing new models, but our very own Zach Blass was left with questions after we finally got to see what these watches would look like. Namely, where they would sit in an incredibly rarefied space at the top of the independent space. Read his thoughts on this relaunch here.
We need to talk about the size of your watch collection
It happens to all of us eventually. We dive too deep into the waters of the watch world, and when we come up for air and take stock, we suddenly realise we are drowning in watches we haven’t worn in years and are merely taking up space in the safe. As a man who has owned and collected watches for most of his life, our contributor Tom asks the question: is there a problem rooted in owning too many watches?
Why gender isn’t the point, but recognition is: how the watch world can be more inclusive
For Pride Month, our contributor Chris Antzoulis has penned an insightful and timely piece talking about how we as watch fans can help make our hobby more welcoming, sharing a meaningful personal anecdote about how – in his words – “for some people, joining a watch group isn’t just a fun night out – it’s a vulnerable act of hope”. Give it a read here.