Tissot vs Rolex: Entry-Level vs High-End Swiss Luxury Watches

Upon reading the title of this article, many of you probably thought, “Tissot vs Rolex? That’s like a mediocre Division 3 college football team taking on the Philadelphia Eagles”. Yes, the two brands do inhabit different levels of the horological hierarchy.

Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile comparison. If you are a newbie watch collector who dreams of a Rolex, you’re not there yet. For an entry-level timepiece, Tissot is a brand well worth considering. 

Both Tissot and Rolex are Swiss-made and have long and illustrious histories. Each has contributed to the art of watchmaking and, to this day, continues to craft stylish, accurate, and reliable watches. In fact, even after you get your first Rolex, you may well want a Tissot or two in your collection.

Brand Heritage

When it comes to heritage, both Tissot and Rolex are loaded with it. Both have more than a century of watchmaking behind them. Both are based in Switzerland, still considered the capital of the horological world. Although each targets different sectors of watch lovers out there, both have plenty to be proud of.

Tissot

Tissot’s story begins in the mid 19th Century; 1853 to be exact. The father and son team of Charles-Felicien and Charles-Emile Tissot started crafting pocket watches in their home in Le Locle. Among their early successes was the first mass-produced pocket watch as well as the first that could track two time zones. 

The Tissots’ timepieces became popular throughout Europe and particularly in the Russian Empire, where nobles purchased many of the pocket watches. Such was the demand, that Charles-Emile moved to Moscow in 1885. In the post-World War I era, when men began wearing wristwatches, Tissot jumped in with both feet, crafting some reliable, accurate, and popular timepieces.

When the Great Depression began in 1929, it impacted industries worldwide, including watchmakers. Tissot was determined to stay in business and partnered with Omega.

The move proved to be a wise one and Tissot thrived, creating one of the first anti-magnetic watches in 1930. As the decade moved on, Tissot became the Official Timekeeper for Swiss ski races in 1938, its reputation growing.

When it came to using uncommon materials for watches, Tissot was near the front of the pack. In 1971, the brand made the first watch with a plastic case. It was innovative for the time and Tissot followed up in 1987 with the first mother-of-pearl dial.

A year later, Tissot created a watch that used wood, a material that is still fairly rare today. The brand now has a reputation as one of the best entry-level watches on the market. It sits under the umbrella of the Swatch Group along with Omega, Hamilton, Breguet, Longines, Blancpain, and several other quality brands.

Rolex

Perhaps more impactful than any innovation or watch model, is the reputation Rolex has created throughout the world. The company was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf, a fine watchmaker and a brilliant marketer. He registered the name “Rolex” in 1908, and following the First World War, moved his company to Switzerland where it thrives to this day as one of the nation’s greatest products.

In 1926, Wilsdorf demonstrated his marketing savvy when he purchased the patent for a water-resistant and dust-resistant case. Rolex developed it into its Oyster case.

Wilsdorf greatly boosted the brand’s reputation a year later, when a British nurse named Mercedes Glietze swam across the English Channel with an Oyster watch draped around her neck. The timepiece came out of the water functioning perfectly and Rolex got a huge amount of publicity.

In its early years, Rolex was an innovator, inventing the perpetual rotor in 1931. The metal semicircle attached to the back of the movement and rotated when the user moved their arms. This wound the mainspring and is the principle behind the automatic watch. 

As the years moved forward, Rolex developed a reputation for building quality, durable, and accurate tool watches. Divers, chronographs, and GMTs were offered alongside dress watches and Rolex became the “it” brand.

Today, Rolex has settled into its reputation. It is by far, the best known watch brand on the planet. Even those who don’t know a crown from a bezel know Rolex. So great is the demand for their watches, that Rolex cannot keep up, and obtaining one can involve a long wait and building a relationship with an AD, not to mention shelling out a lot of money. 

Model Variety

Although each brand sits on a different tier, both Tissot and Rolex have large catalogs filled with a variety of models of all the types of watches you would hope to find. 

Tissot

Tissot offers a wide variety of men’s and women’s watches in several case sizes. Cases and bracelets are available in stainless or gold-colored stainless, as well as two-tone. Genuine leather straps in multiple colors are other options that allow customers to choose their perfect timepiece.

Tissot has a nice selection of dial colors and textures. Standard hues such as white, black, and blue sit in the catalog along with bolder colors such as green, gold, and ivory. Sport watches and casual timepieces are offered along with classy dress watches with either automatic or quartz movement.

Some of the brand’s more popular sport watches are the Seastar divers, which have a water resistance of 300 meters, equal to dive watches available in much higher priced brands.

Fans of chronographs have some nice options in the Supersport Chrono series. The Gentlemen’s, PR100, and PRX models are classic dress watches and are some of Tissot’s best-selling timepieces.

The Le Locle collection features Tissot’s most expensive watches. While being priced below $2,000, these models are available with 18K gold or rose gold cases and bracelets. They add luxury to your wrist at entry-level prices. 

Rolex

Rolex also makes men’s and women’s watches and has many different models in its catalog. The classy, dressy Day-Date and Date Just watches are as reliable as they are elegant. Each features a date window at three o’clock magnified by Rolex’s Cyclops lens.

The Day-Date displays the day of the week at 12. These watches come in several precious metals as well as multiple case sizes and dial colors. 

One of many popular Rolex models is its first automatic water-resistant watch, the Oyster Perpetual. It’s available in many dial colors and textures and has a solid water resistance of 100 meters.

Rolex has several collections of dive watches with amazing levels of water resistance. The 300-meter Submariner is the base model and since its release in 1953, has maintained a position as one of the most popular dive watches with horology lovers. The classic design has changed little and the dials and bezels are available in numerous color combinations to suit a wide variety of tastes.

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Rolex makes two dive models with astonishing levels of water resistance. The Sea-Dweller is water resistant to 1220 meters and the Deepsea is rated to a mind-blowing 3900 meters. Certainly, these are not practical levels of resistance, but they have come about because of the fierce competition between Rolex and Omega.

In 1935, Sir Malcolm Campbell, a British racing driver set a world land speed record while wearing a Rolex, establishing the brand’s longtime connection to motorsport. The record was set in Daytona, Florida, and inspired the name for Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona Chronograph.

One of the most desired and difficult-to-obtain timepieces on the planet, the Daytona was legendary actor Paul Newman’s favorite watch. Available in numerous dial colors, and material options, it’s easy to see why people love it. 

Yet another category in which Rolex excels is GMT watches. The GMT-Master was released in 1954 and is extremely popular throughout the world of watch collecting. These models are available in many dial colors with bidirectional rotating bezels that have two colors that nicely coordinate the dial. This has earned them nicknames such as “Batman”, “Root Beer”, “Coke”, and “Pepsi”. 

Design

Tissot and Rolex both tend to embrace classic watch design. Rolex likes to stay with established favorites with proven sales records while Tissot is a bit more adventurous.

Tissot

Tissot’s partnership with Omega has influenced its design philosophy. The brand sticks with classic features such as dot and baton indices, Roman numerals, and sword hands. Straps are stitched leather and bracelets three and five link. T

he Powermatic series offers a check texture to the dial, and there are subtle and bold colors available on the brand’s dials. Most models are conservative in design but Tissot does offer some skeleton dials and square cases for watch lovers with more free-spirited tastes. 

Rolex

Since its beginning, Rolex has carefully crafted its reputation as the most desired watch on the market. It has been the classic retirement, special achievement, and graduation gift for decades.

For many, it’s the grail of grails. As such, the brand does not mess with success and maintains the same design philosophy that launched it to such lofty heights.

Back in earlier days, Rolex was an innovator in the development of automatic movements and water-resistant timepieces. These days, the brand tends to rest on its laurels but still employs expert watchmakers who craft stunning timepieces of the best materials. These watches are reliable, durable, and among the most accurate in the world. 

Rolex does still come out with some boldly-designed watches such as the Daytona Eye of the Tiger. The Oyster Perpetual Gumball is another wild dial that has sold very well. For the most part, though, Rolex stays with the classic designs that have carried to the top. A Submariner from the 1950s or ’60s looks very much like that model does today. 

Quartz Rolexes are very rare and the brand has largely stayed with its high-quality automatic movements. The brand also tends to eschew exhibition and elaborately engraved case backs. Doing what you do best when you have a large and enthusiastic fan base is good business sense.

One area where Rolex has had to make some design changes is in making it easier to tell a real Rolex from a fake. No other watch brand is counterfeited nearly as much. Rolex has addressed this by adding features such as a laser-engraved crown logo on the crystal. 

Build Quality & Materials

Tissot

Although not a luxury brand, Tissot does use quality materials in their timepiece. Cases, hands, indices, and bracelets are made with industry-standard 316L stainless steel. The surfaces are alternately brushed and polished for a look that pops. 

Crystals and exhibition case backs are made from scratch-resistant sapphire coated with an anti-reflective material. This is a nice touch for watches at this price point. The Le Locle collection features some models that have 18K yellow or rose gold cases and bracelets. The popular Gentlemen collection offers titanium cases and bracelets. 

Straps are made from genuine leather. Although not top-of-the-line, the straps look great and hold up well to daily wear. Super-Luminova is used on the hands and indices of numerous models. This ensures you can easily read the dial in low-light conditions.

Tissot watches are well-built by qualified watchmakers. Hold one next to a Rolex and the difference is clear, yet a Tissot is still a quality timepiece, especially given the much lower cost.

Rolex

Rolex uses the highest-quality materials in all of its watches. The brand uses its own unique blend of 904L stainless steel, called “Oystersteel”, in cases, bracelets, indices, and hands. It’s durable and looks incredible when brushed and polished.

Precious metal models are made with 18K yellow gold and everose gold. These metals are stunning to look at and are among the most prestigious timepieces in the Rolex catalog.

Rolex covers its dials in top-quality scratch-resistant sapphire crystals, which are anti-reflective coated. This same material is used in the Cyclops lenses that sit over date complications. Divers and GMTs have ceramic bezels that shine and resist scratches. 

Straps are made from the highest quality leather, including crocodile. They’re comfortable, durable, and stylish. Rolex continues to live up to its reputation as a crafter of tough tool watches and classy dress watches. Their standards are high and you can be sure that every watch that leaves the factory lives up to them. 

Movements

The movement is the heart of a watch and if it doesn’t function well, the looks don’t matter. Rolex is renowned for its movements and Tissot’s watch works are accurate and well-crafted.

Tissot

Tissot does make in-house movements, the best of which is its 11 ½” automatic. These have a useful 38-hour power reserve and are COSC-certified. The brand also has in-house movements that are accurate but not to COSC standards and have 30-hour power reserves. Naturally, these cost less.

Tissot uses generic ETA quartz and automatic movements in its lower-priced timepieces. They are Swiss-made and solidly built with a good degree of accuracy. Tissot’s movements are designed to be admired and with the exhibition case back models, you can do just that.

Rolex

Rolex was an innovator in developing automatic movements during its infancy. They excelled at modifying new advancements from other brands to create their own movements. A great example of this is the modified Zenith movement that Rolex used in the first Daytona models. 

Currently, Rolex tends to stick with what works and their watches are powered by movements that are COSC-certified, reliable, durable, and some of the most accurate in the world of horology.

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The power reserves are generous and the materials and craftsmanship are second to none. Rolex has rarely made quartz movements and doesn’t make exhibition case backs. Although you can’t see the movements, they are works of art.

Price Point

In the category of price point, there is a huge gap between these two brands. This is to be expected, as Tissot is an entry-level brand and Rolex occupies the luxury level. 

Tissot

If you are just getting into watches, Tissot is one of the first brands you should look at. They offer many models that sell for less than $500.

Their in-house automatics can be had for $500-$1,000. At the top of the catalog are the Le Locle models, with the highest price settling in at $1,800. Quite a bargain for a precious metal timepiece.

Tissot gives you a ton of value for what you pay. High-quality, in-house COSC-certified movements, 18K gold, and all models prices below $2,000.

Rolex

Ah, Rolex. If you want one, you are going to pay. The brand takes advantage of its lofty status and even the lowest-priced models are close to the $10,000 mark. Once you start getting into the more desirable Rolexes, you’re talking north of $10,000 and even $20,000. 

It is also difficult to obtain a Rolex. The brand simply cannot keep up with the incredible demand and Rolex ADs often will not have the model you are looking for.

You have to put your name on a list of interest and compete with regular customers who will take priority. Waits for Submariners, Daytonas, and GMT-Masters are usually measured in years.

An alternate way to go is to buy one on the grey market. However, you will likely have to pay much higher than retail.

Although Rolex makes extremely high-quality and beautiful watches, I have to score them low on value for the money. You are paying a premium for reputation and prestige. Is it worth it? I say no, but that’s for you to decide.

Conclusion

Comparing Tissot and Rolex is a stretch considering the difference in their status in the horological world. Despite this, both are excellent brands. If you are just starting your watch collection, I urge you to check out Tissot. You can easily find them.

Most major department stores carry Tissot and you can try a bunch on and for a reasonable price, walk out with the one you love that day. Going through the hassle and expense of getting a Rolex doesn’t make sense for beginners. Your tastes will change so why spend that much at the start?

Rolex has the rep and the street cred. If it’s your grail, then go for it. Just be warned, you will be shelling out a lot of money and going through loopholes. If you are a more experienced collector and have the money and patience, by all means, grab yourself a Rolex.