The Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport watch hands-on

Introduction

The new Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport builds upon the success story fostered by the T-Touch Connect Solar, which we extensively covered in a video review. Powered by a Swatch-proprietary operating system, a refreshed case design, and a long list of functions, the touch-screen-operated timepiece par excellence made a status among connected multifunction watches.

While the new Connect Sport promises to follow up on such a technological platform, it positions itself as a more traditional analogue watch equipped with a polished ceramic bezel and titanium bracelet bezel, bringing the T-Touch Connect set of functions onto a classic sports watch-looking product.

The product philosophy

Standing out in the digital watch business is a challenging task. While connected watches are a must-have, traditional brands try to promote products that combine all the features that someone would expect from such a product packed into a go-anywhere-use, anytime stylish, sporty watch.

Tissot has an established heritage in watchmaking and is one of the longest-standing in the industry. The T-Touch technology has ensured the brand many new buyers, so much so that Tissot could easily create a “spin-off”, i.e. “T-Touch” is more than enough to identify the models.

While the original Connect Solar raised the bar regarding functions and materials, the new T-Touch Connect Sport brings the AMOLED-screen-activated T-Touch technology into the sports watch enthusiasts arena.

Case and bracelet

The case measures 43.75 mm in diameter and 12.8 mm in thickness, and the watch is solar-powered. Therefore, it is close to a bold sports watch in size yet bigger than usual. However, size has no drawbacks since the wearer needs enough dial space to easily view and access all the functions available via the screen by scrolling the menus from top to bottom, left to right, and vice versa.

The case comes in several iterations and is treated with titanium, black PVD, or rose gold PVD. Depending on the option, it is topped by a sapphire crystal and surrounded by a black, blue, brown, or grey ceramic bezel.

That is where things are different from any T-Touch sibling: if you are not told it is a T-Touch, you might quickly think of any ordinary quartz watch. The Super-Luminova® on hands and indexes help you think it is an ordinary three-hand watch with a black dial.

The build quality of the case, bracelet, and bezel is top-notch. It offers excellent comfort, a nice brushed-to-polished finish, and a quick-release bracelet. Tissot offers colourful variations of silicone straps, too.

Configuration and first use

The start-up session begins by pressing the button close to two o’clock. Then, select the language by scrolling the screen at six o’clock. Next is the connection to a smartphone via Bluetooth and the Tissot App, available on iOS, Android, and Harmony operating systems. Once the wearer has successfully connected watch and smartphone, he can access all the stats and activities synchronized via the App.

Swiping down with the fingertips lets the wearer access four main functions: running, gym, bike, and excursion. He can also access stats like the number of steps done, calories burned, duration, and distance of the activity. Also, he can check the average speed and maximum altitude of your route. Always keep the watch and the smartphone as close as possible to each other. By scrolling down the menu, you can set your target.

Here it is if you want to know what the second button does. It allows you to pause the tracking of an ongoing event. Once you have completed your routines, detailed stats and graphs will appear on the App. That is a summary of the primary functions available.

Performance and target audience

The watch allows the wearer to monitor sporting activities and offers a detailed list of information on how one performed and how one can improve. The T-Touch Connect Sport is as familiar during a corporate meeting as your end-of-the-day workout and we think it is targeting the middle manager.

That said, considering the model we reviewed is the most classic on offer, Tissot’s goal was to make the experience with the T-Touch Connect Sport as close as possible to a Swiss-made sports watch.

Once running, the solar-powered watch will never stop as a time-only timepiece under at least 20 kLux of light, i.e. 20 min/day under an open sky. Every day use of a connected watch means it will not stop for six months (set as “standard connected mode”) and three months as “sport connected mode”.

Thoughts and price

The T-Touch’s evolution was impressive, and with the T-Touch Connect Sport, the gap between a contemporary sports watch and a connected digital one has massively reduced.

Lightweight, customizable, and available in classic or sporty colours, the new collection more closely bridges T-Touch technology and Tissot’s analogue mechanical or quartz watch than in the past.

The new collection is a short call to enthusiasts looking for connected timepieces with a trendy sports watch attire. We think the designers tried to achieve that with the T-Touch Connect Sport.

We would improve the water resistance, which is limited to 50 meters. That is the only box to tick on our checklist. The Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport retails for €995 on a silicone strap and €1,095 on a bracelet.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)

Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®