The world of watches has moved a lot ever since smartwatches come to life a few years ago. Despite that, Tissot has been producing their own version of smartwatches – a traditional watch with touch screen and lots of functions – from the year 1999.
In this article, I’m writing about this beautiful Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar review to uncover what it can do. And mind you, it has a lot of functions under its belt.
Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar – T0914204405100
If I were to put it, this Tissot is a hybrid of traditional watch and technology with sports watch design being in mind.
Tissot T-Touch watches are a bit more technically advanced than normal quartz or electronic watches because we can interact with it using touch screen.
But it’s still less advanced than those Apple/Samsung smartwatches in which it can’t make any calls, read any messages, giving alarms, or notify you of your appointments and all those cool stuffs that smartwatches nowadays can do.
These smartwatches (or wearables) can be liken to an extension of our all-important smartphones.
Tissot T-Touch is different than that. It’s strong points are in its functions such as chronograph, altimeter, weather forecast and compass – utilites that are very useful for sporty and outdoor usages.
The T-Touch Expert Solar is a very stylish watch, with 6 main functions that will make it a very functional tool to have
Not to mention it’s also solar/light powered. So you can say goodbye to battery changes or chargings (like smartwatches).
In short, the Tissot T-Touch is a functional tool that is perfect for those than need one (mountaineers, jungle trekking, watching a racing event etc.), but it’s by no means a smartwatch that you can use to read messages and stuffs.
Now, let’s get on to this Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar review and find out more about its specifications, functions and pros/cons.
Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar Watch T0914204405100 Specification
Diameter: 45 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Case: Grey Titanium
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Dial: Black carbon dial with touch function
Watch Crystal: Sapphire crystal
Hands: Sword hands with lume
Markers: Index markers
Movement: ETA E84.301 Solar powered quartz movement
Features: Tactile screen function, Perpetual calendar, Store 2 time zones, Imperial or SI units selection, Alarm, Altimeter, Meteo or weather forecast, Chronograph with split and lap time functions up to 100 days, Compass, Countdown timer, Regatta race chronograph function, Backlight
Power Reserve: 1-year (if functions are used sparingly)
Water Resistance: 100 m
Tissot T-Touch Manual: Click Here to download the manual from Tissot’s website
Best Place To Buy: Amazon, MSRP $1250
Sleek And Beautiful Black Carbon Dial
The look of this Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar is sleek and very stylish which I’m sure you guys already notice. The dial is black purple with carbon like pattern on the top half of it.
Without a doubt those carbon fiber pattern are the photovoltaic cells to absorb light and recharge its battery.
Most solar powered watches has black dial on them because it’s more efficient in capturing light as compared to lighter colors.
It also has actual hands on it which is something that is sorely missing with modern smartwatches. The hands will also be used during the various functions of the watch. There are also index markers at the edge of the dial.
The lower half of the dial is dedicated as screen to display information regarding its various functions. The whole surface of the sapphire crystal dial is touch screen enabled (more on the watch’s functions later on).
But the display is the ancient monochrome display which is truthfully out of touch with the current modern age. What I hate about the display is the lack of clarity when displaying information (numbers, settings, etc).
Tissot should have use an LCD instead to make the display more exciting and better. I’m sure they are using the monochrome display due to power concerns but this is a solar powered watch right? We can always recharge it everyday after all.
The electronic display uses old-school technology. Just look at those “bAt.” shortform for battery. In the age of smartwatches with colorful LCD screens, this is totally unacceptable
All in all, the dial of this T-Touch watch is very stylish and gorgeous on the eyes. The black theme really works well with the whole overall watch. I like the fact than actual watch hands are there and also the eye-catching carbon pattern on it.
Perhaps the only flaw to the dial is the usage of ancient monochrome display instead of the current LCD displays. But other than that, the dial is one that I won’t hesitate to show off!
Lightweight Titanium Case And Bracelet
The case is made from titanium with grey PVD coating to make it have a matte finishing – which looks real rugged and befitting for a tool watch.
It has a 45 mm diameter which can be quite big for people with small wrists. But I guees it’s very important to have this size as it can help with the touch screen function.
The watch also has a 13 mm thickness with 22 mm lug width. It’s coupled with titanium bracelet having matching color.
At the sides are the three pushers used for the watch operation. The middle pusher will be used quite often to toggle the touch screen on and off.
In addition, the watch case is also rated to 100 m water resistance, which will do well to keep your mind in peace during those occasional rains.
In my opinion, the titanium case and bracelet is a very good choice because of its lightweight. I, for one, would not want to wear a heavy watch when going camping or trekking.
That aside, the size of this watch might not be a good fit for those with small wrists.
6 Main Functions Of The Tissot T-Touch
So now let’s move on to the exciting part – the various functions of this watch. There are 6 main functions of this watch, marked around the edge of the watch (Meteo, Altimeter, Chrono, Compass, Alarm and Timer).
1- Meteo or Weather Forecast
The first function is Meteo at 12 o’clock which stands for Meteorology. To access this function, the middle pusher at 3 o’clock need to be pushed. Once the T-Touch logo appears on the display, the touch screen is activated and we can select the Meteo function by tapping at the top portion of the crystal.
So what does Meteo function do?
It can show the weather forecast around the location such as rainy, sunny and no change. It does this by comparing the trend of air pressure around the area (the watch has a built-in barometer inside it).
Basically, a high pressure area will be clear sky while a low pressure area will have rains and clouds. The movement of clouds depends on the pressure difference between areas, much like the other natural phenomenons such as Typhoons and Hurricanes.
This Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar will collect the pressure data over the last 6 hours and can build up a trend around it. If the pressure is dropping, then the watch will report a rain is coming by moving the hands to the left. A hand movement to the right will indicate sunny time ahead.
The Meteo function will be able to tell you what’s the weather forecast will be: Storm, no change or sunny
By far, it’s the coolest feature that I find in this watch and for good reasons. How often have you found yourselves to be in a pinch because of sudden rain while picnicking or doing outdoor activities?
Smartphone apps are there to give weather forecasts but they are not 100% accurate. With this watch, the actual pressure drop can be noticed and I’d say it has very little likelihood of being wrong.
2- Altimeter To Find Your Altitude
A feature that’s important for those going hiking or mountaineering is altimeter. Like the Meteo function, it uses the built-in barometer to figure out the air pressure around the area.
Air pressure becomes lower as we move up the altitude and the watch can calculate the altitude by the difference between the location’s pressure and sea water level’s pressure.
It reports the altitude either in meter of feet which can be set in the general settings of the watch.
3- Chronograph Function
What would a sports watch be without a chronograph? What’s special with this watch is Tissot don’t just include any normal chronograph in the watch.
First of all, the chronograph can measure up to 100 days which is much much longer than any other watches out there. 24 hours is the average for electronic watches but not many can measure up to 100 days.
It can also do split time and lap time functions – very useful when you are timing your favourite racer on the racetrack.
And lastly, it has a special chronograph for Regattas (or sailing competition). The watch will act like a timer up to 10 minutes and then it will begin time measurement.
4- Compass
Next is the compass function, another great feature in this watch. Simply tap the bottom part of the watch to activate it and the minute hand will move to show the North while the hour hands to the South.
A special thing about it is it can automatically adjust the compass to show the True North of the Earth.
What’s the True North?
True North is the actual north of our planet i.e the North Pole like what we can see in globes. But compasses will not point to this True North but instead to the Magnetic North which is offset from the North Pole.
I’m not really sure why is this happening but that’s just how our planet is (if any of you guys have any idea about this, let me know in the comments will ya!).
The difference between True North and Magnetic North
Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar will then pick up the Magnetic North location and apply corrections (they call it magnetic declination) to show the True North on the watch.
Please be mindful that the magnetic declination is different with each places/countries so you have to check what’s the setting at your location before using the compass.
5- Alarm
The watch also has alarm function. Nothing much to write here as its a standard feature with all electronic watch.
6- Timer
Lastly, the timer function (same as above, a typical function with any electronic watch).
This awesome video shows how to use the various functions in this Tissot T-Touch
Who Is Tissot T-Touch Watch For?
From the various functions, it’s very apparent that this is a tool/functional watch for those that need one. I can see how those that frequently do outdoor activities such as mountaineering, yachting, etc. can benefit the most from it.
Apart from the solar powered movement (which is really great), it also has the compass, altimeter and meteo (weather forecast) that are very useful for these people.
Not to mention these functions can also be used by those that’s not an outdoor type of guy and it’s something very cool to have. Racing fans would find the great chrono functions very useful to them.
And with a steely sleek look and beautiful carbon fiber pattern on the dial, it’s a great watch to look and also to wear. The lightweight titanium case makes wearing this one a breeze and comfortable too.
Who Should Not Get It?
The Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar is definitely not for those that want a modern smartwatch. As mentioned above, it’s a step above the normal electronic watches (such as the cheap Casios), but still not up to the technological prowess of a smartwatch from Apple/Samsung/etc. etc.
It’s also quite big and might not be a good fit for those with small wrist.
And lastly, the watch can be a bit overwhelming at first (no thanks to the outdated monochrome display). Expect a bit of learning curve when you first get the watch. Click HERE to download the Tissot T-Touch manual which has useful guide on how to use the watch.
Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Very good looking watch with carbon fiber pattern on the dial
- Easy to use with touch screen capability
- 6 very useful functions built inside the watch.
- Titanium case and bracelet make the watch light and comfortable to use
- Sapphire crystal will ensure the screen won’t be scratched
- Solar powered, so there is no concern on battery life and change
Cons:
- Old generation screen is not pleasing and informative
- No thermometer function
Interested In This Tissot T-Touch? Buy It Cheapest On Amazon!
If you like this watch, you can get it cheapest on Amazon for less than the usual MSRP of $1250. Click the link below to buy it from Amazon.
->Click Here To Check Out The Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar On Amazon<-
Final Thoughts
Tissot is really an innovative company by creating watches like the T-Touch that beautifully implement technology into a normal watch to make it a very functional watch. And I should also mention it’s gorgeous and super cool to look at.
I really like the altitude, compass and meteo functions as those are very useful. The chronograph also the among the best of electronic watches as it has multiple functions (split time, lap, regatta) and can measure up to 100 days.
The solar powered movement is the icing on the cake, making this watch much much more outstanding. The convenience of solar powered especially on a watch with many functions like this is will free up the age-old concern about battery life.
A great and cool looking watch, with so much to offer.
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I hope you guys love this Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar review. If you have any questions regarding the watch, feel free to ask.
Don’t forget to drop your comments below =)
Till next time. Cheers!
Isaac
I have this tissot t touch i just wanted to know the battery life of this watch
Hi Nadeem. To directly quote Tissot from their user manual of the watch (link in the main article), “When fully charged and used sparingly, the watch can operate for up to one year in a low-light environment”. But since the watch can be charged by light, it’s very easy to recharge.
Unfortunately on the actual battery life of the watch, Tissot don’t have any reference on it. But if we use Japanese solar watches as an indication, a battery life of 10 years can be assumed before we need to replace the battery again.
Cheers!
Isaac