In this post, I’m going to write about Tissot Le Locle review, one of Tissot men’s watches. The Swiss brand is one of my favorite brands due to a number of reasons. It produces mainly middle range watches.
It is affordable, and yet produced lots of beautifully crafted watches with high quality of craftsmanship.
One of my favorite lines of watch is their T-Classic line of which the Le Locle is one of them. The Le Locle line have several models and styles: there are the men’s watches (or Gent Watch from Tissot’s website), chronometer models, seconds subdial, regulator models, chronograph model and lastly the power reserve model.
Yes, the Le Locle line is quite broad but for this specific review, I’m going to be focusing on the men’s watch design, the simplest model with gorgeous guilloche dial. It is one of Tissot men’s watches and is just a stunning little piece of steel to look at.
It looks just as expensive and elegant as any other top of the line Swiss watches, but will only costs you not more $400. Without further ado, let’s get on to Tissot Le Locle review.
Shown above is the Tissot Le Locle T41.1.423.33 Automatic Men’s Watch
Tissot Le Locle Men’s Watch Specification
Diameter: 39 mm
Thickness: 9.75 mm
Weight: 2.4 ounces / 70 gram
Band: Black leather strap with butterfly clasp
Dial Window Material: Scratch resistant sapphire crystal
Dial: Silver guilloche pattern
Water Resistant: 100 feet / 30 m
Movement: Swiss Automatic Movement – ETA 2824-2 with 25 jewels. Has 28,800 vibrations per hour (8 beats per second)
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Accuracy: +- 20 seconds per day
Special Features: Skeleton back case, gold plated rotor, silver tone hands, roman numeral hour markers, date display at 3 o’clock
Best Place To Buy: Amazon
Various Styles To Choose From
Tissot has produced not less than 6 variations of styles for the Le Locle Men’s Automatic Watch. All of them has a different combination of dial color (black or silver), case color (silver stainless steel, gold PVD, etc), strap (black leather, brown leather, stainless steel bracelet), and different hand and markers colors.
I really like how they wants to appeal to everyone with their various offering of styles for a particular model. It’s one thing that you have to love about the Swiss. They will always try to give you many styles for any particular model. On the other hand, Japanese watchmakers will give you only maximum of 3 variations.
You can see the variations of the watch below. In case you are wondering, the dimensions and mechanism inside the watches are totally same.
Variations of styles in the Le Locle Automatic Men’s Watch model. All features the same movement inside (ETA 2824-2), guilloche pattern dial, and have the same diameter and thickness. Simply click the picture to go to the Amazon sale page for that particular watch for more pictures.
Simple And Elegant Dial Design
This is truly a simple classic watch, with little decoration. Looking at the dial, it only has the interwoven hatching design (or guilloche, to use a fancy word to describe it), and contrasting hour markers, hands and “Tissot” and “Le Locle” marking. Simple is more.
That’s the philosophy that the designer of this watch uses. It does not have any flashy colors or decorations (though the guilloche is considered flashy by some people), but you just cannot resist the simplicity and elegance the watch shows.
There is the brand’s signature “Tissot” and “1853” – the year they were founded in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland – at the center top of the dial. The lower part of the dial is signed with “Le Locle” and “Automatic” signatures. I really like the italicized font of the “Le Locle”, giving it a very vintage classical look.
The guilloche pattern is a perfect addition to the dial. It is not totally visible in photos but you can see that it is actually very noticeable due to its reflective nature (you can see it in the unboxing video below). The back of the watch is skeleton case, where you will be able to see the movement and also the gold plated rotor.
The roman numeral hour markers are big and easy to read. Minute markings are provided at the outer edge of the dial for more accurate time reading. There is also a date display at 3 o’clock, which also just seems to blend in with the dial.
Honestly speaking, I would have prefer a small black box around the date display to make it stand out more. The date display is a very important aspect as it provides more functionality to a watch. Being able to tell the date at a glance is a huge advantage, but the design of this watch that “blends in” the date and the white dial make it harder to notice it.
All in all, the dial is truly classic and simple, yet such a pleasure to look at and wear. The biggest attraction? The guilloche dial of course. Wear this and don’t be surprised that many people will start a conversation on how gorgeous the Le Locle is (and how good your taste is).
The skeleton case of the Tissot Le Locle Automatic Men’s Watch. Shown above is the T41.1.423.33 model. Notice the gold plated rotor and how beautiful the engraving on the skeleton case back of it – something that is rare these days.
Beautifully Crafted Timepiece
The watch is 39 mm in diameter with 9.75 mm thickness. With such thinness, it can slip into any sleeves of dress shirts, as expected of any dress watch. It is also only 2.4 ounces or 70 gram, making it not too heavy on your hand.
The watch comes with either a leather band or bracelet, depending on the model. I can say that the black leather band will make it looks good with a tux, or your weekend’s casual attire. All leather strap also comes with a butterfly clasp. It looks to be very secure.
One thing I really like about it is that it will not damage the leather strap like any normal buckle. You will be able to use this leather strap for a long time.
The dial window is made of sapphire crystal, which is well known for its high scratch resistance. You can use the watch for years and not even a scratch will be on it (read more about watch crystal types here).
It’s water resistance is rated to 3 bar, or 100 feet/ 30 m water depth. Though you should be cautious about exposing the watch to any rain or water splash as the crown is the push pull type (aka normal watch crown).
Since it’s not the screw type, water can easily seep into the watch, causing fogging or worse, rust. Swimming wearing the watch is definitely out of the picture. For that purpose, you are better served with a diving watch instead.
The back of the watch is another sight to behold. It is a semi-open caseback as only some parts of the back is shown. I would have prefer a totally open caseback as I can see the whole movement. But Tissot certainly knows their stuff. Instead of an open caseback, they provided a skeleton caseback with beautiful engravings on it (see the picture above) – which is something quite rare nowadays. This is a very nice element.
With the engravings, they have totally make this watch a special among their other watches. The watch is manufactured with such a high level of craftsmanship. It is really a wonder that Tissot can produce a high quality watch with such an affordable price.
Unboxing Video of the Tissot T41.1.423.33 Le Locle Automatic Watch
Le Locle – A Homage To Tissot’s Birthplace
Perhaps some of you are wondering about the why Tissot put “Le Locle” on this watch. Le Locle is a place in Swiss’ Jura Mountain, the birthplace of Tissot. Tissot was founded in 1853 by the father and son pair of Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Emile Tissot. From their humble beginnings in the Swiss, the company has grown by leaps and bounds.
During the 1970s, Tissot was one of the few Swiss watchmakers that survived the “Quartz Crisis”. The crisis was the aftermath of the quartz watch invented by Seiko. Quartz watches, with it’s lower price and superior accuracy flooded the market and nearly destroyed the Swiss automatic watch industry.
During the crisis mode, Swiss watchmakers grouped together. The Swatch Group of which Tissot is in is one of the big watch groups that was founded due to this.
It is only appropriate that Tissot named the line after Le Locle, as a homage to Tissot’s home and heritage. For me, the classical look of this watch seems to reflect the intention of Tissot to make the watch a reflection of their origin, a maker of exclusive and beautiful watches but with a touch of classical elegance.
Swiss ETA Automatic Movement
The watch is powered by an ETA 2824-2 movement with 25 jewels. It’s not Tissot’s own movement, but made by ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse (or just ETA), their brother in the big Swatch group. . The practice of using a movement by different makers is common nowadays in Swiss watches, especially for low to middle range automatic watches. Only few top of the line Swiss watchmakers (e.g Rolex) still produce their own in-house movement.
Development of in-house movements are very costly, not to mention the production will costs a bomb too. A solution devised from the Quartz crisis 4 decades ago is to segregate movement making to a company (ETA, and recently Sellita), while the watchmakers can just concentrate on making the watch.
This by no means make the ETA 2824-2 a substandard movement. The movement has been used by many different watch brands and can even be tweaked to get to COSC Chronometer accuracy standard.
It has been around for quite some time and thousands of watch owners have been happy with its performance. The ETA 2824-2 has 38 hours power reserve and accurate to 20 seconds per day though it is normally reported to gain/loss about +-5 seconds per day.
Tissot Le Locle Automatic Men’s Watch Advantages And Disadvantages
I’ve summarised the advantages and disadvantages of the Tissot Le Locle for easy reference.
Pros:
1- Beautiful guilloche dial pattern
2- Simple, sleek and elegant design
3- Many different styles and color pattern to choose from
4- Solid construction and high quality craftsmanship
5- ETA 2824-2 movement is reliable and accurate
6- Has a skeleton caseback with beautiful engravings on it.
Cons:
1- Does not have exhibition caseback.
2- 30 m water resistance is very low. A 50 m water resistance is much better for peace of mind
If you are looking for a good looking watch that is automatic, looks good with anything you wear, and does not break your bank, Tissot Le Locle Automatic Men’s Watch is the one you should go for. It is a subtle simple watch, without any flashy colors, decorations or complications.
But in its simplicity lies an elegance that will rival even the top Swiss’ watches. It’s craftsmanship is of high quality that won’t make you regret buying it.
I hope you enjoy reading this Tissot Le Locle review. If you have any questions or comments regarding the watch, feel free to put it down below. I will be more than happy to answer.
Cheers!
Isaac
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The Tissot Le Locle Automatic Men’s Watch is usually listed for around $500 but currently (as of the time of the writing of this review) Amazon has an amazing discount offer against buying from the retailers. Click the link below to check the best deal on Amazon.
Hi Isaac,
I’ve just bought a lady’s version of the Tissot Le Locle watch and am a bit confused – do I need to wind it by hand occasionally?
Libby
Hi Libby. If you buy the automatic movement version of the Le Locle (there are also quartz version of the watch i.e using battery), then winding it by hand occasionally is a good practice but this will depend on your use pattern.
Personally I’d want to wind my watches when I first pick it up and wear it again after it has died down. When we’re bringing the watch from dead state, there is zero power reserve in the watch and thus it’s a good thing to wind it to fill up its power reserve. That way, the watch will have greater accuracy and won’t suddenly die due to low power reserve.
But if you’re continuously using the watch hours daily, your constant wrist movement should refill its power reserve throughout the day. In this case, you can wind your watch maybe once a week or so.
Have had the Tissot Le Locle for a few years. It is a great looking watch and goes with everything from jeans to suit. I have been wearing it only on special occasions and when I do decide to wear it, I reset date and time. This is no big deal but I just purchased an auto watch winder. I can not find any information on what Tissot’s settings are for turns per day and direction (clockwise, etc.).
Can you help? Nov 14, 2017
Hi Ray. The Le Locle is a really versatile watch eh? I’m happy that you love the watch. On the setting of the time, unfortunately that’s the major disadvantage of all automatic watch. But it’s not a big deal since we can always get the most accurate time from our smartphones =P
You can refer to this site on the required turns per day. The specific Le Locle model is not listed but that’s not really important. As long as we can get the info from a watch with the same movement (ETA 2824-2), that should suffice. From the database, the ETA 2824-2 movement can be wind in both direction at 650 turns per day.
Hope this helps!
Will adjusting the watch backwards when it runs fast damage the watch?
HI William. Nope you won’t damage the watch by adjusting the time backwards.
One exception is at midnight when the date display changes. At that time, you must not adjust the watch backwards as the gear inside already engaged with the date display. Adjusting backwards might damage the date.
This will vary from watch to watch depending on the movement design though. But it’s best to follow this as a precaution.
Cheer!
Please help me to understand. I got the same watch arond 8years ago in Qatar and friend of mine in Saudi. I am sure watch is original and not a fake. However there is no serial numbet engraved on the back. Nowdays i see the same model Lelocle is being sold with engraved nos. I have sent a male to manufacturer and got confirmed the dealer is official. Is it possible fhat before this model was without numbers and now with numbers? Even if you google you will find both versions. In my city a lady in a shop just told me my watch is fake. I got really angry. This is not a Rolex and if somebody will make a watch close to original,it will cost him a lot. Even though i have seen plenty of replicas,they are very obvious replicas…. if somebody can confirm…
Hi Giorgi. I believe most watches (especially those costing more than $200) should have a unique serial number on it. By any chance when you bought it 8 years ago, did the dealer gave you a Tissot box, booklet and warranty card? If they did, then I believe it should be original. You can also mail Tissot with pictures of your watch to prove its authenticity.
On a separate note, you have bought this watch 8 years ago. Even though it is not legit, it will take lots of effort on your part to get back your money (travel to Qatar, contact your friend, etc), so much so it’s not really worth it. I can only suggest for you to be more careful in future when buying a watch.
Cheers!
Isaac
Hi Giorgi. From what I can tell, only watches sold by official resellers get the caseback serial numbers. I’ve compared the standard casebase serial numbers with the tissots on a site like Jomashop.com, which are assuredly also authentic watches, but which do not come with caseback serial numbers. The caseback serial number seems to confer the standard international warrantee, whereas the watches coming from Jomashop only come with the jomashop warrantee. I believe these watches are grey market watches, which, while are authentic, are not obtained from official reseller sources. You can check out what a grey market watch is here: http://fortune.com/2016/02/11/swiss-watches-gray-market/
You’re totally correct Jimmy. Just because it’s not obtained from an official reseller, does not mean the watch is not authentic and less useful.
Btw, thanks for sharing the info about gray market watches =)
I have always been a Movado guy, but I really like the Tissot line. It’s very similar to Movado, but it’s a little but cheaper.You did a great job in explaining the features. So well, in fact, that I’m considering looking at Tissots because I read this post.
I loved the “con” of 30m of water protection, as opposed to 50. I gave up my snorkeling career, so I think I’ll be ok! Nice post.
Hi Oliver. Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad that I can sway you from Movado lol =p
If you decided to take a Tissot, let me know what you think about it buddy. I’m sure it will serve you well
Cheers!
Isaac
I never knew what an automatic watch was until now. As I get older I enjoy the finer things in life more. Especially when you are dressing to impress on a date or a business meeting.
A nice watch has a touch of sophistication and class to it. This watch is does it at a nice price and I like the different color options. Thanks for the review.
Hi buddy. We are both cut from the same cloth! I was never a watch guy when I was in college – for me a watch is a nuisance. But as I grew older and work in a professional environment, a watch is a very beneficial tool to have. Plus, like you, I began to enjoy finer things in life. Oh boy how things have changed!
The Tissot Le Locle really exudes class and sophisticated enough to be worn to even the classiest events. Not to mention it won’t break your bank. Thanks for reading and keep in touch buddy!
I enjoyed this article. I’ve always love watches but I have never invested in a high quality one. The Tissot watch has a great look to it. I’m an avid supporter of simple designs and looks, and this one has just that. If you were to recommend your favorite style of wrist straps for the watches, what would it be? I personally love brown leather but I know of a lot of people who gravitate towards black leather. Any thoughts? Thanks for the info!
Hi Matthew! Thanks for dropping by. I also someone that loves a simply designed watch and don’t prefer a busy dial face (except if it’s very useful like this Seiko FlightMaster SNA411).
On the strap styles, it depends on the watch face actually. A complementing strap to the watch dial will be the best. Black leather is the safest choice as it is suitable with almost any watch colors. But for the white dial version of the Le Locle, the brown leather works too.
You can always ask me anything else that you want to know buddy. Great to have you here. Cheers!
I’m looking a present for my Dad, he loves watches, and never had one of this before.
Do you know if there is a place where I can engrave them with a name or bought them with the grave on, it would look really great with his personality.
Thank you for the awesome review
Take Care
Marcelo
Hi Marcelo. Your dad sure is lucky to have a loving son like you. On the back of the watch, you can see there is a small space at the bottom half (between the bottom engraving to the open caseback). I think that will be a great place to engrave your dad’s name. You can always bring the watch to a jeweler to have them engrave it though I have no idea of how much it will cost. Keep me updated if you want to engrave it buddy. I’m sure your dad will love your present =)
Hey.
Awesome review. I am just in the process of buying a ‘classy’ watch, since I am going to be working with clients in our firm. I am looking for something not too expensive and not too pompous. Do you have any other suggestions? Maybe something more youthful or something like that :)?
Hi Luka. If you are looking for something classy, then this Tissot Le Locle will be the watch for you. It is Swiss Made and look stunning – which will totally impress your clients right =)
On the other hand, you can also check out the Seiko SARB033. It is cheaper (less than $400) and looks gorgeous but not too pompous. Seiko SARB065 is also another watch that I recommend. It’s classier (in fact it looks better than the Tissot Le Locle in my opinion) though it is a bit more expensive.
If you are looking for more youthful and cheap watch, you can look at some of the Japanese diver watch. Orient Mako and Seiko 5 SNZH53 are two of the best low end diver watches that you can buy for around $200. The thing about diver watches are it is rugged, looks tough, stunning look, and you can use it anywhere. It’s also very popular – you can see people wear them even when going to office in suits!
Good luck with your watch hunting Luka!
Hi there,
Great review, I’ve found it very interesting to read!
I had few watches in the past, but lately, I don’t wear it anymore. My husband is crazy about watches and the Tissot seems to be a good watch. I have bookmarked your website so I can show this to my husband, I am sure he will love it!
Do you ship out of US?
Is there a free shipping?
OH, I almost forget, in what colors those watches comes?
Thank you very much for this excellent post!.
Hi Daniella. Many thanks for reading and I’m glad that you like it enough to recommend it to your husband. I’ve already updated the post to include the various variations and styles that Tissot produces for this model. There are a few combination of dial colors, casing colors and straps. I’m sure your husband can find one that he likes.
On the shipping, I would recommend that you contact the Amazon’s seller. Simply click the link here to go to Amazon’s page and you can contact them directly. As far as I know, free shipping is only for US delivery only but you can ask them for the full detail and extra fees (if any).
Great review on the Le Locle T41.1.423.33 Automatic Watch, I am not familiar with this brand of watch, however, I think it’s quite attractive. I think automatic watches are great because they don’t have batteries, they don’t require winding, and the dial window on this watch is made of sapphire crystal which makes it scratch resistant. This seems like an extremely durable watch that will last a very long time, great product.
Hi WMP! Yes I really agree with you. Tissot always make great watches, and this Le Locle here truly lives up to the brand name. The longevity is one of the reason why I’m interested in automatic watches in the first place. Thanks for reading WMP! Let me know if you need any opinion on any watch. I’ll be glad to help.
Such an interesting automatic watch article you have shared with us today, very attractive watch and it does sound like an amazing product.
I have not worn a watch for many years, no matter how expensive or inexpensive watches just do not last for me. I am quite active physically, I am sure this is a part of my long-term watch durability problem. How is this watch for long -term durability for someone like me?
If longevity is what you seek, that the Tissot Le Locle is the right one for you. Tissot is famous for making quality products at affordable price, and their watches will last for a long time.
Another thing that I believe you will be very interested in is the fact that the leather strap of this watch uses butterfly clasp which will not damage your strap like buckle do. This will make your leather strap lasts a long time. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other question.