Tissot Chemin des Tourelles: The Dress Watch Nobody Mentions

The Most Tissot Watch Hardly Anyone Talks About

Ask people to name a Tissot and you'll hear PRX, Gentleman, maybe Seastar. Almost nobody says Chemin des Tourelles.

That's strange, because Tissot itself calls it an icon. The name comes straight from the brand's home: the Chemin des Tourelles is the street in Le Locle, high in the Swiss Jura, where Tissot's head offices have stood since 1907. If you want the story of the town itself, read Tissot Le Locle: the town behind every Tissot watch.

So why does a watch named after Tissot's own front door get so little attention? Mostly because it's quiet. No integrated bracelet, no dive bezel, no racing story. Just a beautifully proportioned dress watch that does everything well. Here's why it deserves far more attention than it gets.

Chemin des Tourelles at a Glance

• Sizes: 34mm, 39mm and 42mm
• Thickness: about 11.2mm (39mm) and 11.27mm (42mm)
• Lug width: 20mm (39mm), 22mm (42mm)
• Crystal: domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating
• Caseback: see-through sapphire
• Movement: Swiss automatic Powermatic 80.111 with Nivachron balance spring
• Power reserve: up to 80 hours
• Functions: hours, minutes, seconds and date
• Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
• Straps: steel bracelet or leather, with quick-release system
• Price: about $875 (leather) to $950 (bracelet) at US retail

The 2023 Refresh That Changed Everything

The Chemin des Tourelles has been around for years, but in 2023 Tissot gave the whole collection a serious update. It moved all the references to the Powermatic 80 movement, redesigned the case and refreshed the dials with new patterns and colours.

The changes you'll notice most:

• A gently domed sapphire crystal that gives the dial a soft, vintage-style curve
• Soft sunray dials in blue, silver, grey and more
• Faceted Roman numerals or baton markers, cut to catch the light
• A cleaner, rounder case with polished and brushed surfaces
• A quick-release strap system for easy swaps

The result is a watch that looks noticeably more refined than its price suggests.

Design: Classic, Not Boring

The Chemin des Tourelles is the definition of a classic round dress watch, but the details keep it interesting.

The Dial

The sunray finish shifts as the light moves, so a blue dial can look deep navy indoors and bright blue in the sun. Many models use faceted Roman numerals, while others use simple batons. The alpha-style hands are slim and elegant, and the date sits discreetly at 6 o'clock on many versions.

The Case

The case mixes polished and brushed surfaces, with a polished bezel. Combined with the domed crystal, it gives the watch a soft, rounded profile that feels more expensive than it is.

Dressy or Casual

Here's the clever part: it isn't only a dress watch. On a steel bracelet, the Chemin des Tourelles works with jeans and a sweater just as easily as a suit. Swap to leather and it becomes properly formal. Few watches at this price handle both so well.

The Powermatic 80 Movement

Image: © Tissot

Inside every modern Chemin des Tourelles is Tissot's Powermatic 80, the same movement family used in the PRX, Gentleman and Le Locle.

• 80-hour power reserve: take it off on Friday night and it should still be running on Monday morning.
• Nivachron balance spring: an anti-magnetic alloy that helps keep accurate time around phones and laptops.
• 21,600 vibrations per hour: a slightly slower beat, which is how Tissot reaches 80 hours.
• See-through caseback: you can watch the movement and rotor at work.

For a deeper look at Tissot's movement options, read Tissot movements explained. And when it eventually needs attention, here's how much a Tissot service costs.

Which Size Should You Choose?

• 34mm: a smaller, elegant option, often chosen by women or anyone with slim wrists. If you're exploring Tissot's women's watches, see the Tissot Bellissima too.
• 39mm: the sweet spot for most people. At about 11.2mm thick with a 20mm lug width, it suits wrists from about 6 to 7.25 inches and slips under a shirt cuff easily.
• 42mm: for larger wrists or anyone who prefers more presence. It has a wider 22mm lug width and a bolder look.

Our pick for most buyers: the 39mm. It's the size that feels most like a classic dress watch while still working every day.

Water Resistance: What 50m Really Means

Image: © Tissot

The Chemin des Tourelles is rated to 50m (5 bar). In practice, that's fine for rain, washing your hands and the occasional quick swim. It isn't a dive watch, though, and you shouldn't take it snorkelling or diving.

That's actually better than many dress watches. Tissot's own Le Locle, for example, is rated to just 30m.

Chemin des Tourelles vs Other Tissot Dress Watches

• Chemin des Tourelles 39mm: 11.2mm thick, 50m, domed crystal, the most versatile of the group.
• Le Locle Powermatic 80: 39.3mm, slimmer at 9.75mm, 30m, more traditional with a clous de Paris dial. Read our Le Locle Powermatic 80 review.
• Gentleman 38mm: a sportier all-rounder with 100m water resistance. See is the Gentleman 38mm the best Swiss watch under $1,000.
• Carson and Everytime: simpler, more affordable classics. Compare them in Carson vs Everytime.

Pick the Chemin des Tourelles if you want a dress watch you can also wear every day. Pick the Le Locle if you want the slimmest, most formal option. Pick the Gentleman if you want one watch for everything, including the pool.

The Skeleton Version

For something more dramatic, Tissot also makes a Chemin des Tourelles Skeleton. It uses a 39mm case with an openworked dial that shows the Powermatic 80 from the front as well as the back, with large Roman numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12. In Europe it launched at around €975 to €1,045.

If visible mechanics appeal to you, Tissot's other open-worked option is worth a look too: the Tissot T-Complication.

Price and Value

• 42mm on leather: about $875 at US retail
• 39mm and 42mm on steel bracelet: about $950 at US retail
• Discounted: authorised and online retailers often sell bracelet models for around $710 to $810

When the 39mm launched in 2023, it cost around $825, so prices have crept up. Even so, a domed sapphire crystal, a see-through caseback, an 80-hour Swiss automatic and a genuinely refined case at this price represent excellent value.

Like most Tissots, it will lose value if you sell it, so buy it to wear. Our analysis of whether a Tissot is a good investment explains why.

Is the Chemin des Tourelles Worth It?

Yes, especially if you want one elegant watch that works everywhere. It combines the polish of a dress watch with enough versatility for daily wear, and it carries Tissot's heritage in its very name.

What we'd change:

• 50m water resistance is fine, but a little more would make it an even better daily watch.
• At about 11.2mm, it's not ultra-thin. If slimness matters most, the Le Locle wins.
• The 22mm lugs on the 42mm make it look bolder than some buyers expect from a dress watch.

Thinking about stepping up from Tissot one day? See how it compares in Tissot vs Longines.

Buying Tips

Buy from Tissot or an authorised retailer for the full 2-year warranty, and shop around, since discounts are common. If you're buying second-hand, read 5 ways to verify a Tissot before buying from a private seller. And if you're curious what the "Swiss Made" on the dial actually guarantees, see what "Swiss Made" means on a Tissot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chemin des Tourelles mean?

Chemin des Tourelles is the name of the street in Le Locle, Switzerland, where Tissot's head offices have been located since 1907. The watch collection is named after it as a tribute to Tissot's home.

How much is the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles?

The Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 costs about $875 on a leather strap and about $950 on a steel bracelet at US retail. Many authorised retailers sell it at a discount.

What sizes does the Chemin des Tourelles come in?

The Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 comes in 34mm, 39mm and 42mm. The 39mm is about 11.2mm thick with a 20mm lug width, and the 42mm is about 11.27mm thick with a 22mm lug width.

What movement is in the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles?

It uses the Swiss automatic Powermatic 80.111 movement, with up to 80 hours of power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring. It's visible through a sapphire caseback.

Is the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles waterproof?

It's water-resistant to 50m (5 bar), which handles rain, hand-washing and brief swimming. It isn't designed for diving or snorkelling.

Chemin des Tourelles or Le Locle: which should I buy?

Choose the Chemin des Tourelles for a more versatile dress watch with 50m water resistance and a domed crystal. Choose the Le Locle for a slimmer, more traditional dress watch, though it's rated to only 30m.

The Bottom Line

The Chemin des Tourelles doesn't shout, and that's exactly its charm. It's Tissot's hometown watch: classic, refined and quietly excellent, with a Swiss automatic movement that runs all weekend.

If you want an elegant watch that works with a suit on Monday and jeans on Saturday, this is the Tissot nobody mentions, and the one more people should.