Tissot pays tribute to watchmaking traditions by putting the minute hand front and centre on the new Le Locle Regulateur timepiece.
Most of us are familiar with twohanded or three-handed watches (indicating the hours, minutes and seconds) to tell time.
So when a watch like the Tissot Le Locle Regulateur comes along, one does a double take. The watch, the latest addition to the Le Locle collection, features only a central minute hand, and hour and seconds subdials on the top and bottom respectively.
While this may seem unusual in this day and age, the design is rooted in watchmaking tradition. It is a nod to the original “Regulateur”, a clock used in workshops in the 18th and 19th centuries as reference to check the accuracy of pocket watches. They had separate time registers, generally with a large central minutes hand, and the hours and seconds hands indicated on separate sub-dials. In those days, pocket watches were by no way accurate, and their time can vary in minutes, not seconds, which is why the minute was the most accurate quantification.
With one hand firmly in the past, Tissot keeps the other firmly in the 21st century. Each model comes in a modern 39.3mm case, and is available in classic stainless steel, two-tone yellow gold or rose-gold PVD – perfect for those looking for a modern dress watch that has a measure of history.
The dial features raised Roman numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, stick hour markers, date display, and a guilloche pattern on four quadrants for added dimension. The dial also captures the collection’s heritage of classical chic with the traditional “Le Locle” signature, named after Tissot’s home nestled in the Swiss Jura Mountains.
Flip the watch and you get a beautifully decorated caseback where you can admire the automatic movement through the sapphire crystal. It is waterresistant up to 30 metres, and is fitted with a leather strap or solid stainless steel bracelet.
