01 / THE TRUE ORIGIN
The name is an address. The address is part of a legacy.
In the mountain town of Le Locle, Tissot's story began in 1853. In 1907, its Swiss headquarters were established on Chemin des Tourelles—a real road within a city shaped by watchmaking. That name later became the identity of a Tissot collection.
The modern Chemin des Tourelles is not a preserved wristwatch from 1907. It is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Swiss horology, grounded in the actual place where Tissot's heritage took a lasting form. The collection was refreshed in 2023, retaining classic proportions while refining its details and mechanics.
03 / DESIGN DETAILS
The art of saying more with less.
The contemporary Chemin des Tourelles is designed around the purity of a round case, a calm dial and graceful, carefully finished hands. On the cited 42 mm blue reference, a gently domed sapphire crystal creates depth over the sunray surface and finely shaped hour markers.
Its appeal comes from a series of subtle decisions—not decorative excess. Reflections glide over the dial while the broad polished surfaces frame the watch without competing for attention.
04 / THE DESIGN LANGUAGE
Three reasons this dial feels quietly luxurious.
Light
A gently curved sapphire crystal and sunray finish create evolving highlights under natural light.
Geometry
Faceted indices and restrained hands keep the composition elegant and legible.
Proportion
A classic round form balances formal refinement with modern, usable dimensions.
06 / MECHANICS YOU CAN RESPECT
Classic on the outside. A modern automatic heart within.
For the 42 mm reference T139.407.11.048.00, Tissot specifies a Powermatic 80 Swiss automatic movement with up to 80 hours of power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring designed for better resistance to magnetic fields. The watch uses a 316L steel case, sapphire crystal and a transparent caseback.
These specifications describe the cited T139.407.11.048.00 reference, not automatically every colour, generation or watch depicted in supplied editorial photographs. Nivachron is a special alloy, not a silicon balance spring.
07 / AN ORIGINAL TISSOT IDENTITY
A classic silhouette is not evidence of copying.
Chemin des Tourelles brings together familiar elements of traditional Swiss dress-watch design: a round case, understated dial furniture and elegant hands. There is no reliable documentary basis for calling it a direct copy of any single rival model.
Its own documented identity rests on a real Tissot street address, a contemporary mechanical collection and careful watchmaking details. That makes for a more credible story than claiming every elegant line was invented by a single company.
08 / THE SIX-PHOTO EDITORIAL COLLECTION
Six frames. One address. A timeless design language.
Explore the watch through six different scenes, from warm leather and blue sunray light to a steel-bracelet pairing, an immaculate silver dial and a striking crimson setting.
The gallery rotates automatically. Use the numbered controls and Previous/Next arrows to pause on a chosen photograph; PLAY resumes the sequence.
09 / A STUDY OF THE SILVER DIAL
Two photographs. Two ways to appreciate the same restrained spirit.
Placed side by side, these supplied images emphasise the clear dial, the polished case and the subtle difference between leather and steel. A close look tells more about finishing than another oversized headline.
THE SILVER DIAL
A pure face against black leather.
THE STEEL INTERPRETATION
The same classic character against brushed steel.
11 / 20 DETAILS WORTH DISCOVERING
Twenty reasons to look closer.
From a little-known address in 1907 to a modern balance spring, these facts reveal the history and craft that sit beneath the quiet dial.
01 / DISCOVERY
Not a fantasy name
Chemin des Tourelles is a real street in Le Locle. The name commemorates the place where Tissot built part of its manufacturing identity.
02 / DISCOVERY
The 1907 address
Tissot established its premises on Chemin des Tourelles in 1907. That is an address milestone, not the manufacturing year of this modern watch.
03 / DISCOVERY
The legacy begins in 1853
Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot started the brand in Le Locle in 1853—over half a century before the 1907 address.
04 / DISCOVERY
History, not a replica
The contemporary collection is inspired by a Tissot location and classic watchmaking, rather than a claim to reproduce one original 1907 wristwatch.
05 / DISCOVERY
A thoughtful 2023 refresh
Tissot renewed the line with restrained refinements to case, glass, dial and the mechanical movement.
06 / DISCOVERY
A curved sapphire crystal
The specified 42 mm reference employs a gently domed sapphire crystal with an underside antireflective treatment.
07 / DISCOVERY
Light moves across the dial
A sunray-brushed surface gives the dial shifting reflections as the angle of light changes.
08 / DISCOVERY
Not every dial is the same
Some references mix Roman numerals and applied markers, while others use streamlined baton indices; always inspect the exact watch.
09 / DISCOVERY
Faceted hour markers
The modern applied indices of certain references catch light through finely shaped facets.
10 / DISCOVERY
Even the hands tell a story
Subtle variations in polished and satin effects support a restrained, highly considered aesthetic.
11 / DISCOVERY
It winds as you move
The Powermatic 80 is an automatic mechanical movement; a rotor converts wrist movement into winding energy.
12 / DISCOVERY
More than three days
The stated power reserve is up to 80 hours from full winding, sufficient to outlast a typical weekend.
13 / DISCOVERY
Nivachron versus magnetism
The cited refreshed 42 mm reference uses a Nivachron balance spring. This titanium-alloy technology is not silicon.
14 / DISCOVERY
Its mechanism can be seen
A transparent caseback on the selected reference lets the wearer glimpse the automatic winding rotor.
15 / DISCOVERY
316L stainless steel
The blue 42 mm technical reference is made in corrosion-resistant 316L steel, with selected polished and brushed surfaces.
16 / DISCOVERY
Proportions matter
The specified 42 mm watch is approximately 11.27 mm thick with 22 mm between its lugs. Other references can differ.
17 / DISCOVERY
Five-bar resistance
The cited version is specified to 5 bar / 50 m water resistance; it is not a professional diving instrument.
18 / DISCOVERY
One watch, different straps
Quick-release compatibility on confirmed versions allows a change from steel bracelet to a suitable strap.
19 / DISCOVERY
Date, without distraction
The date aperture on the selected automatic model is integrated into the otherwise spare dial composition.
20 / DISCOVERY
A Tissot identity of its own
No reliable evidence identifies a specific competing watch that Chemin des Tourelles directly copies. Its understated round design belongs to a shared classic-watch tradition.
BV WATCHSTORE / THE WATCHES
Discover the Chemin des Tourelles Collection.
Two colour expressions currently listed in the BV WATCHSTORE catalogue. Explore the actual product listings for the latest specific model details.
BV WATCHSTORE / WATCH JOURNAL
The more you understand a watch, the more it becomes a story worth wearing.
Continue exploring the origins of Tissot's collections—from the church clock behind Le Locle to the 1978 design revived as the PRX.