A watch being made in Switzerland is one thing, but what about a watch made from Switzerland? That’s what Tissot has done with the new RockWatch.
Technically, this isn’t an entirely new watch. It’s more of a revival of an old classic, since Tissot first carved a watch out of alpine granite for the original RockWatch back in 1985.
Reborn for 2025, the new model features a case, dial and bezel made from a single piece of excavated granite. More specifically, the rock comes from tunnels carved into the Jungfrau, one of the major summits of the Bernese Alps with a peak rising some 4,158 metres above sea level.
Limited to 999 examples and only available at a handful of Tissot boutiques – including the shop in London’s Covent Garden – the new RockWatch has a 38 mm case diameter, a domed sapphire crystal (replacing the more fragile mineral glass of the 1985 original), and set of nickel-plated hands, and a battery-powered quartz movement.
Naturally, the granite case of each watch carries its own pattern, making every example visually unique.
Although the RockWatch could feel like a gimmick, I’ve myself completely taken by it. I love how it’s an opportunity to wear a genuine piece of the Swiss alps on your wrist, but also admire the craftsmanship required to carve the granite into shape, then bore out the space needed for the movement within, while ensuring the crystal and crown align perfectly with their respective apertures. It’s an eye-catching watch, but a clever piece of industrial design too.
Priced at £995, the watch is presented on a black leather strap. Turn the RockWatch around and you’ll find a stainless steel case back screwed to the rear of the granite body.
An engraved note states how the piece is made of “genuine stone from the Jungfrau” along with the individual number, out of 999, of the watch itself.
Available to buy now, the Tissot RockWatch comes in a special box designed to resemble a block of granite.
