Tissot’s introduction of the 1970s-inspired PRX has breathed new life into the brand, which makes it no surprise that its parent company Swatch Group is aiming to pull off the same trick with stablemate Certina.
A completely new range of affordable sports watches, the DS-7 collection, is a modern interpretation of watches from 50 years’ ago.
There is an three-hander with date automatic collection, the DS-7 Powermatic 80, using an ETA Powermatic 80.611 movement with Nivachron balance spring, and a line of chronographs housing ETA quartz mechanisms.
Tissot took the same path with the PRX line offering both quartz-based and mechanical options.
Certina’s DS-7 designs lack an obvious 1970s retro feel, but the execution is solid, particularly for the integrated bracelets that are so popular in today’s sportier timepieces.
Retailers will appreciate affordable rounded collections with a mix of dial colours (green, silver, black, turquoise, gold and blue); the choice of mechanical or quartz movements; steel watches either in their naked metal, bi-colour or treated with black, silver or gold coatings; and options to switch metal bracelets for fabric straps.
There is even a titanium piece in the family of automatics.
Prices for automatics range from £720 to £835 for the titanium piece.
The quartz-based chronographs, available with black, silver or blue dials, cost £620 in steel to £725 for a titanium model.
Interestingly, these Swiss-made watches are converging and fighting over the same territory with Japanese-made watches from the likes of Citizen, whose highly commercial premium quartz and entry level automatics are hitting the market this fall at similar price points.
I have noticed a trend of ‘follow follow’ especially in terms of the wristwatch.. To follow in hot pursuit of what may be deemed a success in a watch brand might not quite be replicated with a next one. Originality, I’d say, pushing the boundaries of the small details is key. That secret twist.