My Suunto Observer watch (compass, barameter, altimeter, thermometer) has finally given up the ghost after 8 good years, and I need to replace it. After this good experience I feel fairly loyal to Suunto, but I have also heard that if I am willing to spend the money, the Tissot Touch is a pretty good watch. I am aware that the two products came from different origins – Suunto was originally an instrument company that branched out into watches, whereas Tissot was a (mid-)luxury watch that added instruments, plus a funky touch screen. And you can still see evidence of their respective origins. Suunto appears to be more technically-oriented, whereas Tissot appears to be more sleek and sophisticated.
But i would love to hear from people who have experience with both. Are Suunto instruments actually more accurate than Tissot? Is Tissot really more luxurious?
I am thinking about the Suunto Core specifically as this (and the Suuunto Elementum) are the most similar models to the Touch, but I would be open to feedback on their other models.
After a quick google search it seems you’re looking at watches somewhere around the $500 range? At that price point a watch should last a lifetime, if not more. I wouldn’t be impressed with Suunto if their watch crapped out after less than a decade. I’ve had watches from Kmart last longer than that…
That said, I don’t think you have to worry about accuracy much with modern watches, especially if you’re paying several hundred dollars for a model from a respectable company. I’d focus more on durability, looks, and features.
Getting 8 years out of complex LCD sensor watch that you wear every day is not awful. You’re basically wearing a fairly complex computer on your wrist and close to a decade of getting wacked, soaked and beat on before expiring is not considered an unusually sort lifetime for these particular types of watches. It’s basically a G-Shock on steroids and a decade of hard wear is about what you can expect from these kinds of watches as a median life cycle.
I have no experiences with these watches but my intuition says that it’s harder to manufacture sensors than it is to manufacture a digital watch, so the benefit of the doubt should be given to the sensors manufacture that’s making a foray into watchmaking rather than a watchmaker who happens to add sensors to one of their watches. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the two contract out the parts to each other.
It’s funny that you should say that. Eight years is more than twice as long as any other watch has ever lasted me; in fact, I was kind of getting bored of seeing the same watch day in and day out, and was wishing it might die a natural death so I could get something newer.
I know what you mean about expensive watches lasting a lifetime, but I would think that those would run you quite a bit more than a Suunto or Tissot. Most of the luxury watches these days run in excess of $5,000…
Well I ONLY got 8 years out of my Citizen Calibre Titanium Solar $700 in 2007 and I am NOT happy. The buttons and crown threads failed and they say the movement also, to the tune of a $400 repair. I am really pissed about that.
I love all the features of both the watches. The Suunto Ultimate K Core is street price of $225 (It has the steel bezel composition body) The Tissot Expert is $800 street. The Tissot has both the cool and class factor but if the Suunto last 8 years that equals 24 years. After getting burned by Citizen I think I’ll go with the Core. It actually looks pretty cool anyway
I have a Suunto Core, and think it’s an excellent watch. However, don’t get the reverse display (white on black) unless you’ve seen it and you’re sure you are happy with it. It looks stealthy, but the contrast is poor, it’s difficult to read in bright daylight.