With Tissot, women switch to solar time

It's the new wave in the world of quartz watches: after decades of button batteries, it's time for photovoltaic energy to power the hands. While many brands rely on movements created by the Japanese company Citizen, and also offered by La Joux-Perret, the Swatch Group remains true to its founding principles: to produce in-house and not depend on people. Thus, last March, Tissot surprised everyone with its new 39 mm diameter PRC 100 Solar range, which draws its energy from light.

Equipped with a quartz solar movement and revolutionary Lightmaster technology, it absorbs natural and artificial light through its sapphire crystal, whose discreet solar panels transform it and store it in a rechargeable battery. The watch also continues to charge in low-light environments, as well as under artificial lighting. The light passes through the sapphire crystal and reaches microscopic honeycomb solar cells that optimize absorption without compromising the aesthetics of the dial. The energy is then transferred via the connector integrated into the case to the Swiss-made quartz movement. The surplus energy is stored in a rechargeable battery, which guarantees this watch an autonomy of 14 months in the dark on a full charge. Thanks to its low-power Swiss movement, energy retention is maximized for continuous operation, even under minimal light exposure.

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Ten minutes of brightness are enough to obtain 24 hours of autonomy. In other words, a few minutes of daily wear can allow the watch to function indefinitely. This summer, it's women's turn to benefit from this new technology, with new versions in 34 mm diameter, still with the same iconic dodecagonal bezel. This time, it's time for a yellow gold PVD coating, two-tone rose gold PVD, or gray steel, with new sky blue or mother-of-pearl dials, and still Super-LumiNova-coated hands and indexes. Expect to pay 495 to 595 euros to wear one on your wrist.