Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport Review: Touch and Go

Tissot’s T-Touch technology has been around since 1999 when the brand first introduced its first “smartwatch”, simply called the Tissot T-Touch. The watch introduced a unique way to interact and use the various digital functions of the watch, which included a thermometer, barometer and a compass (to name a few), and it accomplished this touch functionality using a sapphire crystal (the glass above the dial) which was as good as reinventing the wheel back in 1999. In the world of traditional timepieces, Tissot is known mainly for its quartz and automatic movements. So, the T-Touch stood out as a very unique offering from a traditional Swiss watch brand with a modern twist.

Today, touch screens on watches are very common, and even the cheapest smartwatches have them. These touch screens are perfectly usable and can detect swipes and other modern-day gestures to access all the apps and menus. Top tech brands like Apple and Samsung also use Sapphire crystal to protect their digital displays (albeit only in high-end models).

While this kind of downgrades Tissot’s T-Touch-based touch screen technology (which was built differently), Tissot decided to add some new activity tracking features to its quartz-powered T-Touch line-up, and all of this now culminates into its latest T-Touch Connect Sport. The T-Touch Connect Sport is interesting in many ways, even without its modern-day smartwatch functions, and this turns the watch into a modern-day T-Touch implementation to take on modern-day smartwatches. But does it even need to? Read on to find out!

Tissot Connect Sport Review Design and Specifications: A unique blend of new and old

• Case size – 43mm
• Case material – titanium, ceramic
• Durability – 5 bar (50m)

Many entry-level and budget smartwatches are attempting to ape those from premium technology brands like Samsung and Apple. And while Samsung and Apple’s smartwatch designs do stand out, these will eventually be copied by some local brand at some point. So, for those looking for something unique in terms of design, there’s a good reason some will find the Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport Solar to be an attractive option.

Our review unit of the Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport has a titanium case with a natural finish

 

Its sporty design surely stands out from the crowd with its hybrid watch layout, which includes regular rotating watch hands placed on a dial with a small capsule-shaped display for accessing advanced functions. This display is always turned off, so the T-Touch Connect Sport will end up looking like a regular timepiece until the display lights up when a notification drops.

The watch is available from Rs. 97,000 for the base model with silicone straps and a natural finish case. The models with colour-matched cases are priced at Rs. 1,04,000, while the colour-matched metal bracelet model is priced at Rs. 1,08,500 in India.

Tissot justifies that price tag, given that you get a very premium hypoallergenic titanium 43mm case that is also anti-magnetic. Its numbered bezel is made of ceramic, and the tactile display is sapphire crystal. Tissot claims the watch is water resistant up to a pressure of 5 bar (50m), which is more than sufficient for most urban use cases.

The Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport has two pushers on the right side

 

The watch appears like a chronograph but will confuse a few people around you given that it has two pushers but lacks the regular crown for time adjustment and also lacks the sub-dials for the expected chrono bits.

The silicone strap can be replaced with a metal bracelet or any other third-party quick-release strap of your choosing. Given the slits in the silicon strap, it is supremely comfortable for regular use and breathable when you are sweating it out during a workout or sporting activity.

The two pushers on the right side are not customisable and have set functions to aid the Sw-ALPS software, which runs the watch. What I like about them is that they have deep travel when pressed, unlike most smartwatches I have used to date, which, in my opinion, gives it a very premium feel.

The silicone strap is very comfortable for daily use but can be replaced with other straps

 

There’s very little to not like in the design department, indeed, but I wished that this watch was also available in a slightly bigger 46-47mm case size. 

Tissot Connect Sport Review Display: Small is never better

• Display type – AMOLED
• Protection – Sapphire crystal

The T-Touch Connect Sport display is the size of a medicinal capsule and is visible in all possible lighting conditions. Given that the rest of the dial is taken up by the photovoltaic cells (dark brown), it is possible to identify the tiny display in the dial, which wakes up upon pressing either pusher. When the display wakes up, all the hands move out of the way to ensure that the display is always readable.

It goes to sleep automatically after 30 seconds, or you can cover the display with your hand to switch back to viewing the time. The interesting part here is the time-keeping, as the minute hand perfectly catches up to the exact second, which is supposed to continue after you are done using the display.

The Tissot T-Touch Connect’s display is tiny, measuring just two centimetres across and surrounded by the solar cell array on the dial.

 

I manually counted the lost seconds several times after activating the display, and the minute hand always perfectly aligned itself with the exact second on the dial after deactivating the display. Indeed, this is one of the finer details enthusiasts will appreciate about the T-Touch Connect Sport.

Tissot Connect Sport Review Software and Companion App: Confusingly minimalist

• Companion app platforms – Android, iOS, Harmony OS
• Watch Software – Swiss Low Power Operating System

The older T-Touch Connect Solar simply had the markings for each primary function (meteo, activity, navigation, time etc.) marked on the bezel. One would simply need to touch that marked area on the bezel to get into that function, with further adjustments or scrolling possible using the crown.

Unlike the previous generation, T-Touch Connect Solar (2022), the revival of the T-Touch series sadly misses out on the very intuitive (and fun) touch technology. It goes with basic smartwatch-like gestures that use swipes and taps to get to and activate various functions.

Upon waking up on the display, you are greeted with the date and day with the step counter on the side, basically your home screen or main watch face/screen. Swiping up from here (scrolls downwards) lets you browse through widgets related to your daily goal (step count, calories burned, time spent walking, distance). One can even change the daily goal on the watch itself by swiping to the last selection, which has predefined and custom targets.

Left to right: Main watch face, swipe up (activity modes), swipe down (goals), swipe right (notifications/toggles), swipe left (watch functions)

 

Swiping downwards takes you to the exercise modes (running, workouts, cycling, hiking). Swiping to the right gets one access to notifications and various capsule-shaped toggles (Bluetooth, Sound, Vibration, etc.), while swiping to the left lets you access watch functions, like timer, alarms, Chrono and even the solar charging indicator.

The good part about the swipe gestures is that the sapphire crystal face only understands a single swipe (up, down, left or right) gesture, a hold gesture and a tap (to select items). If you are not into swiping (or have never used a smartwatch before), you can also use the pushers where the top pusher swipes left (also to enter a mode or start function), and the bottom pusher swipes right (also to go back or end an activity) for browsing through this minimal yet colourful interface. And if you don’t want to fidget with the display, you can simply control or activate all of this (and more) from the companion app.

Tissot’s T-Connect app is well-designed and makes it easy to set the watch

 

The problems with this minimalist interface begin whenever you attempt to multi-task. Setting something as simple as a timer requires a number of button presses and taps and swipes, by which time a minute will have easily passed since you attempted to set it. And if a notification drops in the process of setting a timer, you are out of luck as you have to restart whatever you were up to once the notification has cleared once again.

Because the hands have to move out of the way when using the display, the time is never visible when doing the same. So, if you want to check how much time is left on the timer (in the display), you have to wake up the watch (by pressing a button), the hands move out of the way and only then can you view it for 30 seconds, beyond which the display switches off and the hands move back to their respective positions on the dial indicating the current time.

The case back has all the necessary sensors, which are mainly used for heart rate monitoring, but only during an activity

 

While I was expecting the worst (keeping in mind that Tissot is a traditional Swiss watchmaker), the T-Connect companion app was surprisingly spartan and easy to use. Given that the watch is not overwhelmed with features and functions like most smartwatches we are used to, the app’s layout also remains simple. There’s a dashboard tab, which can be edited to reveal activity statistics or functions of your choice, which appears in the form of neatly laid out card-like widgets.

Daily Steps is the second tab, which simply shows the step count, while the Activity tab shows all the activities attempted while wearing the watch. The last tab, called More, shows your editable profile data, the ability to add or remove a watch, permissions and more. It was very easy to set up the watch (on Android smartphones or iPhones), given that it also has no BT calling feature.

Depending on the platform, the app can connect and plug into ecosystem health services, like Apple Health (on iPhones). For those who don’t like to fidget with their watches, it is also possible to set up timezones, alarms, etc, from the app itself.

Notifications are displayed in full (supports emojis) and can be cleared individually as well

 

A good companion app is the need of the hour, as the Sw-ALPS interface on the watch’s capsule-sized display can get tricky if you aren’t paying attention. As you can tell from the above sections, I have been using the term “function” because the Sw-ALPS interface cannot run/support any apps. Like a regular watch, all of these features are basically button-activated advanced functions on the watch.

Since the watch basically functions as a notifier, it can display entire messages or notifications (along with emojis) in that tiny display. You can clear each notification individually or all at once as well. Calls can also be answered or rejected via the watch, but will obviously need Bluetooth earphones connected to the smartphone to accomplish the same. The watch also has an auto-sleep mode, which turns off notifications and activates automatically around bedtime. The only catch is that you manually have to wake up the watch from sleep mode, or you will miss out on all the notifications.

Tissot Connect Sport Review Performance: It just works

• Sensors – Heart rate monitor, accelerometer
• GPS – No (via smartphone)
• Storage – No

During the testing period, I have mainly used the watch for walks. It does a very accurate job of counting steps and giving live updates once you have activated the activity. There is a very limited selection of activities to choose from (mentioned in the previous section), so this is clearly not a watch meant for fitness fanatics who need very advanced or detailed metrics from their workouts.

The watch does not even have a built-in GPS, which means you have to have your smartphone around whenever you are working out or going for a jog, which can get cumbersome. One also cannot change music tracks when working out, which is a feature even the most basic fitness bands have today. In short, users will use this watch mainly when walking, running, cycling or hiking as it can track these well.

The Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport can be charged using the solar cells embedded into its dial

 

Other missing features commonly found on other smartwatches at this price point include continuous heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, BMI measurements, and ECG readings. So, as one can tell, this watch isn’t going to make it to the wrists of the fitness-friendly or conscious audience.

Tissot Connect Sport Review Battery: Impressive

• Battery capacity – 110mAh
• Charging adapter – Magnetic (2-pin)

And that brings us to battery life. Indeed, the requirements of such a watch will be very minimal, so the T-Touch Connect Sport uses a Renata ICP371427SPC (rechargeable battery) to drive the quartz movement and store power from the solar dial. While such a battery would be a bit too tiny for a smartwatch, it is more than sufficient for the Connect Sport, given that it has no auto-health monitoring features and only uses its heart-rate sensors during an activity.

With battery life claimed to last 6 months on a single charge, the Connect Sport should easily last a trip around the world

 

With the above in mind, the watch is rated to last 6 months in connected mode, which is great for a smartwatch (if you can still call it that). However, to accomplish this, the watch will need to be kept under direct sunlight for 35 minutes a day when in connected mode. But even in the gloomy monsoon weather in Mumbai, I managed to barely drain 20 percent of the watch’s battery during the month-long review period, meaning that it does live up to its claims indeed.

Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport Verdict

Leaving behind its traditional T-Touch style bezel-based touch interface from the previous model. The new T-Touch Connect Sport is an interesting direction for a modern-day connected smartwatch. It’s not as fun as the 47mm Connect Solar to interact with, but it’s still a very unique offering from Tissot in the world of notifier-style hybrid connected timepieces. So, despite losing a ton of features (and reduced dependence on a smartphone) from the previous model, it is still an elegant offering in the world of both smartwatches and regular watches as it attempts to merge the two.

But all of this comes at the cost of not being as fun (or intuitive) in terms of operation as its predecessor (which is still on sale in many countries at the same price) and not being anywhere close to what most smartwatches at this price point offer in 2024 in terms of features. For now, this gentleman’s smartwatch will face stiff competition from both smartwatch brands and regular timepieces as it falls properly short in both worlds. In this category of premium hybrid notifiers, one can also consider the recently launched Withings ScanWatch Nova, which offers a plethora of health monitoring and activity monitoring features, a 30-day battery life and looks like a dress watch when you need it too. It is priced at Rs. 49,999 in India.