In the watch industry the more typical collaboration is with the worlds of Formula One, yachting, tennis or golf, highly regarded for their technical accomplishment or, as is often the case, for their monied, elitist image. So perhaps it’s no wonder that one of Tissot’s latest models stands out for being tied to cycling: its Pinarello Special Edition has been developed in conjunction with the Italian racing bicycle-maker of the same name.
There are crossovers between the two brands: the watch is made from the same forged carbon used by Pinarello for its frames, for example. There are more poetic nods too: the unusual and distinctive 10 o’clock crown position echoes Pinarello’s signature aerodynamic Fork Flap fin design, the seconds hand uses the same blue paint as Pinarello bikes, while the grainy grey dial is a reminder of the tarmac with which riders normally don’t wish to get too well acquainted.
But, regardless, Sylvain Dolla, Tissot’s CEO, argues that the cycling world is one that has been largely overlooked by watchmakers. 'There are two billion people who cycle, so if you [connect with] just a fraction of that, that’s a good target group to be in,' he laughs. 'Cycling is clearly a sport that’s been developing very well over recent years and has a broad reach. But it’s also a sport in which [as with some watchmaking] engineering performance is extreme and technical accomplishment is impressive.'
Authenticity helps too, of course. Tissot, which has been rewarding winning cyclists with a celebratory watch since the 1960s, is the official timekeeper of the timekeeping nightmare that is the Tour de France - it will release a special edition watch to mark this relationship in June. T must provide and manage the equipment that, as happened in a 2017 photo finish, can separate two riders by just 3/10,000th of a second.
Tissot has also been official timekeeper of the Giro D’Italia, these duties passing to Tudor in 2023 – last year the brand, which sponsors a pro cycling team, launched a limited edition chronograph with pink detailing, in homage to the winner of the Italian road race earning the distinction of wearing the maglia rosa, or the pink jersey. Breitling also sponsors a cycling team, as does Richard Mille, with both brands supplying riders with one of their off-the-shelf models.
Indeed, that the association between watches and cycling remains tentative may be down to the fact that, unlike chronometers and Formula One, or regatta watches and race sailing, there’s no clear functional use for a watch in cycling, for all that it would prove a tough testing ground for lightness, durability and so on. Not all riders wear a high-end watch, and those that do tend to be due to sponsorship deals. As Dolla jokes, 'I’m into boxing and I’m not sure we can come up with watch for that either.'
But perhaps the tide is slowly turning, though with the emphasis on cycling’s second string as a conduit for lifestyle rather than its competition or technical achievements - as Bremont identified through its MBIII watch collaboration with cycling-meets-style brand Rapha in 2022. “A lot of the appeal of cycling is in the aesthetics,” argues Giovanni Moro, co-founder of Unimatic, which has a special edition tool watch - with its proprietary shock resistant quartz movement in its first titanium case - designed in collaboration with ‘cool’ Australian cycling apparel company MAPP. It’s MAPP’s first watch.
'There are synergies between watches and cycling - they both face the technical challenge of making what is essentially a very simple object, and to that end there’s the exploration of manufacturing techniques, exploring new materials and so on,' he adds. 'But as a brand MAPP is also very fashion and lifestyle-oriented with its products. Stylistically it’s important that someone could like the watch and the MAPP aesthetic regardless of their appreciation for the brand or for cycling. I’m not particularly into cycling but appreciate the prestige around [elements of that world].'
Indeed, Unimatic is now in discussions regarding a collaboration watch with an Italian bicycle brand. While Moro can’t name it at this stage, he notes how racing bicycles, like watches, can be luxury objects too. He wouldn’t want to ride one of this brand’s bikes, he says, but he’d love one to hang on his office wall.