Rolex keeps time at all four tennis Grand Slams, Omega covers the Olympics, Tag Heuer has Formula E, Longines handles numerous equine events, and Tissot counts the seconds for the NBA. However, Tissot’s inception into the world of sports timekeeping 84 years ago took on a different tone.
In 1938, Vital Thiébaud kept time at a ski race held at Villars-sur-Ollon in Switzerland. His instrument of choice? A Tissot chronograph, of course. The Tissot Telemeter 1938 — which derives its name from the year of the race — is inspired by the glory days of sports timekeeping, coalescing a vintage aesthetic with a very of-the-now movement.
The dial — available in black or white — of the Tissot Telemeter 1938 recalls those of yesteryear, with slender Arabic hour numerals, a bicompax layout that sees two railroad subdials sit around a spiralling tachymeter scale, and telemeter scale around the outer edge of the dial. The current Tissot logo has even been eschewed in favour of the period-correct version.
Despite its vintage styling, the Tissot Telemeter 1938 has been sized up to contemporary proportions, with its brushed and polished stainless steel case clocking in at 42mm. To the right of the case, ergonomically designed chronograph pushers and an oversized crown with a fluted edge complete the design, which is presented on a brown Italian leather strap.
The Tissot Telemeter 1938 is powered by a Valjoux A05.231 automatic chronograph movement, equipped with a Nivachron balance spring and a 68-hour power reserve. Emblematic of Tissot’s heritage in sports timekeeping, the Telemeter 1938 serves to bring a taste of the past into the present era.
The Tissot Telemeter 1938 is priced at $3100AUD and is available via the Tissot webstore.
Words by Arabella Johnson
