Sylvain Dolla, CEO of Tissot, on the success of PRX and the new PRC 100 Solar

Founded in 1853, Le Locle, Switzerland, Tissot is renowned for delivering quality Swiss-made watches at truly competitive prices. Sylvain Dolla took the helm of the brand in 2020, after leading Hamilton, bringing fresh energy to the brand – most notably, with the successful launch of the PRX, which has now grown into a complete, coherent collection. The debut of the new PRC 100 Solar provided the perfect opportunity to dive into all things Tissot.

Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – Sylvain, thanks for having us! You have been the CEO of Tissot since 2020. What has been your agenda to support the development and transformation of the brand?

Sylvain Dolla, CEO of Tissot – Well, first of all, Tissot was founded in 1853 and is stronger than people. You need to understand the brand from the inside rather than arrive with predefined ideas and think that you are going to revolutionize everything. 

I arrived in the middle of the pandemic, which required finding solutions to unprecedented disruptions. However, the pandemic also gave me the time to sit down with my teams and work on the marketing of the brand. We conducted an in-depth analysis: Who are our clients? Why are people buying Tissot or not buying Tissot? We were also able to work on the product and take the decision to focus the collection. Instead of launching 150 references every year, we decided to focus on a maximum of 99 new references, taking more time to work on details and dedicating more energy to support each new project. We also worked on the digitalization of the brand, rethinking our e-commerce strategy, being very successful in that field, on merchandising, etc…

You were mentioning the product. What characterizes Tissot watches? In particular, would you agree on the idea that Tissot can probably be defined as a “generalist” tapping into different product typologies?

This is truly important. The beauty of Tissot lies in its ability to meet every consumer need. We offer classic watches, sports watches, ladies’ watches, men’s watches, pocket watches and connected watches – covering a vast array of preferences. From a product standpoint, this is fantastic. We achieve this because of our substantial production volumes and the industrial strength of the Swatch Group, which also enables us to offer these watches at an unrivaled, competitive price. It’s an incredible playground.

Having said that, from a marketing perspective, this strength can be a challenge as we cannot support every single product line. So, we have decided to remain a generalist brand but to focus our marketing efforts on the media and the content that will touch the young generation – what we call at Tissot “The Young and Ambitious.”

In terms of categories, we have the “Sport” and the “Classic” lines. Within “Sport”, we have the tactile watches and the traditional sport watches, the Supersport, the watch for the NBA, the watch for cycling, etc. In “Classic”, we have the Classic traditional like the Le Locle line and the Classic contemporary, for example, the PRX line.

As we talk about the PRX and its tremendous success. What was the strategy behind the launch, and what did it change for Tissot?

Well, I remember the day we launched the watch. I called several of our boutiques, and they were all telling me that they had very young clients coming to buy the watch. The PRX has been instrumental in rejuvenating the brand. But of course, it does not touch a young clientele only. We touch everybody with the PRX – including an incredible number of high-end watch collectors.

How was the launch decided? Gut feeling. When I joined Tissot, we were in a meeting reviewing a design from the past. This one was simply “wow.” Luckily, a product manager had already started working on its construction. I asked for the watch to be launched in six months – we did it in eight, which was already an achievement. Sales ended up being 20 times the initial forecast. This is what I love about watches. We’re not just in a data-driven industry; we create emotional products. 

You are now launching a watch which is very connected to Tissot, the new PRC 100 Solar. Can you tell us about its technology?

The PRC 100 Solar is the first analog quartz watch to be equipped with the Lightmaster Solar Technology. Our first solar watches date back to 2014. We have always been interested in solar technology, in particular for our connected watch, for energy harvesting purposes. We did a partnership with the CSEM in Neuchatel, developed our own technology and invested in production facilities here in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The idea is to be independent, just like our mechanical watches. No such technology existed in Switzerland. Everything was Asian-based. 

Unlike traditional solar watches that use visible photovoltaic panels, the new PRC 100 Solar integrates its light source beneath the sapphire crystal, with microscopic honeycomb-structured solar cells allowing for an incredibly clean design. Its rechargeable accumulator can ensure a 14-month autonomy on a single charge. By exposing your PRC 100 to just 10 minutes of artificial light or 1 minute of full sunlight, you get 24 hours of battery life. As I said, the design of the watch is simply amazing.

How does this resonate with sustainability at Tissot?

Sustainability is a broader discussion. At Tissot, we have made significant strides, such as drastically reducing paper by digitalising all our product catalogs – saving tons of paper. We have also installed solar panels that generate energy for the entire building (reaching 105,25 MWh, economising about 50 tonnes of CO2). Naturally, our Solar technology aligns with this commitment, and it was important for us to develop it specifically for watches here in the Canton of Neuchâtel.

You mentioned the digitalization of the company. Can you tell us how Tissot handles its omni-channel strategy?

Tissot has a broad wholesale network with 11.000 points of sale around the world. We cover 160 markets with this strong network of partners. On top of that, corporate e-commerce generates about 10% of our turnover, and the 240 Tissot boutiques generate another 10% of our business. The idea is to remain a wholesale-driven brand but invest in boutiques, Tissot invests in strategic locations, and further developing our e-commerce.

Do you have any exclusive news or upcoming developments you can share with us?

Well, be prepared to see a fantastic ladies’ collection coming this year. Tissot in China is 50% men and 50% women, but not yet in the USA and Europe, so we’ll give a strong push there. Last but not least, be ready to see some exceptional materials for the PRX…

For more information, please visit www.tissotwatches.com.