Here we have an Original gent’s Tissot RockWatch from the 1980s, fitted with a Swiss quartz movement and presented on a brown leather strap with a Tissot-signed buckle. The whole point of the RockWatch is right there in the name: rather than a conventional steel case, Tissot created these using natural Alpine stone, so every single example has its own unique marbling, veining and colour shifts—no two are ever truly the same.
On this one, the “dial” reads as a smoky slate-grey base with plum/purple tones and mossy green flecks, finished with the RockWatch’s brilliantly playful primary-colour hands (the classic red and yellow combination). Tissot originally leaned into this outdoorsy vibe—those red/yellow hands were inspired by alpine trail markers, a subtle nod to the watch’s Swiss mountain origins.
The case design is wonderfully minimalist and very “of its era”: a smooth, rounded stone form with discreet crown, and the strap is secured via the RockWatch’s distinctive hardware that keeps everything clean and streamlined on the wrist.
Extra Points
The Swiss luxury watch company Tissot from Le Locle, Switzerland, was established in 1853 by Charles Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Emile. Under Charles-Emile’s direction, they manufactured pocket watches with parts from Russia and the United States. In 1915, the company began producing wrist watches. Between 1920 and 1977, Tissot produced its own movements. During the 1980s Tissot introduced the RockWatch trademark. Each case was made from initially alpine granite from different regions of Switzerland. Designed by Robert Mazlo in 1985, it was a world first. Later designs used other types of stones such as lapis lazuli, quartz, magnesite. Check out the new Re Release HERE!
What we think
The RockWatch is one of those pieces that makes people stop and ask, “What on earth is that?”—and that’s exactly why it’s so collectible. You get a genuinely iconic 1980s design, a material story that’s still unusual today, and the everyday practicality of quartz (great grab-and-go accuracy with minimal fuss). It’s also a very wearable way into vintage Tissot that isn’t trying to imitate anything else: it’s confidently its own thing.
I can remember when these watches came out and the excitement that surrounded them, it seems the brands within the Swatch group have always been great at that even before Swatch came about and these kinds of watches are definitely a predecessor to that! So much fun for the money and a piece of watchmaking history, in my opinion.
Spec Stuff
Reference :R151
Movement : Quartz ETA 976 001
Age :1981/1990
Specific Age : Circa 1985
Case Size : 33mm
Case Thickness : 6.3mm
Lug to Lug : 36.5mm Lugs :18mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box & Papers : No Case Material : Alpine Granite stone Warranty : 12-Months Non-Waterproof Warranty
1985 Tissot original swiss Rockwatch ref R151 Alpine granite stone gents size 33mm
