The Quirky Backstory . The Quirky Backstory . The Quirky Backstory . The Quirky Backstory . The Quirky Backstory
Of The Rockwatch By Tissot. Of The Rockwatch By Tissot. Of The Rockwatch By Tissot. Of The Rockwatch By Tissot
07 June 2025
The Quirky Backstory Of The Rockwatch By Tissot
Only the 80s could give us this: a Swiss quartz watch carved out of actual rock.
The case was cut from genuine Swiss stone — granite, jasper, lapis, even fossilized coral — and paired with bright red and yellow hands, inspired by the trail signs dotting Swiss mountain paths.
It was Tissot’s bold answer to the quartz crisis: if Japan had the tech edge, Switzerland would strike back with raw materials and wild design.
And it worked — over 800,000 RockWatches were sold before production stopped in 1994.
Designed by Robert Mazlo, a Paris-based jeweler, the RockWatch came in a dizzying array of natural finishes and strap combos.
But what really made the RockWatch iconic? The ads. Think: surreal photo shoots with floating watches over glaciers.
Synth-heavy TV spots with dramatic zooms.
