{Released on July 8, 2010, bloghorloger.ch} The new C01-211 calibre, an automatic chronograph exclusively developed for Tissot (and Swatch) in collaboration with ETA, has arrived in Tissot’s high-volume production…

By BloggyTag, bloghorloger.ch
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It’s worth remembering the brand’s manufacturing history: 40 years ago, the Sytal (contraction of SYstème Total AutoLubrification) was launched, made from unalterable materials (polycarbonate, copolymerized acetal resin, polyoxyphelinene – in other words, a few clever plastic variants). This caliber became famous under the name Astrolon 2250.

This pioneering birth should have enabled the brand to take off in the way it has today, by integrating its new movement into its current models. The Sytal, also known as the Astrolon 2250, did not achieve the fame it had hoped for, but was unanimously acclaimed by the press at the time, including the February 1973 issue of the JSH – Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, where it was described as “... a quality watch, but of simplified manufacture, in line with the economic necessities of our time“.

Was this caliber too avant-garde? Its 2010 descendant should redress this injustice, also characterized by its hydrocarbon-based synthetic materials, and above all by its objective of maximum accessibility. Tissot’s new C0-211 caliber is inspired by the Lemania 5100, whose simplicity was a signature. Comprising only 184 components (the Valjoux 7750, born in 1974, counts 240), it makes it possible for the first time to acquire a Swiss-made self-winding chronograph for less than CHF 1,000.00. A real achievement in industrial ingenuity.

2010: Tissot’s new C0-211 caliber is inspired by the Lemania 5100, whose simplicity was a signature.”