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Tissot Heritage 1938 Automatic 39mm Mens Watch
Ref. T1424641606200
Sits in Tissot’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Tissot watches we list, which start at £245.
Price range £245 to £1,875 across 310 Tissot watches in stock.The Heritage 1938 line is Tissot's return to the stripped-back Bauhaus-influenced design of the late 1930s, and this 2023 anthracite variant sits at the quieter end of the family — darker, more restrained than the salmon-dial sibling, and visibly at home in a business context. The anthracite dial carries vintage Arabic numerals and a railway minute track in a style that reads as historical without feeling costumed. The ETA 2824-2 here carries COSC certification, which means fifteen days of independent testing for accuracy, anti-magnetic resistance and shock tolerance — not the norm for a watch at this end of the market, and something that carries through to everyday confidence rather than just paperwork. The sapphire crystal's anti-reflective coating keeps the dial legible in the kind of mixed indoor light where anthracite dials can go flat. At 11.10mm the case sits tidily under a shirt cuff, and the see-through caseback puts the movement on display for those who change their own straps — the quick-release system makes that straightforward without tools.
- Reference
- T1424641606200
- Brand
- Tissot
- Collection
- Heritage
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 11.10mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Anthracite
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2824
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Learn more about Tissot
Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile founded the company in Le Locle in 1853, assembling gold pocket watches and, unusually for the time, exporting aggressively — Russia became a major market within a decade.
Tissot's history is a sequence of firsts achieved through willingness to try materials and ideas the establishment considered unserious. The first mass-produced pocket watch with two time zones came in 1853. The first anti-magnetic wristwatch in 1930. The Astrolon of 1971 was the first watch with a movement made largely of injection-moulded plastic, and it worked. The RockWatch of 1985 used Alpine granite for the case, followed by watches in wood and mother-of-pearl.
The T-Touch of 1999 was the most significant: a tactile sapphire crystal allowing the wearer to access altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer, and chronograph by touching the glass, years before touchscreens were commonplace.
Tissot merged with Omega in 1930 and both became founding members of what is now the Swatch Group. Its position in the group is volume and accessibility — Swiss mechanical and quartz watches at prices most people can reach, with the Powermatic 80 movement offering an eighty-hour reserve at entry level.
The company has held timekeeping roles across cycling, basketball, motorsport, and fencing.
- 1853
- Founded in Le Locle by Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot.
- 1930
- Merges with Omega; releases the first anti-magnetic wristwatch.
- 1971
- The Astrolon uses a plastic movement.
- 1985
- The RockWatch is cased in Alpine granite.
- 1999
- The T-Touch introduces a tactile sapphire crystal.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417), Leather Strap Watches (904), Dress Watches (456) and Grey Dial Watches (222).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 39mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Tissot's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Tissot Heritage 1938 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | T1424641606200 | H64455133 | C0294301601100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £780 | £715 | £755 |
| Case size | 39mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | — | 80 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £780, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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