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This article is dedicated to Tissot Alpine on Board watch. Model name might look terrifying because of the numbers, but words actually hint at the main feature. Yes, this timepiece can be installed on the dashboard of your Alpine sportscar. Unfortunately, I don’t have the actual car, but I had a chance to get the watch for the review and now finally can tell you more about this release. Let’s take a closer look together.
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Dial
My guess is that dial on such watch should be as legible as it is possible, we get large indices with only four digits. Moreover, both hands are finished in orange color, while seconds hand features Alpine “A” and comes in traditional blue color. All these things make clear layout which is note overburdened with extra things. It is also nice to see only Tissot logo and traditional “swiss made” in the lower section. Note that date window is black and doesn’t look like something extra here.
Internal bezel is fixed, so you won’t be able to do much here. Whole dial is covered with sapphire glass, which is a good choice for such design. Watch measures 45mm, so it is definitely not a small timepiece and I would recommend to try it on your wrist first. Nevertheless, such size is understandable as it should be visible on the dashboard.
Case and Movement
So we just established the size of the dial, but case thickness is also quite noticeable – 10.6mm, and I would call it compact for such design. Don’t forget that we get there two parts, base plate and detachable module, so it is no wonder that thickness is at these numbers. At the same time weight is not that huge, just 119g, so it won’t feel heavy on the wrist.
Tissot Alpine On Board comes in stainless steel case with mirror-polishing on the sides. I am not sure if such finish is the right choice for the watch which will be placed back and forth on the dial. Moreover, polished edges might be too reflective in the car. In my opinion brushed surface would suit better such timepiece as this is definitely not a suit watch.
Crown is the only control element here, and it is just right in its size. Moreover, special shape makes it easier to pull out the crown for time and date adjustment. Rear cover is plain steel with engraving on it. Well, it will be covered in both cases, be it on your wrist or car’s dashboard. By the way, inside you will find quartz movement ETA F07.111 with 3 jewels. This is a well-known caliber and it should be fine in everyday use.
Today’s watch features leather rally strap with blue stitching. It looks just in place here, and sits comfortably on your wrist. Well, here we can move to the overall experience with this watch.
Tissot Alpine on Board – In Use
As you remember, this is rather large wrist, but it sits fine on my hand. Moreover, small weight makes it easier to wear, so I don’t think there will be some discomfort. I am more worried about polished case which looks great, but will be collecting all the scratches and dings.
Main feature – detachable module is nicely hidden in the whole design, and you won’t be able to tell that there is something separate. Nevertheless, whole assembly feels solid and doesn’t give any hint of free movement. For unscrewing the main module I would recommend to press with thumb into crown as there are no other protruding elements.
Strap sits nicely on your wrist and as I wrote before, styling is just right with this watch. I would also like to see this Tissot with NATO strap in blue color. It is strange that manufacturer decided to give only one strap with the racing watch.
Price and Availability
Today’s timepiece should be available from now on. Note that we have Special Edition here, which is not limited in production numbers. This fact should make it easier to get your own On Board watch, but it might be still a rare animal in watch shops. In my opinion it is a perfect opportunity to get something unusual for a reasonable price.
I think it is not a problem if you don’t Alpine A110 – modern 3D printing technologies should come handy. It might be possible to make your own base and install it on your car (or maybe even bike?!). Such thing might be interesting to operate in some other sportscars, so definitely give it some attention. 🙂
If you are willing to get some extra functions, then you can go for the chrono version (with nice grooved edges case), which is discontinued, but it is still possible to find some. The only thing to remember is that such watch is a five times more expensive than today’s one. Note that there is also another Alpine-branded chronograph available from Tissot, but this one can’t be placed on the dashboard and it comes for a noticeably bigger price.
