MUMBAI: Swiss watch brand Tissot, which has been heavily involved in a range of cycling events for 50 years, has added the Giro d’Italia to its prestigious list of cycling races.
One of the Swatch Group’s key brands, Tissot became even more seriously committed to the sport by joining forces with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in 1995. Since then, Tissot has been Official Timekeeper of the Road, Track, Mountain Bike and BMX Cycling World Championships, and also for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup.
Having renewed its links with the Tour de France and the Vuelta in 2016, Tissot is now completing the Triple Crown with the Giro d’Italia, thus making it the first Swiss Official Timekeeper in the history of the three biggest cycle tours. Tissot is thus now involved in the ASO’s three biggest cycle races, as well as the Tour of Germany.
The Giro d’Italia will start on 9 May in Budapest with an individual time trial. The race will pass through Sicily, then along the east coast of Italy, to finish in Milan with an individual time trial in the Piazza del Duomo on 31 May.
François Thiébaud, president of Tissot, said: “Tissot is proud to announce that it is becoming Partner and Official Timekeeper of the Giro d’Italia. This is the first time in the world of cycling that a watchmaking brand has been the worldwide partner of the main cycling events. Tissot’s involvement as Partner of big sporting events like the Giro means the beauty and technical capacity of our products will be associated with the emotional values encountered in the sport, in relation to both individual and team performance. Ensuring precise timekeeping also demonstrates the precision of our watches. With these commitments, Tissot is proud of presenting the time beautifully as well as being a timekeeper.”
To celebrate the partnership with Giro d’Italia, Tissot is launching the Tissot Chrono XL Giro d’Italia 2020, a 45 mm diameter chronograph in honour of the first partnership between Tissot and the Giro. There is a racing bike on the chronograph’s second hand, as a reminder of the cycling spirit of this special collection. In addition to details in pink, the Giro’s emblematic colour, the case back is engraved with the Giro d’Italia logo for a touch of exclusivity. The watch comes in a special presentation box dedicated to the event. In addition to the box, the watch has two interchangeable straps.
It is worth adding that, in the field of two-wheeled sports, Tissot has also been Partner and Official Timekeeper of MotoGP and Superbike for many years. These Timekeeping roles are supplemented by other worldwide partnerships such as basketball, fencing, table tennis and the World Ice Hockey Championship that will take place this year in Switzerland.
