Tissot, Wilson and WNBA collaborate on the WNBA's first official watch

After many years of turbulence and great challenges, women's basketball has come to stay.

The WNBA has been on a roll in recent years, posting historic revenue, attendance and viewership numbers, while the NCAA final game between the University of South Carolina and the University of Iowa drew more viewers than the men's final. The 2024 WNBA Draft, which takes place on Monday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, is expected to mark another milestone for the sport.

The draft event also marks the launch of the WNBA's first official watch, a collaboration between Tissot, Wilson and the WNBA.

Tissot, a member of the Swatch Group, is the first official timekeeper of the NBA, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League as part of a multi-year global partnership signed in 2015.

For the traditional Swiss watch manufacturer, it was also the first timekeeping partnership with a major North American sports league and the largest partnership in the company's more than 160-year history, complementing an already extensive portfolio of international sports and sporting event partnerships.

The partnership also gives Tissot the right to produce timepieces with the NBA team's logos, as well as watches and other accessories.

“We were so excited that this partnership actually happened at the 2023 NBA game in Paris. We were there with Wilson celebrating the global nature of basketball and talking about how we can celebrate the incredible growth and development of our league,” said WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison.

Tissot brings flair to the field with the two new WNBA models – the Tissot Seastar Wilson WNBA Powermatic 80 and the Tissot Seastar Wilson WNBA Quartz.

While the two models share similarities, such as their 40mm case size, the Powermatic 80 is distinguished by its black circular brushed dial and mineral bezel, in contrast to the quartz model, which has these elements in white and at the same time white and orange complement details that are part of the WNBA's brand identity.

The timepieces feature interchangeable orange and white straps made from the same leather used in Wilson's Official Basketball of the WNBA, an Evo-NXT premium composite material. Other key features include the watch's rotating bezel, which displays the 24-second basketball shot time, and the clear caseback, which features a graphic of the WNBA Wilson basketball as well as all on the sapphire crystal surrounding the watch's movement Three partners can be seen' brand names.

The watches are water resistant to 30 bar (300 meters/1,000 feet) and feature improved visibility in low light conditions thanks to Super-LumiNova on the hands and hour markers.

“We are very satisfied because it was a rapid collaboration between all three units. Sometimes you think it might get complicated when you have three brands, but it was just fun. The best ideas always come from feel-good parties like the Paris game last year. But this is the first time we have collaborated with the WNBA and Wilson, and I am sure there will be more in the future,” said Sylvain Dolla, CEO of Tissot.

The watch will be presented for the first time and given away to this year's draftees. On draft day, it will be presented by celebrities, fans and league champions. The watch will initially be sold exclusively in North America and at Tissot boutiques in New York City, followed by European and Asian markets as the timepieces go on a world tour.

“Stay tuned for some exciting announcements from future supporters of this watch,” Edison added.