“MotoGP” or the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the world’s premier class of motorcycle road racing. First organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1949, MotoGP features Grand Prix motorcycles, purpose-built racing machines that are neither available for purchase by the general public nor able to be ridden legally on public roads. Currently, MotoGP is divided into three classes: MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, with all three classes using Grand Prix motorcycles with four-stroke engines.
But MotoGP as a whole is so much more than just the world’s premier class of motorcycle road racing. It’s not just about the races and its most especially so much more than just the bikes. MotoGP is also about the people, specifically the drivers, the athletes, and most especially, the fans. And being one of the official sponsors as well as the official timer of MotoGP, Tissot had to be just as diverse. In fact, both Tissot and MotoGP had to work together extensively and use the latest technology to improve the “whole MotoGP experience” for everyone involved. The result is the Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Limited Edition 2016, the latest from the Swiss watchmaker that goes beyond portraying the depth of the relationship between watchmaker and championship races.
Featuring a carbon effect dial, on top of which various anthracite details reflect a rich racing heritage, the Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Limited Edition 2016 is a Grand Prix motorcycle-centric timepiece that is so much more than just a precision timekeeper. Indeed, the bikes are represented with a dial and counters that resemble a Grand Prix motorcycle’s dashboard. For a bezel, one will find a bike’s brake-disc, with a brake caliper-type assembly on the right-hand side of the stainless steel case to highlight the date. The tire tread on the back of the synthetic strap goes all the way up to the “rear-suspension lugs” that attach the strap to the case. While on the dial, the indices and Super-LumiNova on the hands keep the sporting theme strong. Indeed, the flashes of red in the stripes of the synthetic strap and on the chronograph hands hint at the passion that goes into every single Tissot watch and the racers on the circuits.
Turn the 47.25 mm watch over and a see-through caseback fashioned into a wheel shape shows the ETA C01.211 self-winding movement. Based on the Lemania 5100, the movement runs at 4Hz and is endowed with 45-hours worth of autonomy. Last but not least, the T-Race MotoGP Automatic Limited Edition 2016 comes with a MotoGP presentation box in the shape of a helmet and is a limited edition of 3333 pieces.
