The watches in the Quickster collection feature impressively sporty designs. NATO bands, large crowns, and timer functions are some of the defining features of this series. With the Quickster, you get outstanding value for your money.

By Chrono24

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Highlights

Sporty, dynamic designs with tachymetric scale and bright colors
Very precise quartz movements: chronographs measure 1/10ths of a second
NATO, leather, silicon, or stainless steel bands
Excellent value for your money: Swiss brand name watches for less than 300 euros
Stainless steel case waterproof to 100 m, some with matte black or rose gold coating

Tissot's Youthful Timepiece

The Quickster series from Tissot is unmistakably a line of sport watches: Chronograph functions, tachymetric scales on the bezel, bright colors, and different NATO straps all exemplify the series' sporty origins. It follows in the footsteps of the PR 516, Tissot's sport watch collection from the 1960s. The PR 516's successor, the PRS 516, is the T-Sport collection's retro watch. Striking colors give the Quickster a young and fresh look: Either red or orange accents contrast with the black or blue dials. The combination of indices and Arabic numerals emphasizes the watch's dynamic look. Characteristic of this series, the watches have a large crown as well as multi-color NATO straps, giving them a more robust appearance. For lovers of classic watches, Tissot has the more elegant T-Classic collection. Tissot has more than 160 years of history and experience to look back on; the company was founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Emile.

Tissot Quickster Choices

Are you searching for a sporty chronograph with an excellent price-performance ratio? Then look no further than the Quickster from Tissot. This Swiss manufacturer produces an impressive, highly precise watch with a youthful design at an affordable price. New three-hand models with a date display, as well as chronograph models, are available for less than 300 euros. The top versions with matte black or rose gold coating cost around 350 euros.

The sport watches in Certina's DS Podium collection are comparable to the Quickster. The series contains not only three-hand models with a date display, but also chronographs. The simplest, quartz-powered versions with a date display cost a little over 300 euros, while the chronographs start at around 350 euros. Versions with a GMT function are available starting at around 400 euros. Three-hand models with automatic movements are in a similar price range. The automatic chronographs cost around 300 euros more.

Buying Tips

Swiss watches for around 300 euros
Chronograph measures 1/10ths of a second
Trendy NATO straps

A Diverse Collection

Tissot's Quickster collection offers many diverse models to choose from. Many of the watches come with a NATO strap. The advantages of a NATO strap are obvious: You can change them quickly and easily, plus they're robust and available in a multitude of different versions. They have their roots in the British military. The straps were originally exclusively gray and made of nylon with a width of 20 mm. Today, the only thing that remains the same is a second, shorter nylon band. It has a buckle on the end through which you pull the strap, preventing the watch from falling off your wrist if a spring bar breaks. The first NATO straps were gray so that the soldiers wearing them could stay hidden; a stainless steel bracelet would have been too reflective. However, today's NATO strap is available in many different colors and color combinations. The Quickster, for example, has versions in red/white, black, black/orange, and blue/white. Tissot also offers black/pink versions for women. The usual stainless steel bracelets are available with a folding clasp, while the silicon and leather straps have standard buckles.

The watches are available in many different colors. From dynamic matte black cases with orange bezels to sporty-elegant models with rose gold coating, this collection has it all. The rose gold coated models feature a brown leather strap to match its brown bezel, subdials, and indices. Like the case, the hands are coated in rose gold. The Football (soccer) models, with their unique soccer ball engraved case backs, appeal to soccer fans. Furthermore, these chronographs are perfect for timing half-time or overtime at a match. After you've started the chronograph, the subdial at two o'clock displays how much time in each period of the game has passed. The two halves of overtime are colored red to distinguish them.

An Alternative: Certina DS Podium

If you like the Quickster, the DS Podium series from Certina may also appeal to you. These sport watches are available as sporty, simple three-hand watches with a date display, or as chronographs. The quartz caliber F06.111 from ETA powers these watches as well as the three-hand Quickster models. The Certina watch is 2 mm smaller than the Tissot watch, measuring in at 38 mm in diameter. The DS Podium is available in either stainless steel or titanium, a material which is very robust and lightweight. For straps, you have the choice between stainless steel, titanium, or leather. There is a wide range of dial colors available as well: black, anthracite, silver, brown, and blue. The stainless steel versions cost around 300 euros, while the titanium versions cost around 450.

For only around 100 euros more, or 400 in total, you can buy a quartz chronograph from the DS Podium collection. Like the Quickster, it has a tachymetric scale on its bezel, which measures speed. Design-wise, this timepiece resembles its three-hand siblings. Both Certina models have eye-catching crown guards, which protect the crown from damage. The three subdials at two, six, and ten o'clock give the chronograph a sporty look. Accents of red at the central stopwatch second hand, as well as the minute and 1/10th hands, emphasize the dynamic design. With a diameter of 40 mm, these chronographs are only a little larger than the versions without a stopwatch function.

The 44-mm Big Size models are best suited for larger wrists. In some models, Certina uses the ETA 251.264 AA Precidrive quartz movement. The name already hints at the fact that the caliber is an incredibly precise timing device. With a deviation of only 10 seconds per year, these watches are much more exact than mechanical watches. To receive a certificate from the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC, Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute), a mechanical caliber may only deviate -4 to 6 seconds per day. The rules are even more stringent for a quartz movement; only a deviation of 7/100ths of a second per day is allowed. That equals about 25 seconds a year. The Precidrive caliber easily meets this standard.

A special quality of these Precidrive chronographs is their ability to measure 1/100ths of a second. To do this, the watch has two central stopwatch hands, one for the seconds and one for the 1/100ths of a second. After you press the start/stop push-piece at two o'clock, both hands begin to move. The hand for the 1/100ths rotates 360 degrees once every second and displays the elapsed time together with a scale on the edge of the dial.

Features

Three-hand watches and chronographs
Times 1/100ths of a second with Precidrive quartz movements
Chronometer accuracy: Deviations of only 10 seconds per year with Precidrive
Motorcycle-inspired designs