Tissot became the official Timekeeper of MotoGP in 2001, and by all accounts, it's working out pretty well. It's one of the longest sponsorship agreements in the history of top-level motorsport. Every year since 2003, the brand has given fans the chance to own a T-Race MotoGP timepiece, like the ones worn by our favorite athletes. This year, we have the choice of two limited-edition units, and both are more than I can afford.
On the more affordable side of the range this year is the T-Race MotoGP 2026 45mm, which is limited to 8,000 units. The MotoGP-inspired design features aren't on the subtle side unless you know where to look, which I'm a huge fan of. Look closely enough, and you'll see the bezel is made to look like a brake disc and caliper, the pushers are inspired by handlebars, and the side of the case resembles engine cooling fins.
There's an engraved caseback featuring the MotoGP logo and showing what number out of the possible 8,000 units you bought. The watch is water resistant, with a Quartz chronograph movement and distinct hour and minute hands coated with SuperlumiNova, and uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with antireflective coating. If you want to get suited and booted in this timepiece, it'll set you back $775, a fraction of the second, more exclusive Tissot unit.
The T-Race MotoGP 2026 45mm watch will have a limited production of just 2,026—see what they did there? This unit costs $2,375 and has all the same motorcycle-inspired features as the other watch, but as you'd expect on the more premium model, they're all a bit better. The brake disc bezel, for example, now looks like a carbon ceramic disc, as you'd find on a MotoGP bike, rather than stainless steel, and that's just the start.
This is an automatic Valjoux Chronograph skeleton model, which features a well-known Valjoux A05 movement with a power reserve of 68 hours. The reasoning behind using this movement is that it's supposed to reflect the "mechanical innovation that defines MotoGP", according to Tissot. The case is made from 316L stainless steel with black PVD coating and features a carbon composite bezel ring and a see-through caseback.
As I said, I can't afford either of the limited-edition Tissot watches this year, but if money were no object, it's difficult to know which one I'd pick. The 775 unit is more understated and feels more like you could wear it every day, whereas the $2,375 model is more in-your-face, but it has the features to back up its loudness. Given the same choice, which model would you pick?
