Memories of seeing Cheryl Miller play on television came storming back last season as I watched the New York Liberty take on the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals. It was a hard-fought and entertaining series in which the Aces managed to repeat as champions. I was rooting for the Aces because my favorite player is their point guard, Sydney Colson. But in game four of the series, Liberty’s point guard and her clutch three-pointer, which had six and a half minutes to go, had me leaping off my couch.
That point guard’s name is Sabrina Ionescu, and she is Tissot’s newest ambassador. Embodying all that makes a player at her position great, Mrs. Ionescu’s long-range game may get the most attention. This is for a good reason: she usually spots up well behind the three-point line and is a menace for opposing teams from range. However, her passing, defense, and ability to be a physical force whenever the situation demands it makes her truly unique.
Drafted first overall by the Liberty in the 2020 draft from the University of Oregon, Ionescu entered the WNBA with the second most total minutes played and points behind, you guessed it, one of my childhood basketball heroes, Cheryl Miller. Mrs. Ionescu became the first college player to surpass 2000 points, 1000 assists, and 1000 rebounds. Since then, she has overcome injuries and set the league on fire with her long-range game, breaking both the WNBA and NBA records in the three-point contest.
To celebrate Mrs. Ionescu’s efforts and that of the entire league, Tissot has released two Seastars in collaboration with Wilson. Available with both automatic and quartz movements, these 40mm 316L stainless steel dive watches include some bespoke features.
Tissot T120.807.17.051.00 Specs | |
Case Width 40mm | Lug-to-Lug 46mm |
Case Thickness 12.5mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 300m | Strap Evo-NXT premium composite |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Super-LumiNova |
Movement Tissot Powermatic 80 | Price $750 |
Tissot T120.410.17.011.00 Specs | |
Case Width 40mm | Lug-to-Lug 46mm |
Case Thickness 10mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 300m | Strap Evo-NXT premium composite |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Super-LumiNova |
Movement Tissot Quartz | Price $450 |
First, one cannot miss the stunning new straps, which resemble the basketballs these athletes use on any given night. The material used for these straps is made from Wilson’s WNBA Evo-NXT premium composite game ball material. Armed with quick-release spring bars, potential owners are easily given the option to keep these works of art pristine if they choose. The watch is offered in two flavors: a black dial, an orange strap, and an automatic powered by Tissot’s proven PowerMatic 80. The other is my personal favorite, which is the quartz variant with the white dial and white strap.
Both watches come with unique casebacks as well. The quartz model has a fully engraved WNBA/Wilson caseback. The automatic timepiece has an exhibition caseback with the Wilson basketball printed in white.
The elapsed timing bezel on this dive watch has its first 24 numerals accented in orange, referring to the 24-second shot clock. As a working diver, this does not detract from the bezel’s functionality. I view it as an attractive addition to the watch, differentiating it from the hundreds of thousands of other dive watches on the market.
One can expect these 40mm dive watches to wear as a sporty unisex watch should – assertive on smaller wrists yet elegantly sporty on those with wrists larger than seven inches. The quartz model is 2.5mm thinner than the automatic coming in at 10mm. Our pick leans towards the quartz model. With its robust and accurate movement, we’d recommend this to those who plan on wearing this timepiece daily, even while doing some light practice on the court. For those looking to purchase one of these for collecting purposes, the PowerMatic 80 model may be the choice, given the desirability that comes with mechanical movements over time.
Tissot’s timing for these new watches and the announcement of Mrs. Ionescu as their latest ambassador could not have come at a better time. It is no secret that women’s basketball is more popular than ever. The rookie lineup of the 2024 season alone hosts household names such as Kaitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks, and Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. This all comes as Toronto, my home city, recently learned it is also receiving a WNBA expansion team. Tissot has been the WNBA’s and the NBA’s premier partner since 2015, and now that a whole generation has passed since its launch, the WNBA is taking the sports world by storm. The league is showing no signs of slowing down as Paige Bueckers is forecasted to be next year’s first pick, and we are excited to see where Tissot goes next with this fruitful partnership.
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