Swiss watchmaker Tissot is likely to extend its partnership with the Asian Games for another 12 years, until the 2026 games in Nagoya, Japan, according to the brand’s chief executive.
Tissot is already signed up as the Official Timekeeper of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, but chief executive Francois Thiebaud says the early allocation of hosting rights to Nagoya in 2026 could see an early renewal for the brand.
Speaking to the Olympic news website Around the Rings, Thiebaud said long-term certainty as to where the Games will be hosted is a key factor in the brand’s decision-making.
“We’ll work with the Olympic Council of Asia and see what we can do, working towards 2026 and possibly 2030,” he said.
“We’ve been one of the Games’ constants over the last 20 years, and even before that, with the Swatch Group.
“That allows the OCA to know we will deliver a quality event.
“Without us, there is no Games.”
Tissot released four new watches for this year’s Asian Games, stocks of which are now sold out in the Indonesian host city Jakarta.
Partnering with the Games correlates with strong sales for Tissot, and as China and Japan are two of Tissot’s largest markets, an extension until 2026 looks likely.