1950's Styling - Tissot Visodate Watches & Mad Men

The latest in a distinguished line of screen representations of a world that combines elegance, romance and witty repartee with casual sexism and racism and a seemingly endless supply of Lucky Strikes – including movies like “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit”, “The Apartment”, and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” – it has been credited single-handedly with reviving everything from the men’s suit to the voluptuous ‘50s silhouette for women’s dresses.

Indeed, designer Michael Kors was so inspired by the series, which debuted in July 2007, that he started offering Mad Men box sets with every purchase over $350 from his 1950s-influenced collection.

Naturally enough, the world of watches has not been immune to Mad Men’s charms. Retro is in, but it is about much more than that. Not so long ago, the theory was that the cellphone was preparing to deal the wrist watch a killer blow, with young consumers happy to do without a dedicated timepiece.

Not any more: though many young men had already begun to view a beautiful watch as acceptable jewellery, Mad Men has also played its part by prompting a new appreciation for style that has inevitably washed over into wrist watches, the classic luxury accessory. That the show’s star, Jon Hamm, sports a Rolex Submariner Watch has done the trend no harm at all.

Now Tissot has caught the bug with its own re-imagining of its 1957 Visodate watch, originally created to celebrate the brand’s centenary and notable at the time for its combination of automatic movement and date window. As a dress watch, the Tissot Heritage Visodate Automatic Watch is as sleek and stylish as Hamm himself.

There are four versions, two with 40mm silver cases in stainless steel, the others with advanced PVD coating. The dials are classically elegant silver or black with a day-and-date window at 3 o’clock. The leather strap comes in crocodile style and with a butterfly clasp. And the back is see-through. As an unexpected bonus, it also features Tissot’s classic ‘50s logo. Whether it comes in the retro or contemporary version, the denizens of Mad Men would love it.