There appears to be no let-up in the appetite of the Swatch Group brands to dominate sports timekeeping and look for new ways to occupy the many timekeepers and tons of equipment at in Swiss Timing’s warehouses.

After Longines’ nine-digit investment with the International Equestrian Federation that was announced in January and Certina teaming up with the FIA to partner with the World Rally Championship, it is now the turn of Tissot to branch out from its associations with two-wheeled sports and step up to the plate as official timekeeper of the Summer and Winter Universiades.

Managed by the FISU, the International University Sports Federation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Universiades are the world’s biggest multi-sport events for student athletes. Tissot has previously acted as official timekeeper for the summer Universiades but this marks the first time that the brand will provide its services for both the summer and winter events, which will be held in Kazan, Russia and Trentino, Italy respectively this year.

Tissot CEO François Thiébaud, left, and Eric Saintrond, FISU Secretary-General/CEO at the signing ceremony

Eric Saintrond, FISU Secretary-General/CEO, added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Tissot as our Official Timekeeper. Timing and scoring in sports demands absolute precision and Tissot is best in class in sports timekeeping. As our student athletes strive for ‘Excellence in Mind and Body’, our new partner will be there measuring and marking their performances.’