Tissot Stejarul de Aur (Golden Oak) Review: 500 Pieces, One Hundred Years, Zero Compromises

There are watches that tell time. Then there are watches that tell a story. The Tissot Stejarul de Aur (Golden Oak)  does both, and it does so on a 45mm rose gold-toned wrist canvas that leaves no room for subtlety.

This is a limited edition chronograph built on the Tissot Chrono XL platform, released to mark a century of Romanian rugby and it was launched in 2019. Only 500 pieces exist. Each one carries the weight of 100 years of a sport that, before football took over the national imagination, put Romania on the global map. It is not a luxury watch even though it looks like one. It is an accessible Swiss chronograph with a specific purpose: to honor something worth honoring.

If you are a rugby fan, a collector of meaningful limited editions, or simply someone who wants a well-built Swiss chronograph with a story behind it, read on.

Also, I need  to point out one important thing. Even though it’s limited to 500 pieces, each piece you get will have the inscription 1 of 500. A stupid move I would add, but it is what it is. 

Design and Aesthetics

The Stejarul de Aur sits on the Tissot Chrono XL case, a 45mm round stainless steel case with a rose gold PVD coating. It is large. Tissot calls the Chrono XL one of the biggest chronographs in their collection, and they are not exaggerating. The case thickness clocks in at 11.02mm, which keeps it relatively flat despite the size.

The dial is where this watch earns its name. The background is blue, and it wears the Romanian Rugby National Team logo prominently. The hour markers carry the three colors of the Romanian flag:blue,yellow  and red. The hands are rose gold-toned with luminous inserts. Three sub-dials sit at the expected positions for a chronograph of this type, and the date window appears at 4 o’clock.

The result is a dial that reads clearly without being busy. The rugby identity is present but tasteful. You get the tricolor accents without feeling like you are wearing a rugby jersey on your wrist.

One major flaw though, the sapphire crystal seems to be very reflective, same like CIGA design Vector which I reviewed recently. 

The strap is black leather, 22mm wide, with a standard tang buckle. The contrast between the dark blue strap and the rose gold case works well. It gives the watch a formal enough look that you can wear it beyond the stadium.

I haven’t worn this watch often, but when I did I got a lot of compliments for it. Since 2019 when I bought the watch, each time I wear it, the same friend tells me: “ cool watch, what watch is that?” Each time!!! 

I would say that this model is the best looking and elegant piece from Tissot, even more beautiful than the Gentleman which recently launched in the 38mm variant. 

Build Quality and Durability

The case material is stainless steel with a rose gold PVD coating. PVD holds up well against daily wear, but it will show scratches over years of regular use, although I have seen scratches on mine which I find to be very interesting given the fact that I wear it 2-3 times per year. That is not a flaw unique to this watch; it applies to any PVD-coated piece.

The crystal is sapphire, which ranks 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. You will not scratch it with keys or coins. It handles daily life without complaint.

Water resistance sits at 100 meters, which is solid for a chronograph with a leather strap. You can swim with it, though the black leather strap will not thank you for it. Use it near water, but do not push it. I really appreciate the fact that they added 100 meters of water resistance. 

The case back is solid, not exhibition, and it carries an engraving: the name of the watch and the individual number of the piece out of 500. Every unit reads “1 of 500” because Tissot numbered them all the same way, which is a minor detail that some buyers on the secondary market have noticed with a laugh. Still, the engraving itself is clean and adds to the collector feel.

Weight on the wrist is on the heavier side for a leather-strap watch, which is expected from a 45mm steel case. It settles in after a few minutes and becomes part of your wrist rather than a constant presence.

Along with PRX line, this particular model is the perfect Tissot watch, too bad it’s really hard to find it at the moment. 

The quality of the leather strap is not that good. It looks good, but given the fact that I don’t wear this watch too often, to see what the leather looks like in the picture…that must be some low level quality there.  This year I had the watch on my wrist only 1 time, last year maybe 3 times? And I tend to keep my watches secured and in boxes. 

Movement and Functionality

The Stejarul de Aur runs the ETA G10.212, a Swiss quartz chronograph movement. Quartz in a limited edition watch will always divide opinion among enthusiasts, even for me, and it is the only quartz watch I own at the moment. Here is what matters: the movement is reliable, accurate to +/- 0.07 seconds per day, and requires almost no maintenance beyond a battery change every few years.

The chronograph measures hours, minutes, seconds, and 1/10th of a second. The date sits at 4 o’clock. An EOL (end of battery life) indicator alerts you before the battery dies by making the seconds hand jump in 2-second intervals instead of the usual 1-second tick. It is a practical feature that saves you from a dead watch in an inconvenient moment.

There is no power reserve to manage, no winding ritual. You set it and forget it. For a watch tied to a sporting context, that makes sense. The Chrono XL was built for people who want reliable timekeeping with chronograph function, not a mechanical movement to wind every morning.

Comfort and Wearability

A 45mm watch is a statement. If you have a smaller wrist, the Stejarul de Aur will look and feel large. On a medium to large wrist, it sits confidently without sliding around.

The dark blue leather strap is comfortable straight from the box. It is 22mm at the lug and tapers slightly toward the buckle. The standard tang clasp is simple and works fine. No quick-release mechanism here, so strap swaps require a spring bar tool, which is a minor inconvenience.But I never felt the need to change the strap on this watch. It’s perfect the way it came. 

For extended wear, the weight becomes noticeable by the end of a full day. This is not a watch you forget you are wearing, which depending on your preferences is either a feature or a drawback.

On the wrist, the rose gold and blue combination draws compliments from people who notice watches. It looks expensive without being expensive, which is a skill not many watches at this price point pull off cleanly.

Features and Technology

The sapphire crystal comes with an anti-reflective coating, which keeps the dial readable in direct sunlight. The luminous inserts on the hands and markers work well in low-light conditions. Not a dive watch level of lume, but enough to read the time in a dark room or after a night game.

No smart functions. No solar charging. No exotic materials. What you get is a well-executed Swiss chronograph with sport-specific branding and a collector’s case back. And I would add that it is more than enough!

Brand and Heritage

Tissot is part of the Swatch Group, which means Swiss manufacturing standards, reliable movements, and global distribution. Founded in Le Locle in 1853, the brand built its reputation on making Swiss quality accessible. They are the official timekeeper for MotoGP, the NBA, the Tour de France, and several rugby competitions including the 6 Nations Championship and the EPCR Champions Cup.

The Romanian connection started in 2018, when Albini Prassa, the Tissot importer and distributor in Romania, facilitated the brand’s partnership with the Romanian Rugby Federation. The Stejarul de Aur was born from that relationship, released in 2019 to mark both the second year of the partnership and the 100th anniversary of Romanian rugby’s first official international matches, played in 1919.

As Ion Schiau, owner of Albini Prassa and a rugby player himself, put it: no other Romanian sporting federation had ever had a brand like Tissot as a partner, and no other rugby team in the world had a Tissot watch made specifically for it. That is not marketing speak. That is a fact.

It’s not the TIssot Banana watch in terms of the historical importance, but it combines the history of Romanian Rugby and a good watch. So I think it adds some value, at least for Romanian market. 

Price and Value for Money

The original retail price was 1,990 RON, roughly 400 euros at the time of release. For a Swiss-made quartz chronograph with sapphire crystal, a meaningful limited edition status, and a collector-grade case back engraving, that is a fair price.

Compare it to other Tissot Chrono XL references, which retail between 350 and 500 euros depending on configuration. The Stejarul de Aur sits right in that range. You pay roughly the same as any other Chrono XL, but you get a numbered piece tied to a specific cultural moment.

On the secondary market, prices have held steady and occasionally exceed the original retail, which is exactly what you want from a 500-piece limited edition. It is sold out at retail. 

What I did a year ago was to put the watch up to sale, with no intention to sell it, just to see how the market would respond. The price asked for the watch was 1000 euros and I got a lot of offers for it. One guy insisted and offered 200 euro extra for the watch. 

So with this one the price increased to roughly 1200 euros.

Pros and Cons

What works well: the sapphire crystal, the 100m water resistance, the EOL indicator, the meaningful cultural context, the solid build, the rose gold and blue dial combination, and the numbered case back.

What works less well: the PVD coating will wear over time, the 45mm case is too large for smaller wrists, the standard tang buckle feels unremarkable for a limited edition, and the fact that every piece is engraved “1 of 500” removes some of the individuality that numbering is supposed to create.

Target Audience

This watch is for Romanian rugby fans who want something beyond a scarf or a jersey. It is for the collector who looks for watches tied to specific moments in sports history rather than pure horological pedigree. It is also for the everyday wearer who wants a large, bold Swiss chronograph that carries a story.

If you need a mechanical movement, look elsewhere. If you want a reliable, handsome, and culturally loaded limited edition at a reasonable price, the Stejarul de Aur is a strong choice in my opinion. 

Box and Packaging

Tissot delivers the Stejarul de Aur (Golden Oak)  in their standard branded packaging. The presentation is clean and appropriate for a watch at this price point. Nothing extraordinary, but nothing to complain about either.  In the Box you also have a book with all the models available, from that time at least, and another book with the History of Tissot.

Sure, I would have preferred a box that celebrates the 100 years of Romanian Rugby, not just the standard simple box. Really a missed opportunity here. 

Tissot Stejarul de aur a fine piece that is truly limited

The Tissot Stejarul de Aur is not trying to be a haute horlogerie masterpiece. It is a sports chronograph with identity. It wears the Romanian tricolor, the national rugby team logo, and 100 years of sporting history on its blue dial, and it does so with more restraint than you would expect from a piece this bold.

The Chrono XL platform is proven, the ETA quartz movement is dependable, and the limited edition status of 500 pieces gives it a collector dimension that most watches at this price point simply do not have.

If you are looking for it, you will need to track it down on the secondary market now. Even if you are not Romanian you can buy the watch, especially if you appreciate the history of a sport or limited edition watches that are actually limited. 

Also, I assure you, I cleaned the watch before taking a picture of it, and then I thought, people should see how easy this watch catches fingerprints, so I decided to show you real pictures from real use. 

Oh and it could have been a good looking James Bond watch. Just saying.