While Tissot is a well-known brand, when I think of their watches, I tend to think more along the lines of their super-technical T-Touch stuff, or their more mainstream things like the partnership they’ve established with the NBA. However, if that’s how my brain thinks of them, that’s underselling the brand, and the just-announced Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional is forcing me to reset my expectations.
While most pro divers are relying on digital dive computers to track what they’re doing, there’s still a space where dive watches are used as a backup. Or, for folks like me (and perhaps you), to simply sport the look as we do a fair bit of desk diving in our daily lives. Sure, the 600m WR rating (which translates to 2000 feet, hence the 2000 in the name) is overkill for a desk diver, I view it as a massive “engineering factor” that’s excessively protecting the movement inside (more on that in a moment). As is the anti-magnetic Nivachron spring in the movement.
Speaking of that movement – the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional houses the Powermatic 80 calibre, something we’ve seen showing up across more of the Swatch Group marques. Along with that fancy balance spring, you’ve also got a very, very tasty 80 hour power reserve. That means you can set the watch down and come back three days later (so, say, over a long weekend) and it’ll be still ticking away, keeping accurate time (and date).
Now, as you’d expect for a deep dive watch like the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional – particularly one that feels it needs a helium escape valve – you’re dealing with some oversized dimensions. In particular, the case comes in at 46mm and a very hefty 16.25mm thick. Add all the steel, along with the steel bracelet, and you’re going to be dealing with a decent bit of weight on your wrist. Still, it’ll give you the bold look, particularly with the carved look they’ve got going on the degrade dial (in either blue, teal, or black).
If you opt for the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional on the rubber strap, it’ll be $995, while the ones on the steel bracelet will run you $1,025 which is not much of a premium. So, as usual, unless you’re anti-bracelet, get the bracelet right out of the gate, and then pick up an aftermarket strap to swap in if you’re so inclined. Check it all out over at tissotwatches.com
Tech Specs from Tissot
- 316L stainless steel case with burnished and satin-finish details
- Diameter 46 mm, thickness 16.25 mm
- Domed, bevelled glass in single-sided anti-reflective sapphire; case back in transparent sapphire glass with seahorse transfer
- Water-resistant to 600 m (2,000 ft, 60 ATM)
- Unidirectional rotating bezel, notched, with black ceramic insert
- Screw-down crown, engraved, with protective shoulder
- Helium valve at 9 o’clock
- Mechanical self-winding movement
- Powermatic 80 calibre (ETA C07.111)
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- 21,600 VPH (3 Hz)
- Power reserve of approximately 80 hours
- Anti-magnetic NivachronTM balance-spring in titanium alloy
- Dial in shaded blue with engraved wave motif
- Date aperture in appliqué, rhodium-plated, at 6 o’clock
- Hour and minute hands in baton form, nickel-plated, set with white Super- LumiNova®, emission colour blue
- Pear-shaped seconds hand with Tissot counterweight, set with white Super- LumiNova®, emission colour blue
- Rhodium-plated hour markers set with white Super-LumiNova®, emission colour blue
- Rubber strap/three-row carved steel bracelet
- Tongue buckle in steel/folding clasp for diving
