The Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80

New this year from Tissot is the Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80. At first glance, I thought this watch looked remarkably simple, while still keeping all of the staples that one might come to expect from a professional diving watch.

The watch features a rugged demeanor, but remains quite stylish due to the red unidirectional rotating bezel, made from ceramic. The bezel is ratcheted making for precise handling. There are notches on the bezel so that it can be gripped and maneuvered easily even while wearing gloves.  As most of you might know, unidirectional bezels are used by divers as an auxiliary timer. This timer displays elapsed time, which is vital for the calculation of oxygen consumption, and decompression intervals.

This Seastar model carries a case made from brushed stainless steel, and is fitted on a comfortable black rubber strap with the Seastar logo etched along the center ridge.  The strap features a classic diver’s buckle and an extension so that it can be worn over a wetsuit. The case measures 42mm across. This model is relatively thick with a case height of 12.4mm. Despite the watch’s robust dimensions, the Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 only weights 96 grams in total. The main crown is screw locked, and this helps to maintain the 30 Bar water resistance. The Seastar 1000 is also fitted with a helium release valve that automatically depressurizes the watch.

The black dial carries intensely luminous hour markers and hands for visibility of the time during low light conditions. The markers at 12 and 6 are rendered in Arabic numerals, while the marker at 9 is elongated to provide symmetry for the marker and date aperture at the 3 position. Tissot uses a scratch resistant sapphire crystal to protect the dial from dust and moisture.

The Tisssot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 is fitted with a self-winding mechanical movement that is actually called the Powermatic 80 movement. These models come in many different colors and can be bought in a stainless steel bracelet option.