The Tissot Seastar: A Dive Watch for All Occasions
Ever since it made its first splash into the world of horology, the dive watch design has become largely homogeneous and almost entirely ubiquitous within the archives of even the smallest watchmakers, composed of key technical and aesthetic signifiers – a rotating and usually ceramic bezel; luminous and highly legible hour markers; clearly differentiated hour and minute hands; a screw-down crown and caseback; and a comprehensive water resistance rating, normally around 300m but ranging all the way to 1000m for heavy-duty saturation diving instruments.
The Tissot Seastar collection, first launched as a dedicated dive line in the early 2000s, is no exception, embodying all the legibility-first design flair and technical capability that enthusiasts have come to expect from their deep-sea companions. The strength of the Seastar offering lies not just in its functionality, however, but also in its versatility; ranging from 36mm to 45.5mm in size and featuring models with additional mechanisms such as GMT capability and chronograph displays, the Tissot Seastar collection offers something for every individual lifestyle – no matter how extreme.
We have compiled a curated edit of Seastar models available at Michael Spiers that are suited to a range of people and their individual daily requirements, from pieces that can stand up to extreme underwater exploration to sophisticated GMT watches that can display two time zones simultaneously. Whatever your lifestyle demands, discover the perfect Tissot Seastar.
Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz Chronograph 45.5mm
The first entry in our selection of Tissot Seastar timepieces is also the largest and most capable by far, measuring a substantial 45.5mm with a thickness of 12.82mm and a 22mm lug width. Registering a very respectable 300m of water resistance, its stainless steel case commands considerable presence on the wrist, with a green-and-black gradient watch face that complements the metal’s cool tones serving as a handsome, capable focal point.
The bezel, crafted from aluminium and stainless steel, is standard fare for dive watch specifications, capable of unidirectional anti-clockwise rotation and finished with a 60-second scale designed to keep track of underwater exploits. The dial itself is a graded green-black hue that shimmers lushly when catching the light, overlaid with geometric applied index markers and thick, Super-LumiNova-filled hands designed to maintain legibility many fathoms beneath the surface.
Unsatisfied with just its dive watch capabilities, the additional chronograph mechanism and date aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock ensure that this Tissot Seastar model is truly ready for all eventualities. Whether deep beneath the surface of the ocean or safely on dry land, time can be measured to the nth degree using its specialist chronograph functions: a 30-minute and 1/10-second counter respectively; a central 60-second chronograph hand; and ADD and SPLIT capabilities, all controlled via the push buttons on either side of the crown.
The watch is completed with a grey stainless steel bracelet, fitted with a safety lock, diver extension, and double push-buttons for on-the-fly adjustment, and is powered by the Swiss quartz chronograph PowerDrive movement, ensuring reliability and a long life as your companion in adventure.
This Watch is Perfect for:
People who lead an active lifestyle and need a timepiece that can keep pace with the demands of daily life, whether above or below the waves. With fantastically comprehensive functionality that encompasses 300m of water resistance and extensive chronograph capabilities, alongside a considerable 45.5mm wrist presence, this is the ideal Tissot Seastar model for the sporty, adventurous individual who needs a reliable everyday companion and prefers substantial proportions.
Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT 40mm
Five and a half millimetres smaller yet equally as capable, the Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT 40mm is another of the collection’s models packed with just as much functionality as style. As the name suggests, it measures a crowd-pleasing 40mm on the wrist, with a thickness of just under 12mm and a lug width of 20mm. Alongside its impressive 300m water resistance, now ubiquitous amongst Seastar models, this particular reference’s primary attraction lies in its GMT capability.
The watch face displays four hands instead of the usual trio; whilst three keep track of the hours, minutes, and seconds as normal, the fourth is a special GMT hand, set independently of the main display, that records all 24 hours of any alternate time zone you wish. This is known as a ‘caller’ or ‘office’ GMT within enthusiast parlance, differentiating it from a slightly more complex 'traveller' GMT mechanism in which the local hour hand is independently adjustable. Although both can be used for travelling, this watch’s ‘caller’ GMT function is better suited for someone who needs to keep track of the time overseas – perhaps due to work, family, or friendship commitments.
The stainless steel case of this Tissot Seastar houses a sleek, no-nonsense black dial, its matte monochromatic hue delicately offset by rich forest green on the bottom half of the bezel and the GMT hand, the contrast providing an immediate visual differentiation between the two time zones. It retains all the key aesthetic markers of a dive watch, such as the luminous, geometrically shaped indices and screw-down crown and caseback, but eschews the traditional unidirectional rotatable bezel for a bi-directional 24-hour, mineral-insert rendition in service of the GMT functionality. It also displays today’s date in a clearly defined aperture at 6 o’clock, a further helpful addition for frequent fliers and the globally minded.
This model sports a handsome three-link stainless steel bracelet secured with a push-button-operated folding clasp, allowing quick-release adjustments without removing links. At its heart beats a reliable Swiss quartz GMT movement, whose quartz composition offers an unexpected boon to the ‘office’ GMT mechanism; unlike in mechanical watches, where seconds synchronisation is lost in the process of resetting the main hands, the quartz movement naturally retains accuracy.
This Watch is Perfect for:
Cosmopolitan citizens of the world who need to stay on top of another time zone simultaneously, whether to coordinate work meetings or keep track of relatives and friends abroad. Its impressive dive credentials, water resistance rating up to 300m, and independent ‘office’ GMT hand make it the perfect Tissot Seastar choice for a holiday watch, tracking the time in two separate locations whilst you take it for a quick dip in the pool, worry-free.
Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz 40mm
Where the previous models in our edit have layered additional complications atop the Tissot Seastar’s diving foundations, this model strips its proposition back to the bare essentials. Sharing the same wearable 40mm diameter as its GMT and automatic siblings, it measures a remarkably trim 10mm in thickness – a slenderness afforded by the compact architecture of its Swiss quartz movement. The result is a dive watch, no less capable than its fellow models, that can slip beneath both the ocean’s surface and a pressed shirt cuff with equal ease, offering the expected 300m of water resistance in conjunction with a markedly refined aesthetic.
The stainless steel case frames a deep black dial of exemplary clarity, populated by applied luminous markers and Super-LumiNova-filled hands that render the time legible at a glance, whether in bright sunlight or the gloom of the deep sea. Its unidirectional bezel, fitted with a mineral-glass insert and calibrated with the customary 60-minute scale, turns with a satisfying click, whilst a date aperture at 6 o’clock preserves the dial’s careful symmetry. Above it all sits a sapphire crystal treated with an anti-reflective coating, ensuring the view remains unimpeded from every angle.
Completing the watch is a stainless steel bracelet fastened with a folding clasp, fitted to the case via the collection’s interchangeable quick-release system – meaning that a leather or rubber strap can therefore be substituted in seconds, without so much as a spring bar tool. Powering the watch is a Swiss quartz calibre, complete with an end-of-life indicator that signals when the battery requires replacement.
This Watch is Perfect for:
Those purchasing their first Swiss timepiece, or anyone seeking a versatile, uncomplicated everyday watch that asks nothing of its wearer. With no winding to remember, no complications to master, and a svelte profile that pairs as comfortably with a suit as with swimming shorts, this Tissot Seastar makes a compelling introduction to Swiss watchmaking for anyone taking their first steps into the category.
Tissot Seastar 1000 Automatic 40mm
For those who require a capable diving companion yet also appreciate the artistry and technical engineering of a traditional mechanical watch, this Tissot Seastar, with its automatic Swiss movement, is the natural choice. It measures a wearable 40mm with an official thickness of 12.5mm, although the inclusion of a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal adds a sense of projection that further augments its wrist presence.
The unidirectional rotating bezel is crafted from ceramic rather than stainless steel, a material common amongst dive watches for its superior durability, scratch resistance, and immunity to corrosion and fading. The dial itself sports a vertically brushed finish with a gorgeous fumé effect, transitioning seamlessly from a rich ocean blue in the centre to deep black around the perimeter; upon its surface lie both dot and baton indices which, like the hands, are filled with Super-LumiNova for increased legibility in low light.
This Tissot Seastar is driven by an automatic Powermatic 80 calibre, boasting an eponymous 80 hours of power reserve and an unhurried beat rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour. That extended reserve is the movement's headline achievement, offering more than double the running time of the traditional Swiss automatic calibres upon which it is based; in practical terms, it means the watch can be set down on a Friday evening and picked up again on Monday morning still running accurately, with no need to reset the time or date. Rather than being concealed behind a solid caseback, the calibre is displayed through a transparent sapphire aperture on the reverse, allowing the oscillating weight and finished bridges to be admired in motion.
The remainder of the specification is every inch the professional diving instrument, with a stainless steel case finished in a sleek black PVD coating, a screw-down crown and caseback delivering 300m of water resistance, and a clearly defined date aperture at the 6 o’clock position. It is presented on a supple black rubber strap secured by a push-button folding clasp, an appropriately rugged pairing for a watch designed to be stretched to its limits, though the interchangeable quick-release fitting means an alternative strap can br swapped in without tools whenever needed.
This Watch is Perfect for:
Watch enthusiasts who appreciate the inclusion of a mechanical calibre in their timepieces and who prefer a high-reserve, ‘weekend-proof’ movement capability. Capable and dependable with a more traditional DNA, this Tissot Seastar is a great option for those seeking a mechanically powered dive watch at an accessible price point.
Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz 38mm (white)
A stark, almost luminous pallor immediately sets this Tissot Seastar apart from every other model in our selection, trading the collection’s customary ocean blues and blacks for a graded white-grey dial that shimmers beneath the light like the pale crest of a wave. Measuring 38mm in diameter with a 12.9mm thickness and an 18mm lug width, it is the most compact and unisex chronograph in the Seastar line-up, and at a mere 79g it wears with a lightness that belies the true breadth of its capabilities.
The colour scheme – and, by extension, the dial – is the undoubted focal point, the face’s gradient shifting gently from a centralised white to a soft, smoky grey towards the periphery. Its hue is punctuated by silver-toned dot and baton indices as well as three neatly recessed sub-dials that display various chronograph functions, and the hands are filled with a Super-LumiNova coating that preserves legibility in all conditions. The unidirectional bezel, fitted with a mineral-glass insert and framed in stainless steel, retains the diving pedigree, as does the screw-down crown and the full 300m water resistance rating. A sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating shields the whole composition from scratches and glare alike.
As with the 45.5mm model that opened our selection, the chronograph is driven by the Swiss quartz PowerDrive calibre, offering a 30-minute counter, a 1/10-second counter, a central 60-second chronograph hand, and ADD and SPLIT functionality, all operated via the pushers flanking the crown. It is presented on a white silicone strap fastened with a pin buckle, a fittingly sporty, summer-ready finish that reinforces the monochrome theme, and which can be exchanged for an alternative at will thanks to the interchangeable quick-release fitting.
This Watch is Perfect for:
Anyone drawn to a striking and contemporary aesthetic who does not wish to compromise on technical substance. Its smaller 38mm case makes it an excellent choice for slimmer wrists, whilst its crisp all-white palette lends it a distinctly modern, sports-luxe character that stands out amongst a sea of black and blue dials. For the design-led buyer who wants a chronograph, a diver, and a conversation piece all in a single watch, this Tissot Seastar model answers on every count.
Tissot Seastar 1000 36mm
The final entry in our Tissot Seastar collection is perhaps the dressiest and the most suitable for female wrists, its slimmer 36mm diameter and 9.67mm thickness making it a wonderful option for those in search of luxurious watch brands for women. It retains all of the key dive watch elements, namely 300m of water resistance and a screw-down crown and caseback, but elevates the Seastar’s usually sporty aesthetic with the inclusion of a lustrous mother-of-pearl dial and an elegant two-tone colour scheme. Upon the opaline face lie white geometric index markers and Super-LumiNova-filled hands, both elements outlined with a warm rose gold PVD border.
This contrast colour is reproduced on the knurled edge and graded numerals of the unidirectional mineral-glass bezel, as well as in the central link of the otherwise stainless steel bracelet. A date aperture, outlined with the same rose gold hue, sits at the 6 o’clock position, standing out against the subtle sheen of the pearl dial.
This Watch is Perfect for:
Those seeking a versatile yet fully capable companion that can wear many hats and suit a variety of environments, from casual outdoor adventuring to more formal occasions. With its pared-down proportions and dressier design details, this is a wonderful Tissot Seastar model for those in search of ladies’ luxury watch brands, either for themselves or as a heartfelt gift.
Dive into the Tissot Seastar Collection with Michael Spiers
What emerges from this edit is a collection of remarkable breadth. From a 45.5mm chronograph built for those who live at full tilt, through a globe-trotting GMT and a mechanically driven automatic, to a featherweight monochrome chronograph and an elegantly proportioned two-tone dress diver, the Tissot Seastar line demonstrates that a single design language can be interpreted in a great many ways without ever losing its identity.
Every model shares the same fundamental promise: Swiss-made construction, a sapphire crystal, luminous legibility, a screw-down crown and caseback, and 300m of water resistance. All that differs is the character laid over those foundations, and therein lies the pleasure of choosing.
Explore the wider Seastar range and our full collection of Tissot timepieces at Michael Spiers, available online and in our Truro, Exeter, and Taunton showrooms. Our friendly team of experts will be glad to guide you through the entire range and help you choose the perfect companion.