Frank Sans C’s 3 favorite Tissot watches (and available in stores!)
First test at the Tissot boutique, where Frank Sans C chose three watches: an evening watch, a weekend watch and a holiday watch. At least, that’s his explanation… A Le Locle model for elegance, a PRX Goldorak to bring back some memories of his youth, and a Seastar 1000 for setting sail. Three watches, three personalities and three very different ways of telling the Tissot story. Frank explains why they ended up ‘in his basket’.
Le Locle Powermatic 80: A Return to Origins
Since its launch in 2003, the Le Locle watch has borne the name of the town where Tissot’s story began. Decades later, the collection retains the signature elements of the original models: a timeless dial inspired by the Le Locle clock tower, Roman numerals, and a precise automatic movement. In short, it is a watch that appears understated at first glance but is ultimately far from lacking in character.
A watch “born with its village”
Before becoming a full-fledged collection for Tissot, Le Locle was as early as the late 17th century a small village in the Neuchâtel mountains where the first farmer-watchmakers emerged, crafting clocks and pocket watches. In 1853, the Tissot family established their assembly workshop there an operation destined to evolve into a manufacture and, subsequently, a thriving factory. One hundred and fifty years later, the brand pays tribute to its roots by unveiling a timepiece named “Le Locle.” As previously mentioned, the dial reflects the understated style of the town’s clock tower, while the name “Le Locle,” written in italics, proudly highlights its place of origin.
A classic revisited
Take, for instance, the Le Locle model: it retains its traditional silhouette while infusing its design and mechanism with a thoroughly modern feel. Housed in a 39.3 mm 316L steel case, the silver dial protected by a sapphire crystal features a Clous de Paris pattern, Roman numerals, and leaf-shaped hands. Understated and elegant, the watch is presented on a black leather strap with an alligator style embossed finish and a push-button butterfly clasp. Yet, beneath this apparent simplicity, the transparent case back reveals a superb mechanical movement.
80 hours on the clock
Water-resistant to 30 meters, the Tissot Le Locle is powered by the Powermatic 80 caliber, a Swiss automatic movement with a power reserve of approximately 80 hours. Its balance spring, made of Nivachron™, is resistant to magnetic fields and shocks.
€675
View the technical details of the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80
Technical specifications:
Case :
Steel 31L
Diameter : 39,3 mm
Water-Resistance : 30 meter
Decorated transparent case back
Movement :
Powermatic 80 automatic movement
Power-reserve: approximately 80 hours
Nivachron™ balance-spring
Dial :
Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
Leaf-shaped hands and Roman numeral indices
Bracelet :
Interchangeable alligator-embossed leather strap
PRX UFO Robot Goldorak, “Rocket Punch!!!!!”
Some collaborations instantly stir up memories. With the PRX Goldorak, Tissot speaks to the generation that grew up watching Club Dorothée while also appealing to those discovering the famous robot today through Goldorak U. Launched alongside the 2024 series inspired by Go Nagai’s universe, this special edition brings together two icons born in the 1970s: the Seastar Quartz watch the PRX’s predecessor and the legendary robot that came to save the galaxy. We covered this in depth in a dedicated article: “Fulguropoing with the Tissot PRX Goldorak.”
This PRX retains its 40mm integrated 316L steel case, but the dial becomes the true canvas for this collaboration. The blue dial features an engraving of the Goldorak bust, the outlines of which are revealed in the dark thanks to yellow Super-LumiNova. The space robot’s bust glows with yellow Super-LumiNova®.
The hands and hour markers also play with luminous material, while the seconds hand features a counterweight directly inspired by the “Astro-Axe” the robot’s iconic weapon. Even the flange conceals a nod to connoisseurs, featuring the Japanese inscription of the series’ original title.
Beneath this avalanche of pop culture references lies a very real mechanism: the Powermatic 80 an automatic caliber boasting an approximately 80-hour power reserve and an antimagnetic Nivachron™ hairspring. Visible through the transparent case back, its rotor also features a Goldorak engraving.
And since the experience begins even before the watch is strapped to the wrist, Tissot extends the theme to the presentation case: it echoes the lines of the Spazer the hero’s spacecraft while the box itself features original artwork by Go Nagai.
€895
View the technical specifications for the PRX UFO Robot Goldorak.
Technical details:
Case :
Diameter : 40 mm
Sapphire crystal on the front, mineral glass case back
Water-Resistance : 100 meters
Special Goldorak engraving – The space robot inside the bezel
Engraved crown
Movement :
Powermatic 80 Calibre
Power-Reserve : approximately 80 hours
Special Goldorak – The Space Robot engraving on the rotor
Nivachron™ balance-spring
Hours, minutes, and seconds
Dial :
Goldorak Bust – The Space Robot in Super-LumiNova®
Baton indices and hands coated with Super-LumiNova®
Asterohache second hand
Bracelet :
Steel bracelet, single link with interchangeable system
Steel triple-blade folding clasp
Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80, the adventurer
To discuss the current Seastar, we must look back to the 1930s. During that period, Tissot conducted extensive research at its Neuchâtel laboratory and developed its first water, shock, and dust-resistant timepieces, such as the Camping (1938) and the Aquasport (1939). It was not until 1952 that the brand finally registered the Seastar name. The collection went on to have a long history, spanning from the Seastar T12 (1956) and the Seastar Seven to the models we know today.
The Seastar: A Story Rooted in the Field
The Seaster is undoubtedly an adventurer. As early as the 1950s, it appealed to sports enthusiasts and divers alike; indeed, the Seaster T12 launched in 1956 was water-resistant to a depth of 120 meters. It was selected to coincide with the release of Commander Cousteau’s film The Silent World. In 1963, this all-terrain watch even made it to the summit of Everest on the wrist of Nawang Gombu. From the ocean depths to mountain peaks, the watch has certainly built up an impressive travel log.
Today, the Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 carries on this legacy with a more contemporary interpretation. Redesigned with a notch at the end that visually streamlines its profile, the 40mm case retains classic dive watch features: a screw-down crown, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and water resistance to 300 meters. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, while the bezel is fitted with a black-tinted mineral glass insert.
Blue in the Dark
However, it is the dial that gives this reference its distinctive character. Its vertically brushed surface transitions gradually from blue to black, creating an effect of depth that is almost reminiscent of light fading as one descends beneath the surface. Super-LumiNova® coated hands and indices then take over when the light begins to fail.
Beating beneath this handsome dial is the Powermatic 80 caliber—an automatic movement offering up to 80 hours of power reserve and featuring a Nivachron™ balance spring designed for superior resistance to magnetic fields. The transparent case back allows the mechanism to be admired a rather unexpected detail for a watch water-resistant to 300 meters. Finally, the three-link steel bracelet is interchangeable, as is the black Tropic strap available on certain versions: a simple way to transition the Seastar from a diving watch to a timepiece for city wear.
€795
View the technical specifications for the Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80.
Technical details :
Case:
Diameter : 40 mm
Sapphire crystal
Unidirectional rotating bezel in tinted mineral crystal
Screw-down crown and transparent case back
Water-resistance : 300 meters
Movement:
Powermatic 80
Nivachron™ balance-spring
Dial:
Vertically brushed blue-black gradient dial
Hour and minute hands coated with Super-LumiNova®
Bracelet:
Three-row interchangeable bracelet
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