Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Tissot Automatic Seastar Automatic Date, Silver Sunburst Dial, circa 1976
- Maker / attribution
- Tissot (maker)
- Date
- c. 1976
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- silver
- Dimensions
- Case 37 mm
- Stock no.
- vws2883
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2883)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Tissot Automatic Seastar Automatic Date - Silver Sunburst Dial - c.1976 (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2883), this is a wristwatch by Tissot, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1976. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist
An Attractive Tissot Automatic Seastar with a Classic Silver Sunburst Dial and Date Aperture in Superb Condition, c.1976 Tissot was founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile Tissot in the Swiss city of Le Locle. The Seastar collection first surfaced a century later in Tissot's 1954 catalogue and was airtight thanks to a double caseback, with additional protection against moisture and dust. What’s On Offer A classic, the Tissot Seastar comes in many variations and this is a really nice example! The silver sunburst dial is in superb condition and sports polished metal hour markers with onyx inserts and luminous pips, stick hands with luminous inserts and a date aperture at 3 o'clock. The fat tonneau case crafted from stainless steel is in fantastic condition too with barely any signs of wear to note. At 37mm it is a nice size and wears well on the wrist. This is a nice all-rounder, with style and functionality, the perfect everyday watch that will look great on all occasions.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Automatic (self-winding) watches
Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.
What to look for
- A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
- 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
- A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.
Dating clues
- Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
- Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
- Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Related records
Pocket Watches · 1971–2001
"Tissot synthetic idea 2001" the first plastic watch, introduced in 1971
Science Museum Group, London
Wristwatches · c. 1960
Wristwatch by Tissot, Switzerland, c. 1960
German Clock Museum
Wristwatches · 1930s
Wristwatch by Tissot, Switzerland, 1930s
HKM / Kulttuurihistoriallinen
Wristwatches · 1950–1960
Wristwatch by Tissot, 1950–1960
Modemuseum Hasselt
Wristwatches · 1970
Wristwatch by Heno, Switzerland, 1970
Museum Rotterdam
Wristwatches · 1960–1986
'Tri-Compax' calendar chronograph wristwatch in gold case, by Universal, Geneva, Switzerland, 1960–1986.
Science Museum Group, London
Wristwatches · 1969–1970
Beta 21 Quartz wristwatch movement, made in Switzerland, 1970.
Science Museum Group, London
Wristwatches · c. 1969
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, ref. 145022-69st, c. 1969
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva